As a compulsive pedestrian I savor places to walk the way a dedicated oenophile savors fine wine. Just as the fermented fruit of the grape offers many diverse experiences, so too do hiking trails. It is difficult to pick favorites because there are so many good choices catering to so many different purposes. Whereas my favorite trails are in the woods, I sometimes get in the mood for urban and railroad hikes.
While we have nothing near by that even resembles an authentic urban hike, our local villages can be described as urban only to distinguish them from rural. An urban hike is on sidewalks and streets. However, some urban settings have parks which contain walking trails, a bit of the rural in the midst of the urban. Central Park in Manhattan is the most famous.
Closer to home, our neighboring Village of Sidney, in Delaware County, has a park which contains a splendid walking trail. It has a mile long loop of asphalt pavement eight feet wide. The park is on River Street, about a half-mile east of State Route 8 and about three blocks west of the Sidney Memorial Public Library. This library, by the way, is one of the best around here, especially for local history.
Although I call it the Sidney walking trail, it is properly known as the Ed Roelle Nature Trail. In my cosmology designating this path as a nature trail is deceptive nomenclature. It is a landscaped park, not a natural setting. The only nature present is what sneaks in during pauses in weed pulling. Nevertheless, to most indoor people, this elegant trail may be as close as they will ever come to nature, so I heartily endorse it.
The trail is west of Keith Clark Fields and is on land housing the Village water treatment plant, behind the firehouse. A large extension of the trail is planned for the 65 acres to its west. This addition would more than double the length of the trail.
The trail was started in 1996 and I first walked it soon thereafter. Since then, I have walked it numerous times, especially during November and December, when it provides a safe haven from deer hunters. One mile is not very long, but it can be walked repeatedly. Plus, as an added bonus, walking around Sidney itself is a pleasant treat. This is a very historic settlement. It was originally called Fort Grounds, because of an Indian fort. It then underwent a series of name changes: Johnston Settlement, Susquehanna Flats, Unadilla, and then Sidney Plains. The current Unadilla is about three and a half miles up the Susquehanna River, in Otsego County, at what used to be Wattles Ferry, the western terminus of the Catskill Turnpike.
Sidney is on the confluence of the Unadilla and the Susquehanna rivers, and has been settled since prehistoric times. The Lord-Egli archaeological site, which straddles the river near the walking trail, goes back at least 3300 years.
The Ontario & Western Railway (O&W) once traversed the northeastern edge of the trail. What is left of the rail bed can be readily recognized. The abutments and piers of the O&W bridge that went across the mighty Susquehanna River still remain, albeit a bit battered.
In the photo is soon to be nonagenarian Ed Sidote, the president and founder of the Bullthistle Hiking Club. He is reading the plaque commemorating the O&W. Behind Ed and the wood fence are the remains of the O&W bridge western abutment and central pier. Ed and I were assessing the suitability of the trail for beginning and recuperating hikers. We give it our blessing! The level asphalt surface allows easy walking and even tolerates some shuffling. The trail is heavily used but is wide enough to accommodate passing, so it can be used by both slow and fast walkers. It is wheelchair accessible. Benches and tables are plentiful and well distributed. Restrooms are provided. When they are locked, which sometimes happens when they are urgently needed, the convenient riverside bushes give unintended credence to the appellation “nature trail.”.
The Sidney trail is only 25 minutes from Norwich and is certainly worth the trip. We in the Chenango Greenway Conservancy are trying to develop a similar walking trail here in Norwich. If a little village like Sidney (population 4068) can have such a splendid trail, surely the great City of Norwich (population 7355) should also be able to.