I wrote an article in last week’s Messenger about the trail system in Baldwinsville and what residents can expect for the coming summer namely the completion of Village Square and the Southshore East Trail.
After the article came out, I was asked by reader Pat Urban to clarify where all the trails were as she was interested in traveling them this spring and summer. I gave her a breakdown of the paths and where to find them in an email, and decided I should share the information with all readers, especially those unfamiliar with the trails.
The first and oldest trail of the new system (Sergei Yevich Trail) begins at Lock Street (near Woods Street) and travels west along the north shore of the river ending at Village Square. I’ve taken numerous strolls along this stone dust path, which beautifully intertwines the serenity of the river with downtown Baldwinsville. You have easy access to many businesses should you want to stop for a bite to eat, visit the library or drop off packages at the post office. Or, you can simply take in the views of the river watching the fish and water fowl – be sure to keep an eye open for bald eagles that have been known to frequent the area. If you plan to explore the trail with young children, I suggest using a jogging stroller (with larger wheels) as the wheels on a regular stroller can get caught up in the stone dust along the path especially in areas where large piles of the material have gathered.
The Sergei Yevich Trail brings you to Village Square, which is currently under construction (parking lot and curbs have been installed, but landscaping still needs to be done). Walk to the northwest corner of the square where a tunnel leads under Route 48 into the Cottage Restaurant/municipal parking lot and there is a brick path along River Street leading to Mercer Park. The entire route is on the river and has beautiful views of the south shore. Or, after coming out through the west end of the tunnel, you can head south over the river and canal bridge then take a right onto Water Street leading to the Southshore West Trail, a path that leads to where visiting boats dock along the canal. The path ends at Riverview Cemetery. There is an entrance into the cemetery at this point and, if you are a history buff, this is also an interesting walk as it features many of the stones of the first settlers to Baldwinsville on the east end of the cemetery, not to mention the soldiers monument where the annual Memorial Day ceremony is held after Baldwinsville’s parade.
Finally, taking a left out of the southwest entrance of Village Square, past Sammy Malones and across the river and canal then left onto Water Street, will bring you to the Southshore East Trail (to be completed this summer). This is the longest of the trails traveling south along Meadow Street, over Crooked Brook on a soon to be installed pedestrian bridge and ending at Community Park just outside the village in the town of Van Buren. The entire trail is supposed to provide views of the river traveling through the flora and fauna of Baldwinsville and should be an enjoyable walk, especially for the nature lover.
Two additional paths/trails along these routes are the Paper Mill Island Trail and the Mill Island Trail. The Paper Mill Island Trail begins next to the Red Mill Inn and travels along Lock 24 to the amphitheater, which is very serene when there are no events being held on the island. When the lock is in operation, explorers can watch as visiting boats move through the lock, which is a fascinating process. The Mill Island trail, another nature trail and probably the oldest of all the trails, begins at the end of Marble Street (between the River and canal) and leads to the tip of the south end of the island where the Seneca River and canal merge again. This trail is rocky, so I again suggest a jogging stroller if you are to journey along this path with small children.
While the trails aren’t very long for an aggressive bike ride, they provide plenty of path as well as scenic and safe views for a day long stroll through the village. I definitely recommend checking the existing ones out. As for myself, I cannot wait for the Southshore East Trail to open so that my little Cora and I can explore that section of the river front.
Visit the following link to view a map of downtown Baldwinsville, which features the location of some of the trails: http://bit.ly/bvilletrailmap.
