Wolfe Park

Quick Bits

Main Activities - Hike, Snow Shoe, Cross-Country Skiing
Distance - ~3.5 miles of trails,  182 acres
Quiet -  Some road noise, but relatively quiet.
Surface -  need to watch for roots on sections,  the nature trail loop is  relatively wide
Elevation -  a few  areas with noticeable elevation changes,  particularly Hill Trail
Pets - with leash
Address - Dorman Road, Binghamton, NY
Facilities - Porta-potty at trailhead

In a Nutshell

This Town of Chenango Park is another hidden gem just a few miles from Front Street. A diverse set of trails with bridge, waterfall, forest, and field features. A few spots tend to hold mud and other roots to watch for, but very navigable hikes and not a great deal of elevation with which to contend. 

Location and Parking

More details

In terms of town parks for hiking, Wolfe Park is a great one. It is relatively quiet, though you'll get some road noise near the entrance and on the one edge of the Bluebird Trail.  The blue Nature Loop Trail, closest to the parking area, is relatively flat and parts of the trail are wider. There are also several benches here from an Eagle Scout project that provide a nice place to rest and take in the nature. There used to be a sort of walking tour and I think there's still a brochure on the town website that talks about various stops. Most, if not all, of the markers are gone, but they would have been in this loop.

For more elevation gain, the Hill Trail is aptly named. Part of the Bluebird Trail also has elevation change where it follows power lines. The Bluebird Loop is mostly out of the thick woods and through more fields and shrubs. There is one spot on the loop that has a nice scenic view, looking into the valley towards Front Street.

A note about navigation. For various reasons, there are multiple trails with that use the same color markers. The two loops, Bluebird and Nature, are both blue. Not to be outdone, Red is used by the Rim, Connector, and Hill trails. Also, during the summer of 2023, several trails were rerouted to avoid the worse of the mud. As a result, where the Hill (red) and Connector (red) trails join with the White trail, it's different. In the past, coming off the Hill trail you would go west on the white trail to get to the Connector trail. As of July 2023, you would go east to get to the Connector trail.

A storm in the Summer of 2021 wiped out the bridge and created other damage in the park, closing it until the Summer of 2023. A new much improved bridge was made possible by a $75,000 Broome County Small Community Grant.

In 1971 Richard Wolfe donated 182 acres to the Town of Chenango for use as a public park. In 1981 the Youth Conservation Corp built the first nature trail loop. In 1994 Boy Scout Troop 155 expanded the trail system.  Near the entrance, you'll see a kiosk, swing, and flowers surrounding a small pond thanks to the efforts of many volunteers and contributions of Chenango Bridge Garden Club and Chenango Valley Lions Club.

Links of Interest

• Town of Chenango Website Page

• NY Falls Website Page

Wander & Ponder Videos Recorded Here