Oakley Corners Yellow Trails

A nice hike near Owego, NY. Some sections of trail are pretty root heavy, but otherwise the difficulty is low. Ascents and descents are mild. A few of the trail intersections are easy to miss, so keep a sharp eye out or use the Hiking Project mobile app to stay on course.

Keep an eye out for mountain bikers and dog walkers.

This is one of my favorite loops on the Oakley Corners Yellow/South Trails. It could easily be modified to fit a shorter mileage or add a few extra trails to increase it.

Start off down the access road from the parking lot. Bear off to the right at the first chance and you'll be on trails for the remainder of the hike. The Y1/Y4/Y5 intersection is the easiest to miss, so keep a sharp lookout until Yellow 5 (Y5). Make sure to not to accidentally head back north on Y5 and then eventually hook a right to catch Yellow 6 (Y6) - this junction is easy to miss at speed. Once on Y6, follow the trail and make sure to take a right at the T to stay on Y6 (avoiding Y7).

After this, hop on Yellow 2 (Y2) which is rooty with some minor ascents and descents. Immediately after the small creek crossing, hook to the left to keep on the trail instead of trudging up through the water runoff. Y2 will bring you back to Y1. Yellow 1 (Y1) gives you a nice speedy finish with fewer roots and a great slow descent towards the very end (use caution here, as the downhill does get a little hairy under foot). Keep bearing to the right as Y1 splits off with several options over the last 100 yards or so. Staying right will get you back to the parking lot and your starting point.