Aqua Terra Park

ACCESS
Take SR 201 across the River. Travel east on Vestal Parkway to Pennsylvania Avenue. Go south for 4.5 miles to Maxian Road. Use caution because this road comes up quickly after you pass Gillespie Rd. Turn west on Maxian Road and proceed one mile to the park entrance. When the county barriers are closed on the north and south side entrances there is room for about eight vehicles without blocking the entrance. If barrier is open drive in and park.

GENERAL
This Broome County park includes an archaic dammed lake and the slopes of the Innsbrook Ski Resort of 40 years ago. Picnic areas are on both sides of Maxian Road. There are no restroom facilities. Broome County continues to maintain the park, however they do not maintain the trails. The trails shown are the work of others. The county currently is in the process of deciding if an official trail system is in the future. Trails are not marked except by an occasional ribbon.

Take a compass because the number of intersections and new trails by vehicles can cause you to become disoriented.

Beavers have been active in the area for many years. They have relocated their lodge in the lake at least once. Sometimes their new dams have created flooding on the roadway beyond the south-side entrance.

TRAILS
North side: The classic trail is the pond loop of .75 miles when the water is low enough so you can walk across the dam overflow. Much of this trail is frequently very muddy.

For the longest trail, try a perimeter loop of 3.3 miles. Start out from the lake and take the trail branch to the right heading north. At the intersection turn east and into the old field. At the tee turn down the hill and follow the curve back up the hill. Bear east to the field after crossing the pipe line. Here there are no trail indicators but head to the northwest corner of this field to find the trail continuation. Follow it around the park perimeter. Broome County has posted red-on-white signs about every 100 yards along the park border.

Click here for map sketch of Aqua Terra north side trails (contributed by Larry Blumberg, Julian Shepherd, and Tony Preus)

South Side: (1.8 miles) The trails on this old ski resort hill are the remnants of the original ski runs. The local dirt bikers and ATVers keep them open. At the bottom is a stream with no bridge. In high water this is a challenge to cross while staying dry. If you hike the pipe line, do not follow it to the bottom because that area is very marshy.