Oneonta Susquehanna Greenway Worth the Walk [PHOTOS]

Big Chuck let me in on a not-so-secret Oneonta secret. The Oneonta Susquehanna Greenway trail offers walkers, snowshoers, cross-country skiers, bird watchers and historians a look at the natural Oneonta.

Before you set out, don't be put off by the small parking lot next to a water treatment plant between two bus garages.

I walked the two-mile trail in about 40 minutes and, overall, it's worth checking out. The first half-mile is not entirely inviting, as it guides walkers along a path between two fences. Interstate 88 is on your right, while the bus garages are on your left.

Once you move past the buildings, the path opens into a field that affords you a view of untouched land for miles along the river. The hills, green and lush, stretch out to the horizon, and suddenly the sound of singing birds overpowers the roar of tractor trailers zipping down the highway.

The trail winds away from I-88 and brings you through wooded areas, and scattered park benches offer a glimpse at the water trickling by. There's even a pavilion with tables to stop for a snack.

There are markers that detail plant and wild life native to the area. There's even one that describes what Native American life would have been like. Points along the trail also give walkers a chance to skip stones in the river, let a dog loose to swim for a moment, or both.

Ultimately, the path ends almost as unappealing as it begins -- in the waste water treatment plant parking lot. There, you are asked to walk across the pavement, ever reminded of man's impact on nature, and pick up the trail for the final 100 yards, again flanked by a fence and a building.