Trenton Falls Scenic Trails open October 17 and 18 as the town seeks more volunteers

The Trenton Falls Scenic Trails in the Oneida County town of Trenton will open to the public on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting, according to the Town of Trenton. The gorge trails at 8526 Trenton Falls Road in Barneveld open only two weekends a year, and Lite 98.7 reported on October 1 that the October dates are the last chance to walk them in 2026.

The town is also asking for more volunteers to staff the weekend. In an August 26 notice, town officials wrote that their pool of volunteers has shrunk over time and that the shortage puts the future of the open weekends in jeopardy. The notice says the tradition “depends 100% on community support to make it happen.”

The open weekend at a glance

These are the basics for the October 17 and 18 open weekend, as listed on the town’s Trenton Falls page.

• The trails are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, weather permitting.
• The entrance and parking area are at the end of Trenton Falls Road, at 8526 Trenton Falls Road in Barneveld.
• No reservations are required.
• Dogs and other pets are not allowed.
• Refreshments will be for sale, and parking attendants from the property owner will be on duty.

Why the trails open only twice a year

The trails are on land owned by the power company that runs the Trenton Falls hydroelectric plant, and the public can walk them only on scheduled weekends. The town says the trails open one weekend in the spring and one in the fall through a partnership between the town and the company, and the two developed the scenic trail together. The company handles parking, and the town supplies volunteer trail guides.

The falls are about 150 feet high on West Canada Creek, roughly 13 miles northeast of Utica, according to the town’s website. West Canada Creek flows on to the Mohawk River.

Volunteers wanted for two shifts a day

The town calls its volunteers Trail Ambassadors. They greet visitors, answer general questions and help guide people safely along the trail. Volunteers do not need to know the history ahead of time, because the town provides a script with history and orientation details. Food and refreshments are free for volunteers.

Volunteer shifts run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. People can sign up through a form on the town’s website or contact Audrey Pincott at (315) 896-2664 or trenton@trentonny.gov, according to the town’s Trenton Falls page. The Lite 98.7 story listed a different phone number; the number here is the one the town publishes.

What visitors will see

The town describes scenic overlooks, spots for watching wildlife, informational panels, views of the hydroelectric plant and its equipment, picnic areas and points of historic interest along the way.

There are two kinds of trail. The main trail is surfaced with stone dust and runs about a mile from the entrance and parking area to an overlook at the Trenton Falls hydro dam; the town says it takes 1 to 1.5 hours to enjoy. Secondary trails surfaced with wood mulch lead to nature areas and scenic views along the gorge.

Guests with limited mobility can reach the upper overlook by a reserved drive-up lane, but only in authorized transport vehicles, according to the town.

Rules on the property

The town lists a short set of rules for the open weekend.

• Visitors must stay on the marked trails at all times.
• Climbing on rocks, gorge walls, fences or the historic hydro pipeline is not allowed.
• Pets are banned everywhere on the property, including inside parked vehicles.
• The drive-up lane is reserved for vehicles carrying guests with limited mobility to the upper overlook.

Getting there

From Utica, the town’s directions say to take Route 12 north into the Mapledale commercial area, pass the traffic light and turn right onto Route 28 south. Trenton Falls Road is the first left, on a curve. Follow the signs to a four-way stop, go straight and continue to the end of the road to park.

From Herkimer and points east, take Route 28 through Poland for about 6 miles to the three-way intersection of Old Poland Road, Route 28 and Trenton Falls Road. Turn right onto Trenton Falls Road, go straight through the four-way stop and drive to the end of the road. From Rome, the town’s route runs through Holland Patent on Route 365 and then Mapledale Road to Route 12 north.

Two centuries as a tourist stop

Trenton Falls drew visitors long before the dam. According to the history on the town’s page, John Sherman first saw the falls in 1805 and moved to Trenton the next year as a pastor. A path to the falls was blasted in 1808 with money donated by Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon. Sherman and a partner bought 60 acres, including Sherman Falls, in 1822, and Sherman opened a resort to visitors in the summer of 1823. By 1825 the resort took overnight guests.

The Trenton Falls Hotel, popularly called Moore’s Hotel, was built in 1851 and tourism climbed. In 1863, Secretary of State William H. Seward hosted a meeting of diplomats at the hotel during the Civil War. A Utica electric company bought the hotel and land on both sides of the gorge in 1897, started building the dam and powerhouse in 1899 and sent electricity to Utica in 1901. The old hotel was torn down in 1945.

The rock in the gorge is about 450 million years old, according to the town, and the Trenton limestone holds fossils including the trilobite Isotelus gigas. The town says the same limestone was used in the Utica State Hospital and in 10 locks of the Black River Canal.

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