Sidney walking trail

As a compulsive pedestrian I savor places to walk the way a dedicated oenophile savors fine wine. Just as the fermented fruit of the grape offers many diverse experiences, so too do hiking trails. It is difficult to pick favorites because there are so many good choices catering to so many different purposes. Whereas my favorite trails are in the woods, I sometimes get in the mood for urban and railroad hikes.

While we have nothing near by that even resembles an authentic urban hike, our local villages can be described as urban only to distinguish them from rural. An urban hike is on sidewalks and streets. However, some urban settings have parks which contain walking trails, a bit of the rural in the midst of the urban. Central Park in Manhattan is the most famous.

Closer to home, our neighboring Village of Sidney, in Delaware County, has a park which contains a splendid walking trail. It has a mile long loop of asphalt pavement eight feet wide. The park is on River Street, about a half-mile east of State Route 8 and about three blocks west of the Sidney Memorial Public Library. This library, by the way, is one of the best around here, especially for local history.

Although I call it the Sidney walking trail, it is properly known as the Ed Roelle Nature Trail. In my cosmology designating this path as a nature trail is deceptive nomenclature. It is a landscaped park, not a natural setting. The only nature present is what sneaks in during pauses in weed pulling. Nevertheless, to most indoor people, this elegant trail may be as close as they will ever come to nature, so I heartily endorse it.

The trail is west of Keith Clark Fields and is on land housing the Village water treatment plant, behind the firehouse. A large extension of the trail is planned for the 65 acres to its west. This addition would more than double the length of the trail.