Chenango County, NY
Travel and Tourism Guide

Fall Foliage Driving Tours

Central Chenango Tour
Begins in the City of Norwich. Go out Hale Street Extension in Norwich to Country Road 32 (East River Road) and turn right, going through Polkville. Continue South on County Road 32 for about one-half of a mile and turn left up Dan Maine Hill Road. Continue on Dan Maine Road to Lyon Brook Road which bears to the right and ends back on County Route 32. Lyon Brook Road passes through a gorge which was once spanned by a railroad trestle over which trains on the new defunct O&W Railway traveled. 

Leaving Lyon Brook Road, turn left onto County Road 32 and follow along the east bank of the Chenango River to the Village of Oxford. Take the left fork in the road at the entrance to Oxford and enter County Road 35. This Route leads to the Hamlet of Guilford, passing Ruggs Pond on the left, a short distance out of Oxford, and Guilford Lake, also on the left, going into Guilford.

From the Hamlet of Guilford, the road continues to Guilford Center. Take a left turn there and continue on County Road 36. Follow County Road 36 northward to Pratt Road in the Town of Norwich. take a left turn there back to Dan Maine Road and then a right turn off Dan Maine to Country Road 32 and Norwich.

Northeast Chenango Tour

The Northwest Chenango Tour begins in the City of Norwich. In Norwich, take State Route 12 (Broad Street) north to State Route 320, just past the Norwich shopping plaza. From here, follow State Route 320 two and one half miles past Woods Corners. Here, State Route 320 bears to the left and runs into County Road 29.

Leaving State Route 320, follow County Road 29 into the village of New Berlin. Turn left onto State routes 8 and 80. Follow State Route 80 into the town of Columbus, the town of Sherburne and Smyrna. Other attractions await the travelers along State Route 80 in addition to the show of brilliant colors.

One of these points is just east of the Village of Sherburne on the south side of State Route 80 at Rexford Falls, cars can pull off to the side of the roadway and driven down near the gorge, which may be crossed on a footbridge from which a view of the falls is possible. Another stop along State Route 80 just west of the Village of Sherburne is the Rogers Environmental Education Center.

In Smyrna, turn onto County Road 20. Go south on County Road 20, past Sherburne four corners and make a right turn onto County Road 23. Follow that to just pass North Norwich where it runs into State Route 12. Follow State Route 12, until it returns to the City of Norwich.

Southeast Chenango Tour
Covers an area in the southeastern section of the county in Afton and Bainbridge. From the City of Norwich, the area may be reached several routes.

Go out of the City on Hale Street Extension to County Road 32 (East River Road). At the Polkville Store, turn left on County Road 33, and after about three-quarters of a mile, turn right onto County Road 36. Follow County Road 36 into Guilford Center. At Guilford Center, turn right on County Road 35, into the Hamlet of Guilford. Then turn left in Guilford onto County Road 38, which leads you to State Route 7 just North to the Village of Bainbridge. Turn right off County Road 38 onto State Route 7 and follow it into the Village of Bainbridge. Turn right onto State Route 206 northwesterly to West Bainbridge and turn left onto County Road 17, which at North Afton becomes County Route 41. Continue on Route 41 into the Village of Afton, cross the Susquehanna River and turn left on County Road 39 and proceed on County Road 39 back to State Route 206 and the Village of Bainbridge. Continue West on State Route 206 until it reaches West Bainbridge.

Southwest Chenango Tour

Begins in the Village of Oxford, seven miles South of the City of Norwich on State Route 12. After arriving in the Village of Oxford on State Route 12, turn onto State Route 220 West (State Street), follow State Route 220 West out of the Town of Oxford, across the Town of Preston and into the Town of McDonough. At East McDonough, State Route 220 heads West toward the Hamlet of McDonough and passes through areas of State Forest Land. In some sections of this stretch of the Route, the trees come down near the highway, and it is not unusual to catch glimpses of wild deer standing just off the pavement or running across it.

In the Center of the Hamlet of McDonough, State Route 220 turns South and crosses into the Town of Smithville. The Route follows Genegantslet Creek, which meanders from one side of the highway to the other. At Smithville Flats, Route 220 becomes State Route 41, and continues South to the Village of Greene. Turn left in Greene onto State Route 12 and head North, back to Oxford.

Northwest Chenango Tour

Begins in the City of Norwich. Take State Route 23 West (Plymouth Street) and follow it through to South Plymouth to Stewarts Corners. Bear right on County Road 16 and continue Northwesterly to the Madison County line in the Town of Otselic. Turn South (left) on County Road 4 (Ridge Road) and follow it to South Otselic and State Route 26. Take a left onto State Route 26, travel a short distance until you reach County Road 42. Travel on County Road 42 until it reaches State Route 23, which leads back into Norwich.

An alternate Route would be to stay on County Road 42 until it reaches County Road 10. County Road 10 will lead you through East Pharsalia. A short distance after East Pharsalia on the left is Tower Road, which leads to the Berry Hill Fire Tower. From the tower a panoramic view of the valley and surrounding hills can be seen. Continue on County Road 10, until it reaches the Hamlet of Preston. County Road 10 becomes County Road 10A, this will bring you into the City of Norwich.

Later in the Fall, in November, a second display of color may be seen which the larch trees, found in abundance on State lands, turn to a golden yellow. This coloration of the conifer larch continues into the Winter and presents a striking contrast to the dark background of evergreens.