New Hartford: Churches, Trails and Parks

New Hartford brings together several specific themes to help you choose what to explore: historic churches, trails, parks and a seasonal farmers market. You can shape your stay around cultural attractions, opportunities for a stroll or individual recreational activities. To start narrowing down your options, it helps to distinguish between historic sites, trail access and seasonal offerings. What matters to you depends on whether you’re looking for a walking tour, outdoor activity or a particular place to include in your day’s plans.

Historic Churches and Local History

New Hartford Presbyterian Church, at 45 Genesee Street, was founded on August 27, 1791. Its specific founding date makes it a clearly dated historical landmark in New Hartford.

St. Stephen’s Church is located at 22–27 Oxford Road, has been listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places since 1996, and is privately owned. The two historic landmarks differ in this respect: the Presbyterian Church is notable for its founding date, while St. Stephen’s is notable for its listing. If you’d like to visit St. Stephen’s in person, check access arrangements in advance.

The New Hartford Historical Society offers a walking tour that starts at its headquarters at 2 Paris Road and visits historic sites. Alongside the individual churches, this provides a dedicated way to explore local history. If you’d like to take the tour, check in advance when it is offered.

Trails: From Trailheads to Trail Features

The New Hartford and Whitestown Rail Trail begins at a parking area at the trailhead on New Hartford Street in the Town of New Hartford. In the Town of New Hartford and Whitestown, it connects State Routes 5, 8 and 12. The trailhead described and the connections to these roads give you specific points of reference for getting your bearings.

The Philip A. Rayhill Memorial Trail is four miles long, paved and accessible; it runs parallel to the Judd Road Connector. This gives you different trail features to consider than those of the Rail Trail: here, the length, surface and accessibility are specified. Check the Rayhill Trail’s current condition before your visit.

Parks with Different Amenities

Sherrillbrook Park in New Hartford has walking trails. A 2024 publication also lists six pickleball courts there. Their availability and rules may change; if you’d like to use the courts, check the latest information in advance.

Washington Mills Athletic Park in the hamlet of Washington Mills has a hiking trail and a 60-foot-long, accessible fishing pier. Before your visit, check the trail’s current condition, as well as the pier’s condition and accessibility. Keep in mind that these features offer different kinds of recreation: the trail is for hiking, while the pier is for fishing.

Donovan Memorial Park in the hamlet of Chadwicks has a splash pad. Chadwicks is a hamlet in New Hartford. The park adds another specific recreational amenity at a different location to the hiking and walking options described above.

Farmers Market at Village Green

The farmers market is held at New Hartford’s Village Green. Since it is a seasonal market, check the current dates before your visit. For planning, the timing of your stay matters here in addition to the location—unlike the trail and park features described above, which you can consider independently of a seasonal market calendar.

Discover more destinations: Clinton, Oriskany, Utica, Whitesboro.

For the broader travel overview: Oneida.