Page 12 - 2025 Cortland Travel Guide

OUTDOORS
Hour Hikes GEE WHIZ RAIL TRAIL
Happy

Length 5 mi
Route type: Out & Back
If you’re looking for a quiet, leisurely walk
during your travels, add the repurposed
Gee Whiz Rail Trail to your itinerary.
Nothing beats the satisfaction
Named after the first train from McGraw
of a cold beer or smooth whis- to Cincinnatus in 1897, this flat trail runs
key after a day in the great through open spaces and woods. Perfect
for hiking, running and snowshoeing, it’s
outdoors. We’ve compiled
not just a nice place to stretch your legs,
Cortland County’s top hiking
but a great opportunity to view wildlife.
spots, conveniently close to
craft beer and spirit hotspots,
ensuring the ultimate blend of
outdoor thrills and chill vibes.

MCGRAW BOX BREWING
After a stroll through the woods, walk
across Spring Street and pop into McGraw
Box Brewing. Set in a converted cutlery
box factory, the brewery offers weekly
events to pair with their ales. The menu
boasts a range of brews, each paying hom-
age to the former business with names
HIGH VISTA HOMER HOPS BREWING like Plywood American Pale Ale and
NATURE PRESERVE Swap your hiking sticks for a cold bever- Planter Box Hazy IPA. Grab their award-
Length 1.2 mi age at Homer Hops Brewing, where you’ll winning Holznot Hefeweizen, featuring
Elevation gain 236 ft be treated to a spacious taproom and a perfect banana nose and subtle wheat
Route type: Loop panoramic views of surrounding farmland flavor for a crisp drink.
and rolling hills. Try the Exit 12 as your
Explore the 153-acre High Vista Nature
post-hike recovery beer. An American Pale VIRGIL MOUNTAIN LOOP
Preserve, perched high above Skaneateles
Ale, it clocks in at just 5.3% but delivers Length 4.8 mi
Lake’s east shore. The diverse hillside boasts
serious pale ale flavor with citrus and pine Elevation gain 774 ft
various tree species, murmuring streams
notes. If you want to extend your stay, Route type: Loop
and vibrant spring blooms. Perfect for
try one of their many sours or slushies by
tranquil, low-impact nature excursions Take in the best views of the county
season.
like hiking, trail running and snowshoe- landscape at the Virgil Mountain Loop,

ing. Extend your journey with a 4.5-mile located within the James Kennedy State
trek to Hinchcliff Family Preserve in Forest in Virgil. Spanning 4.8 miles, this
neighboring Onondaga County. segment of the Finger Lakes Trail show-

12