Darlington Nuclear Waterfront Trail
Photo: zappowbang, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 0.5 mi
- round trip
- 65 ft
- climb
- Out and back
- route
- Easy
- difficulty
- Jun–Sep
- best months
The Darlington Nuclear Waterfront Trail is a short, easy hike in western New York, about half a mile long and just over 50 feet of elevation gain. It's an out-and-back route, starting at about 348 feet and reaching a high point of 404 feet before returning to the starting elevation. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about a quarter mile into the trail, and the total trip takes roughly half an hour. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Youngstown run to highs around 68°F in May and 74°F in September, with July the warmest month at about 83°F. Winter is cold, with January highs near 34°F. Several other trails lie within a few miles. The Osprey Trail is about 3 miles away, and the Soper Creek Trail and Bob Mills Boardwalk Trail are each within about 4 miles. The Waterfront Trail is roughly 6.5 miles off.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Darlington Nuclear Waterfront Trail
Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
34° / 19°
18 wet
Feb
35° / 19°
15 wet
Mar
43° / 25°
13 wet
Apr
55° / 35°
14 wet
May
68° / 46°
14 wet
Jun
77° / 57°
12 wet
Jul
83° / 62°
11 wet
Aug
81° / 61°
12 wet
Sep
74° / 54°
12 wet
Oct
61° / 44°
17 wet
Nov
50° / 34°
15 wet
Dec
39° / 26°
16 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Youngstown 2 E, NY, 45.4 mi away at 295 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: pascalhd2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Waterfront Trail
~13 min drive
1.42-mile out-and-back waterfront trail in New York with 222 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Orono Crown Lands Trail
~15 min drive
A 7.47-mile moderate out-and-back trail in New York offering a solid day hike experience.
HIKE
Victoria Rail Trail - Hiking
~38 min drive
16.64-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 567 ft gain.
Railway Trail
~23 min drive
A brief out-and-back trail in New York covering 0.33 miles, ideal for a quick hike.
HIKE
Seaton Hiking Trail
~38 min drive
A 7.56-mile point-to-point hiking trail in New York.
Railway Trail
~23 min drive
A brief 0.74-mile out-and-back trail in New York for a quick hiking outing.
HIKE
Rouge Valley Trail
~46 min drive
A 3.93-mile out-and-back trail in New York connecting to Bob Hunter Memorial Park, Austin Drive Park, and Milne Conservation Park.
Photo: Camera Eye Photography, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Devil's Den Trail
~23 min drive
2.62-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 342 ft elevation gain
Photo: Camera Eye Photography, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Springbank Trail
~23 min drive
0.68-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 124 ft elevation gain.
Springbank Trail
~24 min drive
0.92-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 248 ft elevation gain.
Also worth it near here
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors