Oneonta Wilber Lake loop trail

Lake view

Good view across Wilber lake to the south.

Intersection

A trail leads west here to the end of the peninsula

Bridge

A bridge crosses Wilber Lake here.

Bridge closed

The bridge across the north side of Wilber Lake is closed for culvert repairs as of winter 2019-2020.

Creek

A small creek (3-4 ft wide) crosses the road here. Some people will be able to jump across.

Trailhead for NW side

Parking area for trail on northwest side of Wilber Lake.

Creek

The half-mile-long west branch of Oneonta creek flows under Wilber Lake Road here into the reservoir..

Trailhead for S side

Roadside parking for trail on south side of Wilber Lake. Note that the "No trespassing" signs here are misleading. The dam is public property, and while the city wants visitors to stay out of the reservoir, the trail is open for public use.

Trailhead NE side

Parking area for trail on northeast side of Wilber Lake.

Parking

Oneonta Creek

Hikers can walk across the edge of the dam or can cross the creek just where it exits the dam.

Wet area

Avoid the marshy area below the dam.

Trail continues by water

The trail in the section is unmaintained and hard to find after some logging in this area. One trail continues north close to the shore. Another heads uphill to the road

Wet area

Wet sedge meadow.

Trail to lake

Parking area. An unmaintained trail leads steeply down to the lake.

No tresspassing sign

Note that the "No trespassing" signs along the trail on the south side of Wilber Lake are misleading. The dam is public property, and while the city forbids visitors from entering the reservoir itself, the trails by the lake are open for public use.

View

Trail overgrown

The maintained trail ends at the dam. The trail in this section is overgrown and hard to follow after logging. If you lose the trail, just head uphill to East St.

Dam

This dam was built in 1937 to increase the size of Wilber Lake, a main drinking water source for the City of Oneonta along with the Lower Reservoir downstream. The Daily Star reported in August 2019 that the city's water system serves 15,954 people who live in the City of Oneonta, and parts of the Town of Oneonta. The maintained trail ends at the dam. Although swimming in Wilber Lake is illegal, the dam remains a popular local swimming spot.