New hiking trail opens to the public

The Town of Warwick celebrated the opening of Long House Creek Trail with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the trail entrance at Hickory Hills Golf Course. The two-mile course begins at the county park and continues for two miles through county- and town-owned land until it terminates at a parking area on Cascade Road.

Ahead of the ribbon cutting, Warwick Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer thanked various stakeholders, many of whom were in attendance, for their dedication to the project and for helping the town complete the trail ahead of schedule and under budget.

“We got everything done. This project was a tough one, but it turned out to be one of the best hiking trails in the county. From the bottom of my heart thank you to everyone who played a role in this project,” Dwyer said.

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus was among those Dwyer recognized for ensuring the trail could become a reality. Neuhaus commented on Dwyer’s passion and said supporting the trail “is literally one of the best things we can do for the public.”

Dwyer also acknowledged former Warwick Town Supervisor Tony Houston who was there representing his late sister, who owned one of the parcels of land the town needed to acquire in order to make the trail possible.

Warwick Town Parks and Recreation Director Samantha Walter was also recognized for suggesting the trail’s name, Long House Creek. Dwyer noted that a highlight of the trail is a new timber bridge that allows pedestrians to cross over the creek.

The town secured initial federal funds for the project through the support of Rep. Sue Kelly almost 20 years ago. Several key property acquisitions were completed over the years, but, according to a recent press release, federal trail-construction regulations changed and costs rose, requiring additional funding to move the project forward. Dwyer initiated the trail’s construction in early spring and Orange County stepped in to commit the remaining funds needed for construction before the Oct. 1, 2025 deadline to use the federal funds or lose them and the project was completed in just a few months.

At the recent Warwick Town Board meeting, Dwyer categorized the trail as “moderate to difficult,” because of a steep incline on the Cascade Roadside, however he said the trail is mostly easy to navigate with no major obstacles. He added, while the town attempts to make as much of its facilities and parks ADA accessible, it was not possible to make a two-mile trail through the woods ADA compliant.