Choconut Center Park

Quick Bits

Main Activities - Hike
Distance - ~2 miles of informal trails
Quiet - relatively quiet
Surface - smooth with a few exceptions
Elevation - relatively flat, a  couple moderate hills
Pets - leash (except in dog park)
Address - 21 Lewis Road, Town of Union, Broome County,  NY

In a Nutshell

Another hidden gem where a town park with a great dog park is the entrance to over 50 acres of county flood control land for wandering. Known for dogs, birding, and walking.

Location and Parking

More details

This Town of Union, NY park is kind of a neighborhood gateway park. What I mean by that is it has a nice little playground as you come in, followed by some open playing fields, followed by the Canine Commons Dog Park, and finally followed by one of the County flood control reservoirs. The primary water source for this is the Little Choconut Creek.  The town park is approximately 23 acres. The Broome County flood control area next to it is approximately 53 acres. 

There are no marked trails, but there are a number of trails that crisscross the area and the dam area appears to get mowed from time to time. Water from the Little Choconut Creek and some smaller tributaries flow into the flood control area. The unmarked trails meander through some of the surrounding land including 'islands' of forest. Depending on the season and weather, there are some marshy and wet areas. 

The Canine Commons Dog Park is very nice with two enclosed areas (for different size dogs). I didn't have a dog to use there, but the dog park seems well cared for. So expect to see a number of dogs in and out of the fenced area.

A few notes. First, I probably should note that you may hear of people hiking to sights nearby, but some of those locations are off public land. Please be responsible. Second, signage at the entrance indicates it is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. I believe this is as much about snow plowing as anything.  While a sign near the flood control dam indicates open, 6:00 AM to Sunset.