New York is a northeastern state in the United States and is the third largest according to population. Although New York is home to the city with the largest population in the United States, there is no lack of open air in upstate New York, with places to hike, bike and mountain climb.
Hiking at Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains contains more than 2,000 miles of hiking trails, with beautiful mountain and lakeside views. If you're a wildlife lover, hike out to Lake Alice on the Adirondack coast while watching heron and osprey in the distance. If boating is more your cup of tea, hike up to Baldface Mountain, which requires a seven-mile canoe ride to reach the beginning of the hike. Hike out to Bullhead Pond, where you can fish to your heart's content before hiking back through the mountains.
Adirondack Regional Tourism Council
P.O. Box 2149
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
(518) 846-8016
visitadirondacks.com
Biking on the Canalway Trail
The Canalway Trail System connects more than 260 miles of biking and walking trails throughout upstate New York, including the Erie Canal Heritage Trail, the Old Erie Canal State Park Trail and the Glens Falls Feeder Canal Heritage Trail, which leads out of the Adirondack Mountains. Biking and hiking is permitted on all of these trails, as well as cross-country skiing in the wintertime. Traffic is not permitted on the trails, so the maze of interwoven paths is a bike enthusiast's dream.
Waterford Canal Visitors Center
1 Tugboat Alley
Waterford, NY 12188
(518) 233-9123
http://www.nyscanals.gov/exvac/trail/
Climbing the Shawangunk Mountains
The Shawangunk Mountains, nicknamed "the Gunks," are located in the New Paltz area of New York State. If you love mountain climbing, strap on your gear and head out to the Mohonk Preserve, where more than 1,000 rock-climbing routes are available to climbers of different expertise. For the nature lover, the Mohonk Preserve features a variety of endangered animals and plants. One animal highlight lurking throughout the Mohonk Preserve is the majestic peregrine falcon, so bring your binoculars.
Friends of the Shawangunks
P.O. Box 270
Accord, NY 12404
(845) 658-3467 ext. 3
http://shawangunks.org
About The Author
Madison Whitfield has been a freelance writer and editor since 2006. Her work has appeared in "Time Out New York," "McSweeney's" and the "New York Press." She has written hundreds of travel, beauty and grooming articles for numerous Internet publications. Whitfield earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University, where she studied writing.
