Best Trails of New York

This list represents the most popular trails in New York (learn more about Top Trails). Use this list to plan your next New York outdoor trip. Select a state and/or activity below to find even more top trails.

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Activity: State: Reset

#1. Breakneck Ridge Trail

In Hudson Highlands State Park, this trail makes a rugged ascent from river-level to roll along a knobby ridge, gathering vistas and reaching a lookout. Special Attractions: Hudson river, Shawangunk,…

From the guidebook "Hiking New York"
Beacon , NY - Hiking - 9.6 miles

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#2. Bear Mountain Loop

A demanding all-day or overnight loop rolls through steep wooded terrain, topping Bear and West Mountains, offering views of the lower Hudson River area. Special Attractions: vistas, Perkins Tower, l…

From the guidebook "Hiking New York"
Highland Falls , NY - Hiking - 9.7 miles

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#3. Mount Marcy - New York Highpoint

Highpoint rank by height: 21st. We will use the trail that starts near Heart Lake and the Adirondak Loj. No, this is not a spelling error – it was named by Henry Van Hoevenberg, who opened the Loj – e…

From the guidebook "Highpoint Adventures: The Complete Guide to the 50 State Highpoints"
Lake Placid , NY - Hiking - 14.8 miles

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#4. Appalachian Trail: Bear Mountain - Harriman State Parks - West

The less-traveled western section of Bear Mount - Harriman State Park offers an ideal introduction to the history, flora, and fauna of the Hudson Highlands. The land here comes alive with signs of th…

From the guidebook "Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Mid-Atlantic States"
Arden , NY - Hiking - 5.7 miles

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#5. Slide Mountain Loop

Traveling hemlock-deciduous and fir-birch forests, this popular trail tags the highest point in the Catskills and passes Burroughs Plaque and Curtis Monument. Special Attractions: vistas, rare high-e…

From the guidebook "Hiking New York"
Woodstock , NY - Hiking - 7 miles

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#6. The Hudson Highlands

It’s worth spending a Saturday night in the Hudson Highlands, a rich destination for hiking and sight-seeing. There are two possible outings in this escape, first is a 7-mile ridge-and-valley hike int…

From the guidebook "Outdoor Escapes: New York City"
Cold Spring , NY - Hiking - 16 miles

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#7. Black Mountain Loop

This loop tops Black Mountain, the tallest mountain above Lake George, for a superb panorama of the lake region; eastern looks strain to Vermont. Ponds and beaver marshes put a stamp on the tour. Sp…

From the guidebook "Hiking New York"
Lake George , NY - Hiking - 7 miles

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#8. Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail

In real estate and retailing, location is practically everything. It’s what brings up the value and popularity. In some ways the same can be said about this moderately challenging, 16-mile (8 miles on…

From the guidebook "Mountain Biking Eastern New York"
Woodbury , NY - Mountain Biking - 16 miles

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#9. Indian Head Mountain Loop

This loop rewards with a classic Catskills setting, vistas, and challenge. Special attractions: Vistas, the 500-foot cliffs of Indian Head, wildflowers, fall foliage, and wildlife sightings. At times…

From the guidebook "Hiking New York"
Saugerties , NY - Hiking - 7.5 miles

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#10. North-South Lake loop

This Catskill Mountains loop travels the escarpment and wooded outskirts of North-South Lake, snaring views and passing cultural sites. Special Attractions: escarpment ledges, vistas, a monument and…

From the guidebook "Hiking New York"
Catskill , NY - Hiking - 10 miles

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#11. Bear Mountain

Bear Mountain–Harriman State Park, located 50 miles north of the city and west of the Hudson, has 235 miles of marked trails traversing 52,000 wooded mountain acres, and is accessible by car, train, a…

From the guidebook "Outdoor Escapes: New York City"
Manitou , NY - Hiking - 4 miles

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#12. Appalachian Trail: Bear Mountain - Harriman State Parks - East

This overnight trip has it all: a great diversity of Hudson Highlands landscape, including mountain vistas, lake shore, open fields, swamps, hemlock forests, and hardwood ridges. Natural history feat…

From the guidebook "Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Mid-Atlantic States"
Arden , NY - Hiking - 12.7 miles

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#13. Appalachian Trail in New York State

This 2,155 mile National scenic trail from Maine to Georgia cuts across the southeast corner of New York State, rolling along ridges and dipping to roads. The New York leg takes an average of seven t…

From the guidebook "Hiking New York"
Newburgh , NY - Hiking - 95.2 miles

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#14. Old Croton Aqueduct Trail

Of course many trails (and not just rail-trails) provide a connection between communities. But when you come upon a trail that has been in the ground for more than 150 years of continuous use—well, th…

From the guidebook "Rails-To-Trails: New York"
Tarrytown , NY - Rail-Trails - 26.3 miles

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#15. Minnewaska State Park Preserve

A former resort and recent battleground between developers and environmentalists, this state park preserve presents a tranquil natural realm. The site boasts beautiful white-cliff escarpmentss, pictu…

From the guidebook "Hiking New York"
New Paltz , NY - Hiking - 11.8 miles

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#16. Bethpage State Park - Massapequa Preserve Bike Path

This path runs from the middle of the Island in Bethpage to the south shore village of Massapequa, paralleling the southern section of the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail. Despite the fact that it is i…

From the guidebook "Short Bike Rides on Long Island"
Massapequa , NY - Road Biking - 8 miles

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#17. Van Hoevenberg Trail

This demanding all-day or overnight hike arriving from the north offers the shortest approach to Mount Marcy, at 5,344 the highest point in New York State. Special Attractions: spectacular High Peaks…

From the guidebook "Hiking New York"
Lake Placid , NY - Hiking - 14.8 miles

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#18. Bear Mountain Doodletown Circuit

High country meadows, distant vistas, rugged mountain climbs, and the overgrown ruins of an old village are among the many highlights of this tiring yet delightful calorie-burner of a hike, which also…

From the guidebook "60 Hikes within 60 Miles: New York City"
Doodletown , NY - Hiking - 7 miles

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#19. Blue Mountain Nirvana

A magnificent network of designated mountain bike trails winds through some spectacular scenery in the Hudson Highlands. Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill, New York, is one of the rare Westcheste…

From the guidebook "Mountain Biking Eastern New York"
Tarrytown , NY - Mountain Biking - 7 miles

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#20. Hudson Highlands Breakneck Ridge Loop

Stupendous views, rock-scrambling, and strenuous climbs are a good part of what this thrilling jaunt is about, with a special accent on strenuous. This is one of the more memorable hikes in the Highla…

From the guidebook "60 Hikes within 60 Miles: New York City"
Cold Spring , NY - Hiking - 9 miles

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