Best Hikes in New York

New York's hiking spans the wild High Peaks, the dramatic Hudson Valley escarpment, the Finger Lakes gorges, and the Shawangunk Ridge — arguably the best concentration of hiking variety in the Northeast.

Appalachian Trail — New York Section (88 miles)
The AT crosses into New York from New Jersey at the Delaware Water Gap and exits into Connecticut. The New York section passes through the Hudson Highlands, crossing the Hudson River at Bear Mountain Bridge — the lowest point on the entire 2,190-mile trail at sea level. Storm King Mountain, Bear Mountain, and the Harriman State Park sections are popular day hikes.

Breakneck Ridge (Cold Spring)
One of the most-hiked trails in the northeastern US — and one of the most dramatic. The first 0.5 miles is a nearly vertical scramble up exposed pink granite ledges above the Hudson River. The river and Hudson Valley views from the top are extraordinary. Metro-North trains stop at Breakneck Ridge (seasonal), making this uniquely accessible from New York City.

Catskills: Escarpment Trail and Kaaterskill Falls
The 23-mile Escarpment Trail runs along the edge of the Catskill Plateau, with views down 2,000 feet to the Hudson Valley. The North-South Lake area near Haines Falls gives access to Kaaterskill Falls (260 ft) — the highest waterfall in New York and one of the most painted landscapes in American art history (Thomas Cole, Frederic Church, Asher Durand all depicted it).

Shawangunks: Trapps and Millbrook Ridge
The Shawangunks ("the Gunks") are a quartzite ridge in Ulster County hosting some of the finest rock climbing and hiking on the East Coast. The Trapps area is the most popular climbing destination in the Northeast; the carriage road system from Mohonk Mountain House offers 85 miles of hiking through a remarkable landscape trust property.

Letchworth State Park: Gorge Trail
The "Grand Canyon of the East" — Letchworth's 17-mile gorge contains three major waterfalls (the tallest dropping 107 feet) and dramatic mudstone and shale canyon walls. The 14-mile gorge trail is excellent; the overlooks accessible by car are outstanding even for non-hikers.