WARNING/DISCLAIMER: Hiking can be dangerous and the information furnished below may contain errors! |
Greater New York City
Area
Day
Hike Selector
Hike Name (Click on the hike's name to see detailed information.) |
Length
(miles) (estimated) |
Difficulty | Hiking Time
(hours) (estimated) |
*Terrain |
Elevation
Gain (approximate, in feet) |
General Area | Trailhead Location | Notes |
Anthony's Nose | 6 | medium+ | 3.5 - 5.5 | C | 1,500' | Bear Mountain Bridge | Bear Mt. Bridge Toll House | hilly/steep/rocky terrain, nice river views |
ASB - Dunning - LongPath Circular | 3 | medium | 1.5+ | C | 500'+ | Harriman State Park | Lake Skannatati | |
Beacon Hills & Views | 10 | medium+ | 6.5+ (group) | D | 2,250'+ | Beacon, NY | Mount Beacon Park | hills & views ! |
Bear Mountain | 4 | medium+ | 3.5 | C | 1,100'+ | Harriman State Park | Bear Mountain Inn | steep hill |
Bearfort Ridge | 8.3 | medium+ | 5-7+ | D | Greenwood Lake (NY&NJ) | Warwick Turnpike near Route 513 (NJ) | some rock scrambling, hilly | |
Black Rock Forest | 8.6 | medium | 4.5+ (individual) | C | 1,500'+ | Black Rock Forest | Mine Hill Rd, Cornwall, NY | moderate / rolling hills, nice views |
Breakneck Ridge - Breakneck Bypass | 3.1 | medium - difficult | < 4 | E | 1,400'+ | Cold Spring, NY | Route 9D @ Breakneck Ridge | Lots of rock scrambling, not for those with a fear of heights |
Breakneck Ridge & Mount Taurus | 7.2 | medium - difficult | 5.5+ | E | 2,100'+ | Cold Spring, NY | Route 9D @ Breakneck Ridge | Lots of rock scrambling, not for those with a fear of heights |
Breakneck Ridge - Notch Trail | 3.7 | medium - difficult | < 4 | E | 1,400'+ | Cold Spring, NY | Route 9D @ Breakneck Ridge | Lots of rock scrambling, not for those with a fear of heights |
Breakneck Ridge & Sugarloaf Mountain | 5.5 | medium - difficult | 4+ (5-6.25 group) | E | 1,670'+ | Cold Spring, NY | Route 9D @ Breakneck Ridge | Lots of rock scrambling, not for those with a fear of heights |
Breakneck Ridge, Sunset Point & Sugarloaf Mountain | 6.6 | medium - difficult | 5+ | E | 2,100'+ | Cold Spring, NY | Route 9D @ Breakneck Ridge | Lots of rock scrambling, not for those with a fear of heights |
Taste of Breakneck Ridge | 2.4 | medium - difficult | <3 | E | 1,125'+ | Cold Spring, NY | Route 9D @ Breakneck Ridge | Lots of rock scrambling, not for those with a fear of heights |
Car Pond Mountain | 6.6 | medium | 4+ | C | 1,600'+ | Harriman State Park | County Route 106 | |
Catamount Mountain | 6 | medium | 3+ | C | 1,000'+ | Harriman State Park | Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center | |
Dater Mountain Nature County Park | 4.75 | medium | 3+ | C | 600'+ | Harriman State Park | Johnsontown Road | |
Delaware Water Gap - Dunnfield Creek | 10 | moderate- strenuous | 5.5+ | D | 2,140'+ | Delaware Water Gap | Worthington State Forest near Route 80 | |
Delaware Water Gap - Holly Springs | 6 | moderate- strenuous | 4-5.5 | D | 1,600'+ | Delaware Water Gap | Worthington State Forest near Route 80 | . |
Delaware Water Gap - Mount Tammany | 3.3 | moderate- strenuous | 2.5+ | D | 1,200'+ | Delaware Water Gap | Worthington State Forest near Route 80 | |
Delaware Water Gap - Sunfish Pond | 10 | moderate- strenuous | 5.5 - 7 | D | 1,300' | Delaware Water Gap | Worthington State Forest near Route 80 | |
Delaware Water Gap - Tammany Fire Road | 10 | moderate- strenuous | 5.5 - 7 | D | 1,325'+ | Delaware Water Gap | Worthington State Forest near Route 80 | |
Doodletown Plus West Mountain | 7 | moderate+ | 4.5+ | C / D | 1,330' | Harriman State Park | Route 9W near Iona Island |
views and history |
Dover Oak & Nuclear Lake | 7 / 7.5 | moderate+ | 3.5+ | C | 1,300'+ | Pawling, NY | West Dover Road / County Road 20 | views, nice lake |
Dunderberg (and Bald) Mountain and the Timp | 8 | strenuous | 4.5+, 5.5 - 7 (group) | D | 1,500'+ | Harriman State Park | Jones Point | |
Elk Pen Five Mile Circular | 5.2 | medium | 3+ | C | 1,100'+ | Harriman State Park | Elk Pen / Arden Valley Road | |
Elk Pen - Lemon Squeezer Circular | 7.2 | moderate+ | 4.5+ | C/D | 1,300'+ | Harriman State Park | Elk Pen / Arden Valley Road | |
Elk Pen - Lichen Trail Circular | 7.3 | moderate+ | 4.5+ | C/D | 1,400'+ | Harriman State Park | Elk Pen / Arden Valley Road | |
Elk Pen Seven Mile Circular | 7.2 | moderate | 4+ | C | 1,000'+ | Harriman State Park | Elk Pen / Arden Valley Road | |
Elk Pen - Times Square Circular | 10.6 | medium+ | 5.5+ (6.5+ groups) |
C | 1,273' | Harriman State Park | Elk Pen / Arden Valley Road | Lemon Squeezer, ridge walking along the RD trail |
Fingerboard Shelter | 9.4 | moderate - strenuous | 5.5+ | D | 1,600'+ | Harriman State Park | County Route 106 | |
Goshen Mountain | 8 | medium | 4+ | C | 1,400'+ | Harriman State Park | Silvermine Lake | |
Hogencamp Mountain | 6.8 | medium+ | 4+ | C | 1,360'+ | Harriman State Park | County Route 106 | |
6.5 | medium | 5? | C | 1,050' | Harriman State Park | Lake Skannatati | ||
Jackie Jones Fire Tower | 8 | moderate - strenuous | 5 - 6 | D | 1,700'+ | Harriman State Park | Diltz Road, Pomona, NY | |
Jackie Jones Mountain | 5.4 | moderate - strenuous | 3.5+ | D | 1,300'+ | Harriman State Park | Call Hollow Rd, Stony Point, NY | |
Johnsontown Road - Diamond Mountain | 6 | medium | 4+ | C | 900'+ | Harriman State Park | Johnsontown Road | |
Johnsontown Road - Lake Sebago | 7 | medium | 4+ | C | 800'+ | Harriman State Park | Johnsontown Road | |
Johnsontown Road - Lakes Skenonto & Sebago | 6.8 | medium | 4+ | C | 800'+ | Harriman State Park | Johnsontown Road | |
Lake Askoti - Fingerboard Shelter Circular | 6.2 | medium+ | 4 | C | 1,120'+ | Harriman State Park | Lake Skannatati | |
Lake Sebago - Diamond Mountain | 7.6 | medium+ | 4+ | C | 1,300'+ | Harriman State Park | Lake Sebago Boat Launch | |
Lake Skenonto Circular | 8 | medium+ | 5.5-6 (group) | D | 1,500'+ | Harriman State Park | Tuxedo, NY | |
Macedonia Brook State Park | 4.4 | medium++ | 3+ (group) | C+ | 1,000'+ | Kent, CT | Macedonia Brook State Park | some rock scrambling |
Mombasha High Point | 8.7 | medium+ | 5+ (group) | C | 1,100'+ | Southfields, NY | Route 17A, Tuxedo Park, NY | |
Mt. Taurus | 5.2 | medium - strenuous | 4+ group | D | 1,400'+ | Cold Spring, NY | Route 9D, south of Breakneck Ridge | |
Palisades Interstate Park: Giant Stairs | 4 | medium - challenging | 3 | E | 700' | Alpine, NJ | State Line Lookout, Alpine, NJ | rock scrambling, rocky terrain!! |
Palisades Interstate Park: Northern Section | 7+ | moderate | 4 | C | 600'+ | Alpine, NJ | Alpine Boat Basin | Very close to NYC |
Palisades Interstate Park: Southern Section | 11.8 | moderate | 5+ | C | 650'+ | Englewood Cliffs, NJ | Englewood (NJ) Boat Basin | Very close to NYC |
Pine Meadow Lake | 8.3 or 9 | medium+ | 6+ | D | 1,300'+ | Harriman State Park | Kakiat Park (Suffern, NY) | alternative adds 0.7 miles |
Pine Swamp Mountain | 6.2 | medium | 3+ | C | 600+ | Harriman State Park | Lake Skannatati | |
Popolopen Torne | 6 | strenuous | 3.5+ | D | 1,000'+ | Harriman State Park | Fort Montgomery State Historic Site / Route 9W | excellent panoramic views, rock scrambling, steep climb |
Pound Mountain Circular | 6 | medium | 4+ (group) | C | 1,200'+ | Harriman State Park | Tuxedo, NY | |
Pyramid Mountain | 5 | moderate | 3 - 4 | C | 700'+ | Boonton Township, NJ | Route 511 (Boonton Townhip, NJ) |
|
Raccoon Brook Hill | 10 | moderate+ | 6+ | C / D | 1,000'+ | Harriman State Park | Kakiat Park (Suffern, NY) | |
Ramapo Mountains | 10 | medium+ | 6+, 6.5-7.5 (group) | C | 1,000'+ | Harriman State Park | Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center | |
Ramapo Torne and the Pulpit | 6 | medium - strenuous | 5 - 6 (group) |
D | ~1,400' | Harriman State Park | Reeves Meadow Visitor Center | hilly, some rock scrambles |
Ringwood State Park | 5.5 | medium | 4 | C | Ringwood State Park | Ringwood State Park | ||
Rockhouse Mountain | 8.4 | medium | 4.5+ | C | 1,030'+ | Harriman State Park | Lake Skannatati | |
Schunemunk Mountain | 9.6 | strenuous | 6.5 - 7.5 (group) |
D | 1,575'+ | Woodbury, NY | Mountainville, NY | some rocky terrain and scrambling |
Schunemunk Mountain: The Megaliths | 6.4 | strenuous | 5+ (group) | D | 1,350'+ | Woodbury, NY | Mountainville, NY | |
Southern Storm King State Park | 4 | medium | 3 | C | 1,250'+ | Cornwall, NY | Route 9W, Cornwall, NY |
panoramic views |
Southfields Circular | 10.25 (or 8) |
medium | 5.5+ (~6.5+ group) |
C | 1,000'+ | Harriman State Park | Route 17, Southfields, NY | car shuttle needed for shorter version |
Sterling Fire Tower | 8 or 9.5 | medium | 4 | C | Cornwall, NY | Route 17A, Tuxedo Park, NY |
small / medium hills, two options. | |
Storm King Mountain | 4 | medium | 3 - 4.25 | C | 1,200'+ | Cornwall, NY | Route 9W, Cornwall, NY |
small amount of rock scrambling |
The Timp & the Anchor | 6 | medium - strenuous | 4 - 5 group (3+ solo) |
D | 1,240'+ | Harriman State Park | Jones Point | |
The Timp & Bald
Mountain |
8 | strenuous | 5.5 - 7 (group) | D | 1,500'+ | Harriman State Park | Jones Point | starts near Jones Point |
Tom Jones Mountain | 9.1 | medium+ | 5+ | D | 1,860'+ | Harriman State Park | County Route 106 | |
Three Mountains Plus Doodletown | 7.5 | medium+ | 5+ | C / D | 1,875' | Harriman State Park | Route 9W near Iona Island |
views and history |
Three Mountains: West, The Timp & Bald | 8.5 | medium+ | 5+ | D | 2,000'+ | Harriman State Park | Bear Mountain Inn | Starts and ends at the Bear Mountain Inn. |
Tuxedo + Two Lakes | 7.5 | medium+ | 4.5+ | C | 1,300'+ | Harriman State Park | Tuxedo, NY | |
Wayne's Timp | 8+ | medium - difficult | 5+ (6+ group) | C / D | Harriman State Park | Anthony Wayne Recreation Area | hilly, steep, many views | |
West Mountain Ridge | 4.7 | medium | 3 | C | 850'+ | Harriman State Park | Near Exit 19 / Palisades Interstate Parkway | many great views |
West Mountain & Nuclear Lake (Pawling, NY) | 7, 12, 12.5 | moderate | 4,
6+, 7 (group) |
C | 900' or 1250' | Pawling, NY | Route 22 | 3 versions |
West Pawling Appalachian Trail Highlights | 7.2 | moderate | 4-5 (group) | C | 600'+ | Pawling, NY | Route 55 | small rolling hills |
Wyanokie High Point | 8.4 | medium+ | 5+ - 6.5+ | C | ~1,000' | Norvin Green State Forest (Wanaque, NJ) | Weis Ecology Center | hilly |
*Terrain Rating using
the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) scale;
A - Solid pavement/sidewalk
B - Soft ground/sand/carriage trails
C - Hiking trails/gentle rolling hills
D - Steep hills, scrambles possible
E - Rough terrain/exposure and/or thick brush possible
F - Extremely difficult terrain/possible sustained exposure
Guide to Day Hiking: Getting Started - Your first day hike, a detailed discussion about what to bring, planning a hike of your own and leading a group hike.
What to Bring on a Hike (IMPORTANT)
Trail News: To get the latest info about trail relocations and closures go to the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference website.
Which hike has the best views? All hikes listed above have at least one really nice view (and some have more than one!).
Questions: Michael Brochstein
Copyright © 2012-2014 Michael Brochstein. All rights reserved.