Hiking Resources

NYC Area Hiking Groups
Adirondack Mountain Club	Mohican Chapter.
Ansche Chesed Outings Group	Egalitarian Conservative (Jewish) synagogue based group - participants come from various backgrounds (small group based at my synagogue).
Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC)	Largest hiking group in the area. They organize more hikes per year than all the other groups in the NYC area combined! *Highly recommended!*
Mosaic Outdoor Mountain Club of Greater New York	Secular Jewish outdoors club (other chapters in various cities).
Sierra Club (NYC Group)	New York City Group (the national organization also runs various activities including hikes).

NYC Area Hiking Resources
New York - New Jersey Trail Conference	This non-profit volunteer organization works to create and maintain hiking trails and publishes maps and books for them in the greater NYC area. They sell direct on their website. Their maps are the "standards" in the NYC area - none better IMHO. *Highly recommended!*

*Stores in the NYC area that sell hiking clothing, gear, books and maps*
Campmor	Large Paramus, NJ (Route 17 North) based store with reasonable prices and usually some excellent bargains. Has more floor space than other stores listed here and a large mail-order (has large non-glossy mail-order catalogue) and Internet operation. Store open late but closed on Sundays. Gives discount to members of the NY-NJ Trail Conference (this alone can easily pay for membership in the Trail Conference). Most salespeople seem knowledgeable.
Eastern Mountain Stores (EMS)	Has stores throughout the greater NYC area. Average selection of outdoor clothing and gear. Quality of salespeople vary with most having decent training. Website is useful.
Paragon Sports	Very large downtown NYC (Broadway & 18th) store with a large selection. Their President's Weekend sale generally has some excellent values. Also has good website and does mail order but website does not contain all the items that are found in the store. Certain salespeople are very good and some are inexperienced. Store open seven days a week.
Patagonia	Stores sell Patagonia brand clothing and gear. Two stores in Manhattan.
Ramsey Outdoor	A three store New Jersey based outfit with stores in Paramus, Ramsey, and Ledgewood. Good selection of gear and an almost useless website. Gives discount to members of the NY-NJ Trail Conference (this alone can easily pay for membership in the Trail Conference). Some stores closed on Sundays.
REI	A few large stores in the NYC area and also a large online vendor. Most salespeople seem knowledgeable.
Tent and Trails	Overstuffed store in lower Manhattan (Park Place near Broadway) with generally the lowest prices on top name brand outdoor gear in Manhattan. It is best to know what you are looking for as the store is literally overstuffed (it is not a small store, just overstuffed). So-so website (better than Ramsey's). Open on Sundays.
The North Face	Store in Manhattan sells The North Face brand clothing and gear.

Non-NYC based vendors that sell hiking clothing and gear
L. L. Bean	Excellent vendor (with some stores), also has store in Paramus, NJ.
Sierra Trading Post	Discount vendor of name brand outdoor clothing and equipment (with a couple of stores in western states).

Environmental Groups (all highly recommended!)
Earthjustice	"Nonprofit law firm for the environment."
NRDC - National Resources Defense Council	"NRDC uses law, science, and the support of more than 500,000 members nationwide to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things."
Sierra Club	"The Sierra Club's members are 700,000 of your friends and neighbors. Inspired by nature, we work together to protect our communities and the planet. The Club is America's oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization." Also sponsors hikes and other outings around the county (including in the NYC area).

Wilderness First Aid Training
SOLO	"School dedicated to teaching Wilderness and Emergency Medicine" Highly recommended!

*Miscellaneous*
Backpacker Magazine	Best magazine devoted to hiking and backpacking. "The website of wilderness travel". Highly recommended!
Dave Page, Cobbler	Where I had my hiking boots repaired (based in Seattle, WA).
New York City Day Hiking	Great website (even if I do say so myself).

Disclaimer: This is to state that I have no financial interests in any of the products, companies or organizations mentioned above.

NYC Area Hiking Groups / Clubs NYC Area Hiking Resources NYC Area Stores / Vendors	Non-NYC Area Stores / Vendors Environmental Groups Wilderness First Aid Training Miscellaneous