Public Transportation to Hiking

Public Transportation to Hiking Areas

Those who do not own cars in the New York City area are lucky because many popular hikes are accessible through public transportation. In addition, the New York - New Jersey chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club offers many group hikes where those with cars meet those without them at bus and train stops near trailheads in order to transport the bus/train passengers to the actual trailhead. The Appalachian Mountain Club offers a very useful Transportation Code document on its website which gives details of the various bus and train options that its hikes use.

TRAIN: The following hikes can be accessed by taking a train from Grand Central Station or Penn Station in New York City. More information about these trains is available via ww.MTA.info or http://www.NJtransit.com. Make sure to tell the conductor where you wish to get off when you board the train as these stops may only be made upon request.

Hike	Stop / Station	Notes
Breakneck Ridge - Breakneck Bypass	Breakneck Ridge	Stops here on request.
Breakneck Ridge & Mount Taurus	Breakneck Ridge	Stops here on request.
Breakneck Ridge - Notch Trail	Breakneck Ridge	Stops here on request.
Breakneck Ridge & Sugarloaf Mountain	Breakneck Ridge	Stops here on request.
Taste of Breakneck Ridge	Breakneck Ridge	Stops here on request.
Lake Skenonto Circular	Tuxedo
West Mountain & Nuclear Lake (Pawling, NY)	Appalachian Trail	Stops here on request.

BUS: The following hikes can be accessed by taking a bus from Port Authority Bus Terminal. Some of the bus stops are only made upon special request to the bus driver. Let the bus driver know where you wish to get off when you board the bus. Many of the bus drivers are not familiar with where you will ask them to leave you off. Make sure you have the driving directions (and the trail map!) with you so you can tell them exactly where (i.e. X miles north of Y by the sign for Z). They may not know exactly where you wish to get off but the driving directions should give them enough information since they do know the road.

Hike	Stop / Station	Notes
Bear Mountain	Bear Mountain Inn
Dunderberg (and Bald) Mountain and the Timp	Jones Point	Stops here only on request.
Elk Pen - Lemon Squeezer Circular	by Arden Valley Road	Stops here only on request.
Elk Pen - Lichen Trail Circular	by Arden Valley Road	Stops here only on request.
Elk Pen Five Mile Circular	by Arden Valley Road	Stops here only on request.
Elk Pen Seven Mile Circular	by Arden Valley Road	Stops here only on request.
Elk Pen - Times Square Circular	by Arden Valley Road	Stops here only on request.
Lake Skenonto Circular	Tuxedo Park Train Station	There are a couple of stops in Tuxedo, tell the driver specifically where you wish to get off.
Popolopen Torne	Fort Montgomery	Bus should leave you off not far from from the Fort Montgomery State Historic Site.
Pound Mountain Circular	Tuxedo Park Train Station	There are a couple of stops in Tuxedo, tell the driver specifically where you wish to get off.
Raccoon Brook Hill	Viola School, opposite Kakiat Park.	Bus should let you off right by the school (which is on a corner opposite Kakiat Park).
Southfields Circular	Southfields	Bus should leave you off in Southfields (by the old "Red Apple Restaurant").
The Timp & the Anchor	Jones Point	Stops here only on request.
The Timp & Bald Mountain	Jones Point	Stops here only on request.
Three Mountains Plus Doodletown	Bus should leave you off by the sign for Iona Island.	Stops here only on request.
Three Mountains: West, The Timp & Bald	Bear Mountain Inn
Tuxedo + Two Lakes	Tuxedo Park Train Station	There are a couple of stops in Tuxedo, tell the driver specifically where you wish to get off.

Comments: Michael_Brochstein@MABsystems.com

Last update: 11/22/2012