If you don’t have any grand holiday getaway plans but still want to do something special on the fourth, celebrate your independence with one of these four easy escapes from the city. Each activity—from a Shakespeare Festival in the Hudson Valley to a private beach retreat in Montauk—are all accessible without the car from NYC and are sure to be more memorable than the big bada boom.
Pack a picnic and cruise over to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, reopening on July 4th. ($17)
How to get there: Take the Statue Cruises ferry from Battery Park.
Go on a Discover Outdoors adventure, be it a Surprise Lake Hike, a Horseback, Hayride & Cookout, or July 4th Hike, Swim & BBQ. (From $69)
How to get there: Roundtrip transportation is included.
Watch a performance of The Three Musketeers at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in Garrison. (From $29)
How to get there: Take Metro North to Cold Spring, then a $1 trolley ride to the festival at historic Boscobel House and Gardens. The festival can also arrange for taxi service at a discounted rate of $8 to/from the Cold Spring Station.
Relax in a white bean bag with a cold beverage and stay for sunset at the Navy Beach in Montauk; add on a catamaran sail around Long Island with a group of friends aboard the Heron, which docks at the restaurant. (From $150/guest, includes food and drinks, with a minimum of six guests)
How to get there: Take the LIRR or Hampton Jitney.
Note: If you already have plans for July 4th, the good news is you can enjoy these activities all summer long.
For a weekend getaway idea, read our travel guide to Bristol, RI, home to the oldest Fourth of July celebration in the United States.
Photos: laverrue, Kevin Cafaro, Navy Beach, Statue Cruises
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram