Experts Pick the Best Hiking Trails Near NYC
Discover Outdoors founder Kirk shares his favorite hikes accessible by train, Adirondack Mountain Club’s Paul offers his favorite overnight hike, and Georgette from NYNJ Trail Conference shares her favorite mountain to summit.
1. The 10 Best Hiking Trails on Long Island
Experience the “Jewel of the Peconic”, Sunken Forest, a mansion owned by the first monarch of Albania, ocean side trails and the best place to have a cold brew after a day of hiking.
2. Hiking Harriman State Park
Only 30 miles from Manhattan, Harriman State Park is the second largest park in New York with over 200 miles of hiking trails. What was once slated to be the site of a state prison now contains a portion of the Appalachian Trail, 31 lakes, diverse wildlife, and some of the most remote wilderness in the Northeast.
3. Outdoor Adventure: Breakneck Ridge
With its close proximity to New York City (only an eighty-minute train ride from Grand Central), stunning vistas of the Hudson, Storm King Mountain, Mount Taurus and West Point Academy, it’s no wonder why Breakneck Ridge is an immensely popular hiking destination for those seeking to escape the frenetic city pace, if just for a day.
4. Hike Like a Local in Westchester: The Historic Croton Aqueduct Trail
Built on top of the large masonry tunnel that brought 100 million gallons of clean water to Manhattan every day from 1842 to 1958, the Aqueduct Trail is a year-round delight.
5. In Van Cortlandt Park, Walking the Trails Less Traveled
Keep this in mind for that next bright morning, when the fresh air inspires an adventurous romp through the woods. Without leaving the five boroughs and while still avoiding the crowds, the best place to embrace the verdant landscapes is Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, a 35 minute ride from midtown to the last stop on the #1 train at 242nd street.
6. Hiking in Peekskill
The breathtaking, 1538-acre Blue Mountain Reservation is right in town, with miles of fresh air for hikers and bikers, including the unpaved, 12-mile Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway, and challenging hikes to the top of peaks Mt. Spitzenberg and Blue Mountain.
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