Find the top rated trails in Beacon, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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This rustic unpaved trail, just over three miles in length, runs along a route formerly used by the New York, Ontario, & Western Railway's Main Line through Parksville in Sullivan County, NY. The...
The North County Trailway is the longest of the four connected rail-trails breathing new life into the former New York Central Railroad's Putnam Division line. The "Old Put" provided passenger and...
The final passenger cars of the Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad ran in 1958, but the rail line that so influenced development of this area still sparks nostalgia. The "Old Put"...
The Liberty Rail Trail extends about 2.5 miles through the village of Liberty, NY, between Chestnut Street/SR 52 (near West Street) and the old rail trestle in Ferndale. The trail occupies a portion...
This 2.1-mile long paved path runs directly adjacent to (about 30-40 feet off of) the Boulevard in Mountain Lakes, NJ, and follows the exact route of a former trolley line operated by the Morris...
The first phase of the New Milford River Trail runs southeast from Gaylordsville via the scenic but lightly traveled River Road, through Sega Meadows to Boardman Bridge, a distance of about 5 miles....
Tallman Mountain State Park Bike Path is partially paved and bisects the Tallman Mountain State Park. The route provides a motor-vehicle-free way for bicyclists using US Route 9W to connect with...
Randall's Island Park Trails offer a series of interconnected paved loops on an island in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The park offers a quiet setting, especially enjoyed by runners, with...
The Bashakill Wildlife Management Area is located on the Orange County-Sullivan County border just south of Wurtsboro, New York. It consists of over 3,000 acres of wetlands and uplands which were...
The 3.1-mile Kress Family Trail in Roxbury occupies the former route of the Shepaug Valley Railroad (the Shepaug, Litchfield and Northern Railroad). The railroad was famously known as the “crookedest...
The O&W Rail Trail follows the route of the former Ontario & Western Railroad in southern New York. In Ulster County, nearly a dozen miles of trail are available and, in Sullivan County, another 7.5...
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Much of New York's 15-mile Heritage Trail, sails past wide fields of corn and wheat. The trail starts in Harriman at the Mary Harriman Park. From there, it heads northwest to Monroe. At Crane Park,...
While not a "rail-trail," the Hook Mountain/Nyack Beach Bikeway is a very scenic trail along the Hudson River in Rockland County. The southern half of this trail is flat and runs right along the...
The Hutchinson River Greenway offers a convenient alternative to the Hutchinson River Parkway, which it closely follows. Although adjacent to the busy thoroughfare, trees have been planted along the...
Harlem Valley Rail Trail provides a scenic ride through rolling farm fields and dense woods on the bed of the New York and Harlem Railroad that ran from New York City to Chatham. The rail-trail is...
The Naugatuck River Greenway will one day span 44 miles from Torrington to Derby in western Connecticut, but is currently open in a few short disconnected segments totaling just over 5 miles. The...
These three contiguous trails—the Raymond G. Esposito Memorial Trail, Old Erie Path and Joseph B. Clarke Trail—occupy the former right-of-way of the Erie Railroad's Nyack and Piermont Branch. Each...
The South County Trailway is a zippy paved trail heading north from Yonkers through the Hudson River Valley communities of Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley, Irvington, Greenburgh, and...
Hudson River Greenway stretches between Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan and the Little Red Lighthouse underneath the George Washington Bridge. The trail passes through Hudson River Park,...
Running alongside both the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers, the Derby Greenway demonstrates a seamless integration of Connecticut’s natural river systems and parks with man-made interventions of the...
The Naugatuck River Greenway will one day span 44 miles from Torrington to Derby in western Connecticut, but is currently open in a few short disconnected segments totaling just over 5 miles. The...
For a dose of rural scenery, head to the northwest corner of New Jersey, where this 27-mile rail-trail cuts a nearly uninterrupted path along the banks of the Paulins Kill, a Delaware River tributary...
The West Essex Trail follows a short distance (just under 3 miles) of the former rail bed of the Caldwell Branch on the old Erie-Lackawanna Railroad. The trail runs between the Essex–Passiac county...
The Middlebury Greenway provides a paved, off-road option for a self-propelled journey across suburban Middlebury. The trail touches on several business districts and parks, ending at an amusement...
Fahnestock State Park is a relatively undiscovered gems in the New York State Park System. Located a few miles east of Cold Spring Village on Rt. 301 (Main Street), the park jurisdiction was recently...
The Ramsey Bike Path is a recreational path built on the former Paterson to Suffern trolley line right-of-way. The path extends along a north-south route from one end of Ramsey to the other....
The Kaaterskill Rail Trail offers a beautiful wooded walk through Haines Falls in eastern New York, nestled in the northern Catskills. It begins at the historical Ulster & Delaware Train Station,...
Tallman Mountain State Park Bike Path is partially paved and bisects the Tallman Mountain State Park. The route provides a motor-vehicle-free way for bicyclists using US Route 9W to connect with...
Just an hour north of New York City, the Timp-Torne Trail offers a scenic hike through Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks with panoramic vistas of the Hudson River. The rugged blue-blazed trail...
When completed, the Norwalk River Valley Trail will run from Danbury to Long Island Sound in southwestern Connecticut, for a total of about 27 miles. Currently, several disconnected sections totaling...
This rustic unpaved trail, just over three miles in length, runs along a route formerly used by the New York, Ontario, & Western Railway's Main Line through Parksville in Sullivan County, NY. The...
Located in the mid-Hudson Valley is a remarkable trail that is picturesque and family friendly. This flat, paved Hudson Valley Rail Trail stretches 5.45 miles through hardwood forests, over Black...
The North County Trailway is the longest of the four connected rail-trails breathing new life into the former New York Central Railroad's Putnam Division line. The "Old Put" provided passenger and...
The Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park follows the route of the Old Croton Aqueduct, which carried water to New York City from 1842 to 1955. Most of the structure lies beneath the trail and has...
Connecting the Walkill River and Shawangunk Ridge, the aptly named River-to-Ridge Trail, which opened in September 2018, runs from New Paltz to the Mohonk Preserve. Begin at the Carmine Liberta Bridge...
The Sussex Branch Trail got its start in the late 1840s as the narrow-gauge, mule-drawn Sussex Mine Railroad, whose primary purpose was hauling iron ore from the mines in Andover to Waterloo Village...
A former right-of-way of the NY & NJ Railroad. Near historical Mount Ivy which was the center of a Quaker settlement in the 18th century. Hiking along railroad bed and wildlife observation and...
The Kennedy Trail begins at the northwest corner of the 68-acre campus of John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers. The town, which sits 30 miles from White Plains and 55 miles from New York...
This trail is in an area rich in geological history. Zinc and Iron Ores were transported along this branch from mines in the area that operated for over 200 years. The trail is scenic with a slight...
The final passenger cars of the Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad ran in 1958, but the rail line that so influenced development of this area still sparks nostalgia. The "Old Put"...
The Bronx River Greenway offers 23 miles of paved pathway in New York's Westchester and Bronx counties. The developing trail is open in disconnected segments largely paralleling the Bronx River...
Owned by the Metro-North Railroad, the Maybrook Trailway starts at the Connecticut state line in Farringtons Park, and spans 5 miles into the town of Brewster. The trail follows what was once part of...
For a dose of rural scenery, head to the northwest corner of New Jersey, where this 27-mile rail-trail cuts a nearly uninterrupted path along the banks of the Paulins Kill, a Delaware River tributary...
Bergen County's Saddle River County Park Bike Path traverses a 577-acre linear park system that hugs the banks of the Saddle River and its tributaries. Five park areas are linked by the multi-use...
The South County Trailway is a zippy paved trail heading north from Yonkers through the Hudson River Valley communities of Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley, Irvington, Greenburgh, and...
This is the first phase of the proposed Lehigh & Hudson River Rail Trail. The second phase will connect Hillside Park to Kittatinny Valley State Park. It is hoped that there will be an eventual...
The Great Valley Trail, built on the former Lehigh & New England Railroad, offers an unpaved, natural experience through quiet woodlands between the townships of Hampton and Frankford. Although...
The Mosholu-Pelham Greenway connects several parks and recreational opportunities in New York City's north and central Bronx neighborhoods. A portion of the trail is also part of the growing East...
With vistas of the Catskill Mountains and a vast blue lake, the Ashokan Reservoir Promenade is a stunner. The paved pathway begins in Olivebridge, a hamlet in southeastern New York, and spans just shy...
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For family riding and walking, the Tannersville Bike Path offers a 2.7 mile stretch of graded dirt path starting on Clum Hill Road directly across from Cortina Valley. The opposite end is on Bloomer...
The City of Port Jervis is the latest community to save a portion of the former D&H Canal and turn it into a greenway for use by residents and visitors. A section of the canal, which is approximately...
Just an hour north of New York City, the Timp-Torne Trail offers a scenic hike through Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks with panoramic vistas of the Hudson River. The rugged blue-blazed trail...
This 2.1-mile long paved path runs directly adjacent to (about 30-40 feet off of) the Boulevard in Mountain Lakes, NJ, and follows the exact route of a former trolley line operated by the Morris...
The Ramsey Bike Path is a recreational path built on the former Paterson to Suffern trolley line right-of-way. The path extends along a north-south route from one end of Ramsey to the other....
The North County Trailway is the longest of the four connected rail-trails breathing new life into the former New York Central Railroad's Putnam Division line. The "Old Put" provided passenger and...
The Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway is a 12-mile linear park that runs from the town of Ossining north to Westchester County's Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill. The trail is built on land...
Splayed over 1,146 acres in northwest Bronx, Van Cortlandt Park has a lot going on. The park is New York City's fourth largest and is home to the oldest municipal golf course in America. There are...
The Delaware & Hudson Canal Linear Park is 45 acres with a trail situated along the historic D&H Canal. Remains of the original locks, dry dock and waste weirs are visible from the towpath trail....
The first phase of the New Milford River Trail runs southeast from Gaylordsville via the scenic but lightly traveled River Road, through Sega Meadows to Boardman Bridge, a distance of about 5 miles....
The Hutchinson River Greenway offers a convenient alternative to the Hutchinson River Parkway, which it closely follows. Although adjacent to the busy thoroughfare, trees have been planted along the...
A pretty little wooded (though unspectacular) rail-trail that could be the start of a wonderful loop through Catskill towns and North South Lake. But note: this is not a trail for bikes, because the wooden rail ties are still in place. The ties should be removed, unless the intention is to deter bikes from using the trail. They don't add a level of historic poignancy; they're just darn bumpy, and you'll be stopping ever twenty feet to walk your bike over them.
The trail itself is pretty and mostly quiet. Great turns, gradual hills, not a lot of stops. For runners or wider tire cyclists, not bad. As a road cyclists, with a very stiff bike, it can be a bit jarring. Parts (about 3 miles up from Redmond Park) are basically corrugated roads. Extremely uncomfortable. You also have to be very alert to the changing conditions like sudden water and mud, and large unmarked dips and potholes. Really hard to maintain any speed over 17 or 18. Hoping this gets better maintained! Would be a treat to ride.
Great ride, very easy, anyone can do it. It can be accomplished on a Road Bike. Surface was flat, smooth and clean.
This trail is a must, but be carful about the crowds.
I rode this trail a week after it opened in September 2018 because I live here. In the village of New Paltz, the east end is at the bridge over the Wallkill River with a small parklet and benches. This is very close, maybe 100 feet, to get onto the 22 mile, unpaved Wallkill Valley Rail Trail which runs from Gardiner, through New Paltz and Rosendale, to Kingston, NY. Soon to be completed is a bike lane on nearby Henry Dubois Road which will lead to a 20-something-mile fully paved trail of various names New Paltz, Highland, Poughkeepsie, Hopewell Junction. Hudson Valley Rail Trail, Walkway Over the Hudson, and Dutchess County Rail Trail. Having ridden trails all across the Northeastern states, this combined trail is in my top 3 anywhere for quality, beauty and amenities.
The River-to-Ridge is not a rail trail, it is a newly constructed gravel and dirt trail to get bikers off the main roads. There is a nice parking lot, and after you cross the road going west there is a hill and beautiful views of the Shawangunk ridge. At the west end there is access to the private lands of Mohonk Resort. Maybe (maybe not) there will be someone collect fees to ride Mohonk property. The roads also lead to Minnewaska State Park where there are many carriage roads for biking.
Parked at western end of trail in a very new parking lot on Rt 299 across from the Lowe's. Trail is beautifully paved all the way to the Walkway Over the Hudson, some of the pavement appeared to put down only days before we rode on it. State of NY is doing a fantastic job making this and the Walkway a great destination ride, installing modern bathrooms/visitor center on each side of the Walkway (open already on the west side of the river and under construction on the eastern side). On eastern side, seamlessly connects to another 13 mile rail trail. You will have to ride very slow over the Walkway, as there are a lot of walkers, but you're going to want to stop and take pictures anyway!
We enjoyed the ride through the country side and found the trail fairly empty on a early October Wednesday morning. Several parts of the trail were muddy and narrow. The best stop was the Rosendale Trestle with spectacular view. Worth riding again.
We parked at Tony Williams Park rode past the Walkway over the Hudson down to mile marked 8 on the Duchess Trail where we stopped on a bench for lunch. The path is wide and mostly smooth and only one construction area (putting in a modern restroom on southside of the Walkway). We would rate this the best trail we have ever been on as far as access, parking, restrooms (including port-a-potties in some areas) and very few rode/driveways to cross. We rode on a Thursday morning early October and the path was not crowded. Our 20 mile round trip was Fantastic!
This is a beautiful paved trail for biking, running, walking, strollers, and wheelchairs. It is well-kept and offers scenic views--from rolling fields, to bridges, to train cars, to even an old cemetery. My husband and I biked the entire length and back on a gorgeous fall day. It was a really nice ride, but be aware that it is often a false flat trail. One other major thing to be aware of is that you CANNOT access this trail from Mary Harriman Park in Harriman. Your best bet is to access if from Monroe. If heading east on the trail toward Harriman, the trail comes to a dead end fenced off bridge with no access and you're forced to turn around and go back the way you came. Hopefully someday they will fix this and extend it into Harriman for better access. That is my only complaint about this otherwise beautiful trail.
I love to walk the trail and have since 1971, the cross over on Whitney Ave in Trumbull is Terrifying, The cars cannot see any one passing the road way until they are in the roadway. The line of sight is completely obscured by vegetation and the small sign in the middle of the Street??? I have seen people run right across the road with out even slowing down prior to or while crossing Whitney Ave. I personally saw a woman hit the side of a car as she could not stop running in time to avoid the car. This section is an accident waiting to happen. Whitney Ave. crossing needs to be safer for both motorist and trail user.
At the end of the trail is a Kings supermarket with awesome sandwiches and more.
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