Find the top rated trails in Clifton, 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.
_111914_st.jpg)
The Jones Beach Boardwalk traverses Jones Beach State Park, running parallel (and south of) Ocean Parkway. The pleasant pathway offers views of the beach and the ocean. Although bicycles are...
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...
NOTE: A section of trail from Popamora Point to the Atlantic Highlands Marina has been reopened after storm damage, but the trail is primitive in this section and there may be icy, wet, or muddy...
At 2.6 miles, the Staten Island Greenbelt Multi-Purpose Trail offers a nice jaunt for joggers, walkers, and cyclists alike. The crushed-stone path is 6-feet wide and runs from Rockland Avenue to...
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 2.8-mile eastern phase of the Bedminster Hike and Bikeway allows pedestrians and cyclists to safely traverse part of Bedminster Township by crossing over I-287 and US 206/202 via a series of three...
The Perth Amboy Harbor Walk offers scenic views of the Raritan Bay and Raritan River as it hugs the shoreline of the City of Perth Amboy, founded in 1683 and home to one of the nation's oldest ports....
The 3.5-mile Middlesex Greenway connects the towns of Edison, Metuchen, and Woodbridge in northeastern New Jersey. The paved pathway, which follows the route of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad...
Freedom Trail Bikeway will eventually be a 10-mile route linking parks and open spaces throughout South Brunswick Township in northern New Jersey. The trail follows a former rail line through...
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...
The Ocean Parkway Trail closely follows its eponymous thoroughfare nearly 5 miles through several Brooklyn neighborhoods, ending only a block from the popular Coney Island boardwalk. Those traveling...
The Jones Point Path occupies an abandoned motor vehicle route (old US Route 9W). The path provides bicyclists with a relatively safe bypass to a dangerous section of busy US Route 9W near Bear...
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...
The Columbia Trail strings together forests, farms and parklands as it stretches 15 miles among the small towns of High Bridge, Califon, Long Valley and Washington. Most of the corridor parallels the...
The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway is a 1.5 mile walkway along the bank of the Hudson River in Jersey City. The walkway offers stunning views of Manhattan as well as access to a number of ferries and...
_158284_sc.jpg)
Much of the 15-mile Heritage Trail, a.k.a. the Orange 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...
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"...
Shawangunk, Walden, and Wallkill Rail Trail is built on a railroad right-of-way that was abandoned by Conrail in the late 1970s. Conrail and its predecessors, Penn Central, New York Central, and The...
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...
Lawrence Hopewell Trail currently runs for 17 miles on public and private lands in Lawrence and Hopewell townships, about five miles north of Trenton. Trail planners hope to complete the trail, which...
The Ocean Parkway Trail closely follows its eponymous thoroughfare nearly 5 miles through several Brooklyn neighborhoods, ending only a block from the popular Coney Island boardwalk. Those traveling...
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 Hudson River Waterfront Walkway is a 1.5 mile walkway along the bank of the Hudson River in Jersey City. The walkway offers stunning views of Manhattan as well as access to a number of ferries and...
The Bethpage Bikeway is one of Long Island's most popular trails. It connects Merrick Road in Massapequa with Bethpage State Park, and includes additional trail north to Trail View State Park in...
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 system of trails in Loantaka Brook Reservation are open to hikers, cyclists and equestrians, although the trails are marked as to which uses are permitted on each segment. Loantaka Brook...
The Columbia Trail strings together forests, farms and parklands as it stretches 15 miles among the small towns of High Bridge, Califon, Long Valley and Washington. Most of the corridor parallels the...
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...
The multi-use pathway spanning the length of New Jersey's Sandy Hook peninsula offers beautiful views of the ocean, as well as shady sections through maritime forest. A bird observatory and wildlife...
The Jones Point Path occupies an abandoned motor vehicle route (old US Route 9W). The path provides bicyclists with a relatively safe bypass to a dangerous section of busy US Route 9W near Bear...
The Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail runs for 1.5 miles between Old Dock Road at Church Street in Kings Park and Nissequogue River State Park. The trail is a town of Smithtown park and follows an...
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...
Brooklyn's Flatbush Avenue Greenway parallels its namesake roadway for just over a mile from Marine Parkway Bridge to a connection with the Shore Parkway Greenway Trail. The two trails are part of the...
The Joseph M. McDade Recreational Trail is named after a former member of Congress from the area known for his dedication to public lands. The trail, located within the Delaware Water Gap National...
In the mid 1800s Chester, New Jersey, was the home of the iron ore industry; railroads shipped the ore all over the county. With the end of the industry, however, the rail lines were abandoned, turned...
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...
_138996_sc.jpg)
The Wood Duck Nature Trail, appropriately named for the secretive duck, was made possible through the hard work and dedication of refuge volunteers. This beautiful trail now extends about 1.5 miles on...
The Cross Island Parkway Trail closely follows its namesake thoroughfare through northeastern Queens. From its northern end, you will soon enter Little Bay Park, which offers lovely views of the...
Much of the 15-mile Heritage Trail, a.k.a. the Orange 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...
These three contiguous trailsthe Raymond G. Esposito Memorial Trail, Old Erie Path and Joseph B. Clark Trailoccupy the former right-of-way of the Erie Railroad's Nyack and Piermont Branch. Each...
In June 1986, the Morris County Park Commission dedicated this recreation trail that runs parallel to the New Jersey Transit Line railroad tracks. The path utilizes a little over three miles of...
Although just a mile long, the Beach Channel Drive Greenway in Queens offers expansive views of Jamaica Bay and the beautiful Marine Parkway Bridge as it traces the border of Jacob Riis Park. On the...
Lawrence Hopewell Trail currently runs for 17 miles on public and private lands in Lawrence and Hopewell townships, about five miles north of Trenton. Trail planners hope to complete the trail, which...
Shawangunk, Walden, and Wallkill Rail Trail is built on a railroad right-of-way that was abandoned by Conrail in the late 1970s. Conrail and its predecessors, Penn Central, New York Central, and The...
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 Columbia Trail strings together forests, farms and parklands as it stretches 15 miles among the small towns of High Bridge, Califon, Long Valley and Washington. Most of the corridor parallels the...
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 Shore Parkway Greenway Trail is comprised of two disconnected segments along the New York Harbor that together offer more than 12 miles of paved pathway on Brooklyn's southern border. Between the...
The Perth Amboy Harbor Walk offers scenic views of the Raritan Bay and Raritan River as it hugs the shoreline of the City of Perth Amboy, founded in 1683 and home to one of the nation's oldest ports....
Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway, which opened in June 2014, runs just shy of 4 miles between Jones Beach State Park and Tobay Beach. Both beaches permit swimming and provide opportunities to purchase...
_0_sc.jpg)
The Trolley Line Trail is a 2.5 mile paved pathway between Rabbit Hill Road and Penn Lyle Road in West Windsor. The trail is on the right of way of the former Fast Line electric trolley that connected...
These three contiguous trailsthe Raymond G. Esposito Memorial Trail, Old Erie Path and Joseph B. Clark Trailoccupy the former right-of-way of the Erie Railroad's Nyack and Piermont Branch. Each...
This trail is much better suited to walking than to biking. It provides excellent access to the Pequest River which is stocked with trout. Not all of the bridges across the river have been decked and...
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...
Roosevelt Island Greenway, a little-known gem in the Big Apple, was named after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1973. To reach this scenic pathway, board New York City’s only aerial tram,...
The Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail runs for 1.5 miles between Old Dock Road at Church Street in Kings Park and Nissequogue River State Park. The trail is a town of Smithtown park and follows an...
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 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 Randolph Trail system covers 16 miles of pathways through five parks, the Clyde Potts Reservoir watershed and 2,000 acres of pristine open space. The trails link schools and neighborhoods and also...
The Johnson Trolley Line has two sections, north and south, which are split by Interstate 95; there is talk of building an overpass to link the two segments. The Trenton-Princeton Traction Company ran...
This bike path needs to be Swept with a sanitation truck. Sweeper at least once a month I have gotten so many bike tire flats I usually ride from howard beach to the verrazano and back or I do the 20 mile loop to Rockaway and back home it needs a good cleaning and May be more lighting Thank YOU
WALKED Princeton to S Bound Brook; S Bound Brook to New Bruns. Lambertville to Trenton. Lambertville to Frenchtown (except 2 mile "appendix" north of FT.) Still to do soon: Trenton to Princeton. Future: explore S of Trenton/Bordentown. Love it.
I have been on this trail for the last 10 years. I love this trail just for the scenery and the simple fact that its 10 minute drive away. But I recently discovered that there is a connecting rail trail. This is abandoned Erie branch line in Greycourt that passes through Washingtonville and rejoins the Erie Newburgh Shortcut at Vails Gate Junction in Vails Gate. This abandoned branch line runs directly in front of my house all the way to the orange Heritage trail. So instead of driving to this trail, I can actually can ride my bike and connect two trails.
I did a 40 mile round trip on this trail. Blairstown to the Millside cafe in Lafayette via 1 mile on the Sussex branch trail from Warbasse Junction and back. It was near 90 degrees but the 90% tree canopy coverage during the ride kept it cool. There are moments of single track, wet and mild mud etc. but nothing you can't pedal through. There are two road crossing where you will have to walk or carry your bike up and down a steep grade to cross the roads, There is nice water scenery and historic rail bridges on the southern end and nice farm and rural scenery on the northern end. Porto johns and any signs of civilization are limited, so come prepared. If you like rail trail riding this is a must do!
Sunday, August 26, 2018, temperature 88F, mixed sun & clouds, moderate humidity.
This one review for 3 connected trails: Old Erie, Raymond Esposito, and Joseph B. Clark, where I started at the north end in Blauvelt.
This is a wonderful asphalt community trail that is a very gentle slope down from the northern village of Blauvelt. Nice scenery with a mix of open skies and shade. Near the southern end there is a public park with a side connection to the contiguous Raymond Esposito and Old Erie trails, that are unpaved and slope gently down to end at a park in Nyack. The trail looks down over streets and homes in Piermont and Nyack with occasional summer views of the Hudson River. You ride through a shady forest on a gravel road that becomes a dirt path for a short distance before getting bigger and gravelly again. It's fun.
On a warm Sunday afternoon at the end of the trail I decided to take the streets back through Nyack to Piermont and was not disappointed. Nyack along the Hudson River is lined with Victorian and old sea captain-like homes. It's a bike route so there other bikers not doing the trails and really not too much traffic, so I felt safe. The street leads to Piermont, a beautiful little tree-lined village right on the Hudson river offering piers, marinas, restaurants, coffee shops and specialty stores. It really is spectacular. Then the streets lead from a small park over a creek back to the other little park where you meet the trail again. Without signs or knowledge I just followed my instincts and and found my way. Worth a return visit. 16+ miles round trip.
Sunday, August 26, 2018, temperature 88F, mixed sun & clouds, moderate humidity.
This is a wonderful asphalt community trail that is a very gentle slope down from the northern village of Blauvelt. Nice scenery with a mix of open skies and shade. Near the southern end there is a public park with a side connection to the contiguous Raymond Esposito and Old Erie trails, that are unpaved and slope gently down to end at a park in Nyack. The trail looks down over streets and homes in Piermont and Nyack with occasional summer views of the Hudson River. You ride through a shady forest on a gravel road that becomes a dirt path for a short distance before getting bigger and gravelly again. It's fun.
On a warm Sunday afternoon at the end of the trail I decided to take the streets back through Nyack to Piermont and was not disappointed. Nyack along the Hudson River is lined with Victorian and old sea captain-like homes. It's a bike route so there other bikers not doing the trails and really not too much traffic, so I felt safe. The street leads to Piermont, a beautiful little tree-lined village right on the Hudson river offering piers, marinas, restaurants, coffee shops and specialty stores. It really is spectacular. Then the streets lead from a small park over a creek back to the other little park where you meet the trail again. Without signs or knowledge I just followed my instincts and and found my way. Worth a return visit.
I biked from VCP to Woodlands Lake (round trip) which is about 21 miles and highly recommend this trail. Overall the trail is well maintained with the exception of occasional bumps on the paved portions. The dirt trail in VCP has a few bumpy sections from tree roots and rail ties. I’m a casual biker and would say anyone with basic biking abilities can do this portion of the rail trail. Bring two bottles of water and throw some snacks in a backpack. I’m going to try going from VCP to Elmsford on my next.
I call this the Snow White trail because it puts me to sleep. No incline, no gear shifts, no fun. It’s mostly covered by canopy so if you’re there in the summer you’d be better off loading up on bug spray rather than sunscreen.
Someone stated this trail is inclined in both directions- this is untrue. It’s generally level and the elevation difference is minimal from end to end. Many places to park and hike in either direction as well as trailhead parking.
Busy on weekends but nice to see people out loving the trail. The trail is generally 6+ feet wide. You can connect to Patriots Path, Gillette Trail, and others from this very popular trail.
Unfortunately, a small bridge over the Amtrak tracks north of the GWB will disrupt access to the Greenway to the north of that point.
So far, there don't appear to be any good other options, short of riding in the streets, to safely access the Greenway. I hope that the City will realize this is a busy bike commuting route, and come up with some decent and safe detour routes!
Details are here:
https://patch.com/new-york/washington-heights-inwood/fort-washington-pedestrian-bridge-shut-down-inspections
https://www.nycgovparks.org/planning-and-building/capital-project-tracker/project/2794
We parked by Carmel Ave. It's a workout for the first few miles featuring hills like the Tatamy trail in Easton, PA where that crosses route 22. We were looking for a nice trail to just take it easy.
Get Your 2018 RTC TrailNation Jersey!
Download the TrailLink mobile app and take TrailLink with you!
Donate and Get a FREE 2018 RTC Guidebook!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_158284_st.jpg)
_156700_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
_319_st.jpg)
_138996_st.jpg)
