Find the top rated trails in Elwood, 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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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...
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...
When complete, Connecticut’s Shoreline Greenway Trail will be a scenic 25-mile route through four quaint New England towns off Long Island Sound. From Lighthouse Point to Hammonasset Beach State Park,...
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 New Springville Greenway stretches just over 3 miles, primarily paralleling Richmond Avenue on New York's Staten Island. A highlight of the paved pathway is its proximity to Freshkills Park, a...
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 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...
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...
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...
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 Saddle River Area Bike Path in Bergen County stretches for nearly 6 miles along a 577-acre linear park system that hugs the banks of the Saddle River and its tributaries. There are actually five...
The Eastern Parkway Trail is a 2-mile route along a tree-lined boulevard in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood. The path begins at Prospect Park, which houses some of Brooklyn's most popular...
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 Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk follows Staten Island's eastern shore from Miller Field -- a recreational area for sports, picnicking and bird watching -- to Fort Wadsworth. Highlights of the...
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...
The Savin Rock Trail offers just over a mile of paved pathway along West Haven’s coastline. Along the way, you’ll enjoy picturesque views of Long Island Sound and access to its sandy beaches. The west...
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...
The Pequonnock River Trail is not a name you will see on the ground along this developing trail in southwestern Connecticut. Formalized in 2001 by the state, the regional trail pieced together...
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 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 EssexPassiac county...
The Branford Trolley Trail is essentially a long footbridge occupying an old bridge along the route of an abandoned trolley track. The bridge links nature trails on both sides of the water through a...
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...
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...
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Jones Beach Bikeway is a paved bicycle and pedestrian path on the southwestern end of Long Island that parallels Wantagh Parkway from Seaford to Jones Beach State Park. The trail is also known by two...
The EPCAL Alternative Transportation Path loops around the 2,900-acre Enterprise Park at Calverton (hence its name: EPCAL) on New York’s Long Island and links to the Town of Riverhead’s 65-acre...
The John Kieran Nature Trail is a short loop that borders Van Cortlandt Lake and its associated wetlands. It is a wonderful site for bird-watching. The trail also passes several sites of significance...
The Larkin State Park Trail meanders 10.8 miles through the woods and around the lakes and low hills of southwestern Connecticut. The rail-trail follows the route of the New York & New England...
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...
The Saddle River Area Bike Path in Bergen County stretches for nearly 6 miles along a 577-acre linear park system that hugs the banks of the Saddle River and its tributaries. There are actually five...
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 Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail stretches just over 3 miles along Long Island’s north shore. Construction was completed in two phases with the first trail section opening in 2009...
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...
When complete, Connecticut’s Shoreline Greenway Trail will be a scenic 25-mile route through four quaint New England towns off Long Island Sound. From Lighthouse Point to Hammonasset Beach State Park,...
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...
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 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...
The Pequonnock River Trail is not a name you will see on the ground along this developing trail in southwestern Connecticut. Formalized in 2001 by the state, the regional trail pieced together...
The paved pathway running through West Hudson Park offers a scenic, tree-lined escape between Harrison and Kearny, NJ. The trail provides access to the park’s stocked lake, water park, athletic...
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...
When complete, Connecticut’s Shoreline Greenway Trail will be a scenic 25-mile route through four quaint New England towns off Long Island Sound. From Lighthouse Point to Hammonasset Beach State 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...
First a canal, then a railroad, and now a trail define the history of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Completed segments span Connecticut south to north, from New Haven to the Massachusetts...
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...
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...
The Larkin State Park Trail meanders 10.8 miles through the woods and around the lakes and low hills of southwestern Connecticut. The rail-trail follows the route of the New York & New England...
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...
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...
The John Kieran Nature Trail is a short loop that borders Van Cortlandt Lake and its associated wetlands. It is a wonderful site for bird-watching. The trail also passes several sites of significance...
Hudson River Greenway provides a continuous 11-mile route between Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan and the Little Red Lighthouse underneath the George Washington Bridge. The trail passes...
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...
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...
The paved pathway running through West Hudson Park offers a scenic, tree-lined escape between Harrison and Kearny, NJ. The trail provides access to the park’s stocked lake, water park, athletic...
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...
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 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...
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 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 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...
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...
Loved it!
Well kept, well marked bike path. Moderately traveled. All dogs I saw were on leashes. Cyclists, walkers, and runners were all very respectful of each other when passing.
I started in Bethpage State Park and went north towards Syosset. The terrain was mostly flat with a hill about 1 mile from the start (mile markers are on the pavement). It started out as mostly tree-lined and covered, but trees thinned out farther out. The path does cross major roadways, but these crossings are well marked.
My husband and I recently explored this trail on our road bikes with a 2-year old in a bike trailer.
Pros:
1) Plenty of shade and tree cover. Perfect for those scorching summer days!
2) Most (not all) people know how to stay to one side of the road, but if you give a friendly "On your left!" or "On your right!" they'll quickly move over for you.
3) Easy entry. We parked at Briarcliff Manor Public Library and felt completely safe leaving our car there. The entrance to the trail is in the parking lot, next to the library (big red building). Plus, there is a public bathroom in the tented area, as well as plenty of picnic tables.
4) Trail is well marked.
5) Most (not all) cyclists are respectful and know how to conduct themselves on two wheels.
Now, the cons:
1) Considerable amount of bumps from tree roots, cracks, potholes, dips, and corroded asphalt, which honestly seems like the norm when it comes to bike trails. I think it's just impossible to have a completely smooth surface when nature is so unpredictable. My butt was a bit sore and my kid said "ouch" a few times, but we had no problems getting through it on our road bikes. In fact, you'll see plenty of cyclists training on road bikes with no problems whatsoever.
2) Getting to the North County Trail seems impossible, at least from the Public Library. We discovered it would require riding ON the shoulder of the Saw Mill River Parkway. No way!
3) Bathrooms do not exist, so make sure to pee before you head out.
Tip: From the Library, we rode about 12 miles to Rivertowns Square Shopping Plaza in Dobbs Ferry to grab lunch at Chipotle. It's a quick 5 minute detour from the trail and you'll need to cross Saw Mill River Parkway, but there are traffic lights and crosswalks in this section. We also stopped at Menchie's Fro Yo which is in the same shopping plaza. There's also a Starbucks and Chop't if you're in need of a salad and caffeine.
Enjoy your ride!
The never-ending road project actually had an end! The underpass is now open and the trail is rideable end-to-end!
We have ridden this trail before, and really enjoyed it, especially the part near the ponds below Oxford Airport. We expected it to be somewhat rough, and we are always willing to walk through particularly wet/mucky areas and to put up with rough stretches. However, the trail has really gotten much worse. After about 2-2.5 miles in, it became extremely sandy/silty, and we could only ride on the narrow edges. Then at about 4 miles in, there was a stream flowing through the whole trail, with nothing but mud and muck; no way to ride through, as it continued as far as we could see, so we had to turn around. End of ride for the day...
The OCA trail offers a rich variety of surfaces and surroundings. I rode a commuter bike with 38mm slicks and did just fine, even through the muddy sections. I picked the trail up in Yonkers off the South County with a bit of street riding. This initial section runs through some rough spots in Yonkers and includes some on-street sections. After reaching the northern neighborhoods of Yonkers, it all starts to feel European with back-to-back posh villages, mansions, and views of the Hudson. There are even some interesting stone ruins, not to mention the Lyndhurst Mansion grounds.
The trail comes and goes a bit further north and you'll find yourself on the road more than you may like, but there are some deeply wooded sections and a fun climb to a bridge over Phelps Way. There is an aqueduct museum along the way and many clear signs of former aqueduct works.
I highly recommend this trail and shall return to it many times.
Nice Running Surface, trail is a little up and down for first 0.7 miles (starting from Gedney Way) so hard to get a running rhythm, but the wood chip surface is nice for running and it's shaded. Parked at the baseball fields close by - but looked like that parking lot filled up fast during softball season.
Just got my new gravel bike and this trail was a perfect bridal (horse) trail ride.Mud ,cinder,dirt and gravel are what you will encounter ,but the high berms,ponds and deep woods experience are worth the trip!
Access to the southern portion through van cortlandant park goes thru an unpaved wooded area. Basically, mud, tree roots and stones--not ideal for road cycling. Once on the south county trail, things get better but not by much. For most of the trail, you will be greeted by uneven pavement, cracked asphalt and dips (smooth pot holes).
This trail will, in time, be incorporated into the Empire State Trail.
Went for the first time yesterday. it was beautiful. Nice and wide, not over-crowded. some hills for a bit of a challenge and best part is that I was able to bring my fur baby in a safe walking environment . .
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