Explore the best rated trails in Hackensack, NJ. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Norwalk River Valley Trail and Ridgefield Rail Trail. With more than 94 trails covering 653 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Patriots' Path covers roughly 35 miles of terrain and is open to mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and hiking. The multi-use trails links parks, open space, recreational...
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 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 Sandy Hook Multi-Use Pathway travels 8.7 miles alongside the picturesque beaches and historical monuments of the Sandy Hook peninsula. The pathway begins in the Gateway National Recreation Area...
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...
When complete the Green Brook Multi-Use Trail will meander for 7 miles through the communities of Plainfield and North Plainfield, New Jersey. The trail will connect major regional trails and parks as...
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....
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 Manasquan Reservoir Trail is located in the Howell Township and provides a great natural destination in the heart of the town. The trail forms a perimeter loop around the 770 acre reservoir...
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Built on the former Erie Railroad main line, the 15-mile Heritage Trail runs through the small Orange County towns of Goshen, Chester, Monroe, and Harriman. The shaded trail runs through different...
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 D & H Canal towpath is nestled within the 300-acre D & H Canal Park in the New York hamlet of Cuddebackville. The crushed-stone trail, stretching just over a half mile, is one section of a larger...
The Saddle River County Park Bike Path is a beautiful suburban trail that winds alongside the Saddle River. Most of the trail runs through moderately dense suburban development, with residential and...
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...
The Klara Sauer Trail (formerly known as the Beacon Riverside Trail) runs for 1 mile along the Hudson River on the west side of New York's village of Beacon. The trail occupies the same corridor as...
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 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...
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 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 Walden-Wallkill Rail Trail is built on a former Conrail right-of-way. Conrail and its predecessors, Penn Central, New York Central, and The Wallkill Valley Railway, provided service to farmers...
The Ridgefield Rail-Trail meanders for nearly 2.5 miles through the forested exburbs of Ridgefield, Connecticut. The trail passes among suburban acreages, along a creek at one point, and past a couple...
The Sandy Hook Multi-Use Pathway travels 8.7 miles alongside the picturesque beaches and historical monuments of the Sandy Hook peninsula. The pathway begins in the Gateway National Recreation Area...
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 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...
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 old New York Central rail line that ran from the Bronx to northern bedroom communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties carried commuters during the workweek, but on the weekends tourists...
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...
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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...
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A short rail trail with two covered bridges occupying a portion of the former Mount Hope Mineral Railroad right-of-way in Wharton, NJ. In the future this trail will be linked with the Rockaway...
The Berkshire Valley Management Area Trail passes through hardwood forests and affords views of the valley below to the right. Equestrians must have a NJ Wildlife Permit, which is available from NJ...
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...
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...
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 nicely paved Bethpage Bikeway runs alongside suburban roads for long segments of the route, but it’s much more than a suburban trail. Each on-road suburban stretch is broken up by one of three...
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 Landsdown Trail runs 1.8 miles between Lower Landsdown Road and W. Main in Clinton. The trail passes among open fields, woodlands and wetlands and provides access to the South Branch of the...
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...
DESCRIPTION: The Created by Union Forge Heritage Association in 2007,Taylor SteelWorkers Historical Greenway is a 7 mile trail that winds its way through High Bridge criss-crossing a number of...
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...
The Patriots' Path covers roughly 35 miles of terrain and is open to mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and hiking. The multi-use trails links parks, open space, recreational...
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...
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...
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...
DESCRIPTION: The Created by Union Forge Heritage Association in 2007,Taylor SteelWorkers Historical Greenway is a 7 mile trail that winds its way through High Bridge criss-crossing a number of...
New York City's East River Greenway offers views of the East River, Queens, Brooklyn, and the iconic bridges that connect these boroughs to Manhattan. The paved pathway traces the waterfront on one...
The Sandy Hook Multi-Use Pathway travels 8.7 miles alongside the picturesque beaches and historical monuments of the Sandy Hook peninsula. The pathway begins in the Gateway National Recreation Area...
The Patriots' Path covers roughly 35 miles of terrain and is open to mountain biking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and hiking. The multi-use trails links parks, open space, recreational...
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 Kingston Branch Loop Trail is a trip up one side and down the other of the scenic tree-lined Delaware and Raritan Canal. The eastern half of the loop follows the bed of the Rocky Hill Railroad and...
The former “Old Put” commuter rail corridor that ran from the Bronx to northern bedroom communities in Westchester and Putnam Counties is popular once again, only this time it’s for people riding...
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...
Spanning more than 70 miles, the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail is the longest completed multiuse trail in the state and is described by many as the crown jewel of New Jersey trails. A...
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 High Line trail runs 30 feet above the bustling Manhattan streets and sidewalks below, which for trail lovers makes it an attraction in the same league as the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State...
Built on the former Erie Railroad main line, the 15-mile Heritage Trail runs through the small Orange County towns of Goshen, Chester, Monroe, and Harriman. The shaded trail runs through different...
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...
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...
At first glance, there’s no evidence that an aqueduct ever existed along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. The trail is often a singletrack dirt pathway that winds through communities and trees and...
The corridor now home to the Sussex Branch Trail was originally the narrow-gauge, mule-drawn Sussex Mine Railroad, which opened in 1851 to haul iron ore from mines in Andover to the Morris Canal....
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...
So glad - bit by bit this trail continues to grow.
We lived in Trumbull many years, walked, biked, ran “The Valley” and other sections, including w. Grandkids (now grown - we are GREAT Grandparents now)
So excited, last spring, to finally find safe passage through the Rt 25 interchange area.
Now live in Southside VA
ps. Anyone know about the “cow tunnels” in the Pequonnock Valley, and the tungsten mines??
We chickened out last year about half-way down and turned back because it was getting too thick with brush. Decided to take another crack at it by myself today and I found it an interesting challenge. Rocky and hilly with loose dirt and sections where parts were washed away, which made it somewhat of a challenge if youre moving at any significant speed. I ended up with a few scrapes from the sticker bushes, some of which you cant avoid because youre too busy watching the trail to make sure you dont get your wheel caught in a rut in the washed-away sections.
All in all It was a short, somewhat challenging trail, with some nice views of the river at the end. At 2 miles, it should be a nice chal;lenge for a novice or intermediate mountain bike rider, but you definitely should not try this on a road bike.
18.35 mile round trip for me from the Cedar Creek Park on the Jones Beach Bikeway connecting to the Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway at the Jones Beach theater. Beautiful ride, the food stands come in handy too!
Took my 9 year old for his (and my) first ride on this path today. Easy and relaxing bike ride. Wasn't sure he would be into doing the whole 7 mile round trip on his first time out, but it turns out we were having so much fun we just kept on rolling! Excellent ride for beginners, and still fun for more experienced riders. I love that it is mostly all shaded too! We will definitely be back sometime soon!
Beautiful views and diversified trail, from flat and wide to narrow and curvy. Loose gravel and dirty add to the fun. Helps if you have a hybrid bike with front suspension. Five stars!
The trail offers the opportunity to ride in the green and without cars for most stretches, but its views are limited.
The first part through Yonkers is very uninspiring, it looks more like a landfill than a nice trail, so I would definitely skip that part next time. Coming through those Hudson villages is nice, but it also creates the necessity to cross a lot of streets. That wouldn't have been much of a problem if the trail was designed for it, but the way it is now you need to dismount your bike because the curbs are just too high to bike over, so that definitely takes the flow out of the ride.
Signage is poor at some places as well, I would recommend a GPS unit to ride the whole trail. There are also a couple of unbikeably steep sections that also require you to dismount. The final destination, Croton dam, is impressive to see and the highlight of the route.
All in all a very mediocre biking trail, but options are very limited anyway, departing from NYC. I think I won't be riding it again.
I just cycled the new 2.2 mile Heritage Trail extension from Goshen to Hartley Road. It opened July 18 and today (July 29) I did not see a single person on this section going 4.4 miles round trip . Not one. I feel that the county spent a million dollars paving it just for me. I also cycled to other end at Harriman. This is the easiest 30 miles round trip that one can do. Kudos to Orange County for replacing eroded sections with root bumps with smooth new asphalt (lots of the Westchester rail trails sections need this improving). A review below says the trail isn’t 15 each way. It is. The Harriman to Goshen main trail ends at Saint James Place. There are no signs telling you where to pick up this new section. Common sense tells you to follow where the rail line once was. Hint: Railroad Ave. past the old train station. I had to go through an apartment or condominium complex through an open gate and there it is. Beautifully done. This just adds to the greatness that is the Heritage Trail. It is the best within 50 miles of NYC and NNJ. Dutchess Rail Trail to the Walkway Over The Hudson is the best within 100 miles. The Heritage just ends there at Hartley Road. Goshen has lots of place to eat, though, back in the town. Trailside Treats abuts it and is nice (but doesn’t open until noon).
I have ridden this trail about a dozen times over 6 years using 4 different bikes from road bike to hard tail mountain bike. I find a hard tail mountain bike with 2.5" wide tires the best match for the crushed stone.
I like how the steep hills and sharp turns break up the monotony characteristic of many rail-trails I have ridden (especially in Florida).
My latest ride was during the severe heat advisory weekend of July 21. It was very tolerable given the ample shade and cooler temperatures of the forest it mostly traverses. In the afternoon, the tree line along the fields provides good shade. Even 209 heading south is mostly shaded after 2:00 PM. I was able to bike leisurely from Bushkill to Milford and back in 8 hours with many water breaks. However, I like it best in the spring and fall when it is easier to view the river without all the undercover.
Water is available at trail-heads spaced no more than 10 miles apart, so that was no problem. Many good eateries are found in Milford but I recommend the Rooster deli at Bushkill for great hoagies and snacks. I park at the Bushkill Meeting Center next to Bushkill creek; plenty of parking with no fees.
I would rate this trail five stars except for the no bike sections between Milford and Dingman's Ferry. I really don't like biking 209 since the shoulder is very narrow with large RVs wizzing by. Also, I don't recommend biking at dusk as the trail gets difficult to navigate in the forest at low light.
Started at the Milford Beach parking on Sunday July 21st. Didn't see anyone on the trail. Enjoyed the scenery. This is definitely a trail for a mountain bike. I should have done my homework - there's a section of the trail between Pittman Orchard and Conashaugh and another section between Conashaugh and White Pines that are for hiking only and closed to bike riding. You will need to ride on US 209. I will come back to the trail at another time to ride other trail sections. JC Capote
My son and I traveled from Kingston NY. We went to Harriman to start but there is NO access to the trail from Mary Harriman Park. If you ride out of the park and down the road you can not access the trail because it is blocked off due to a broken bridge and is all grown over in weeds and over growth. We got in our car and went to the beginning of the trail in Goshen where there is a parking lot and the official start of the trail. The trail is great! You take the trail 12.30 (give or take) miles to where a huge fence says "TRAIL ENDS HERE." Therefore this is not a 15 mile trail. It is just over 12 miles one way and over 24 miles round trip. Minus the misinformation at the Harriman end, this was a great trail and I would definitely go back again. It is completely paved!
Heading north from Diddell road is a breeze. Got to the Walkway and were rewarded with a great view and friendly folks! Returning southbound is a little tougher since there is the slight upward grade. Get ice cream or a slice at the frozen caboose!
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