Find the top rated trails in Kiryas Joel, 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 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 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 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...
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...
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 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 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...
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....
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...
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Sandwiched between the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains near the busy US Route 209 corridor, this trail has a little something for everyone. The Delaware & Hudson Canal Heritage Corridor (D & H...
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...
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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...
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...
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...
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...
Built in 1888 to link New York and New England to the coal beds of Pennsylvania and the West, the steel cantilever truss Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge was the longest bridge in the world for a...
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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 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...
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...
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,...
Located in the mid-Hudson Valley is a remarkable trail that is picturesque and family friendly. This flat, paved Hudson Valley Trail stretches nearly 4 miles through hardwood forests, over Black Creek...
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail extends more than 20 miles between Kingston and Gardiner along the route of the old Wallkill Valley Railroad, which, in the late 1800s, carried produce from Ulster...
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...
<p>This trail is the legacy of the first elevated roadway in the United States, constructed by William K. Vanderbilt in 1904. Vanderbilt created the parkway to get to his family’s estate in Long...
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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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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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...
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...
Three segments of the O&W Rail-Trail are open to the public within the Town of Fallsburg: Mountaindale to Woodridge, 2.7 miles; Woodridge toward South Fallsburg, 1.8 miles; South Fallsburg to...
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...
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 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 Wallkill Valley Rail Trail extends more than 20 miles between Kingston and Gardiner along the route of the old Wallkill Valley Railroad, which, in the late 1800s, carried produce from Ulster...
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...
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,...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
Built in 1888 to link New York and New England to the coal beds of Pennsylvania and the West, the steel cantilever truss Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge was the longest bridge in the world for a...
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...
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...
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...
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!
Absolutely beautiful scenery. Asphalt path was in great condition. People on the trail were friendly. Maps were available in Millerton as well as a clean porta potty. Many sections were shaded to provide some relief from the heat! Millerton is a small, quaint village with plenty of nice shops to check out.
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.
I rode my bicycle from the parking lot in Goshen NY to the end of the paved trail 12 miles long. There is a dead stop at 12 miles with a fence preventing you from advancing over an old bridge.
The trail is in great or perfect condition and some new repaving was noted along the way. Walk, run, bike, rollerblade or whatever your non motorized pleasure is. I noticed a few cameras along the trail and a police officer in a golf cart.
People were all nice and offered greetings as you pass. One thing to remember is a lot of people wear earphones/buds while using the trail and may not hear your warning when you are passing.
I find railroad trails feel like they are uphill both ways, the 24 mile ride was a bit much for my first ride this year.
Great trail, my congratulations to the caretakers of this wonderful trail.
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).
You would think from the name that this is a canal towpath trail, and you'd be right. While at times the NYO&W railroad ran close by this trail, they are separate rights-of-way.
This trail will, in time, be incorporated into the Empire State Trail.
I started at Watch Hill Rd near the shooting range, over the Croton Gorge, and up the road. The trail continues across the street but it’s hard to find and doesn’t look like a trail. It heads through Tea Town and is very nice for a few miles. Once you get near Rte 134 it’s a mess. Apparently it continues for another mile or two but I turned around at 134. Very nice in spots, especially when all the trees are in, say May-June.
While i believe there is a short break around the town of Accord where the "trail" is on the curb of the road for a quarter mile, this trail I believe picks up again and continues as far as Ellenville. At least thats what maps on the trail suggest, thouh i have yet to hike that far down myself.
Its also worth noting that the county has plans to eventually join this trail with the Walkill Valley trail and the trail by Kingston Point beach (not on this site). Ive also heard there are plans for another trail along the rail line from Kingston to Poughkeepsie. How much of this is just talk and how much is actually being put into action i have no idea tbh.
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