Explore the best rated trails in Monsey, NY. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Walkway Over The Hudson and D & H Canal Linear Park. With more than 94 trails covering 705 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.
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 Columbia Trail has the distinction of being named for a natural gas pipeline that runs beneath it for 15 miles in rural northern New Jersey. The crushed-stone trail rolls along the South Branch of...
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 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 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 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 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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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 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 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 South County Trailway rolls 14.4 miles through one of the most densely populated parts of New York, but its route through pocket woodlots, parks, and golf courses and along riverbanks makes it...
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 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 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 Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park—the longest pedestrian bridge in the world at just over 1.6 miles—emerges from the trees and over the rooftops of the old riverfront town of...
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...
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...
When Jones Beach State Park opened on Long Island’s South Shore in the late 1920s, a series of scenic parkways was built on infill dredged from nearby towns to connect New Yorkers to the new public...
The Hudson River Greenway (HRG) is one of the most popular places to ride, walk, and jog in New York City. It makes up part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway loop, the cross-state Empire State...
The two diverse sections of the Shore Parkway Greenway Trail blend urban and scenic, offering views of sights ranging from the Statue of Liberty to wildlife refuges. Following the Belt/Shore Parkway,...
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...
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 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 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...
While the Wallkill Valley Railroad no longer carries fruits and vegetables from Ulster County to New York City, trail users can still discover small, family-owned farms and farmers markets serving up...
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...
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 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...
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 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 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...
<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...
The tree-lined 22.5-mile Henry Hudson Trail is the definition of scenic variety. Traversing both urban and natural environments, the route passes wetlands, streams, fields, and the Garden State...
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 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 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...
This trail goes through the Black River Wildlife Management area along streambeds and forest. Equestrians must have a NJ Wildlife Permit, which is available from NJ DEP for a fee. The trail follows...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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 O&W Rail Trail provides a glimpse into the area’s history from the perspectives of both a historical canal and a railroad. The Delaware & Hudson (D&H) Canal carried coal from Honesdale,...
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 Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park—the longest pedestrian bridge in the world at just over 1.6 miles—emerges from the trees and over the rooftops of the old riverfront town of...
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 Fort Washington Park Greenway brings residents and visitors to Washington Heights right up to the edge of the Hudson. The mile-long trail begins near the pier at the end of Dyckman Street and...
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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...
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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 South County Trailway rolls 14.4 miles through one of the most densely populated parts of New York, but its route through pocket woodlots, parks, and golf courses and along riverbanks makes it...
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...
Like Wantagh State Parkway, Ocean Parkway was built in the postwar 1930s to provide access to the crown jewel of the state park system, Jones Beach State Park. Unlike the former road, however, this...
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 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....
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 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...
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...
The Quarry Trail is currently a 600-foot long unimproved strip of land along what is known as Quarry Road in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. The trail links Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic...
We just finished riding this trail yesterday 9/9/19 and we have to say this is the best maintained paved trail we have ever rode our bikes on.
We started from the southern endpoint in Hopewell Junction and rode the trail to Poughkeepsie where we rode over the Walkway Over The Hudson on onto the Hudson Valley Rail Trail to New Paltz. There are train stations along the way where you can sit a a picnic table and eat or you can try one of the food trucks at the walkway before or after crossing the Hudson.
The trail is wide with plenty of room for three bikes to pass each other and there are not too many road crossings and none of them are busy roads. The thing that stood out to us as we rode was the trail signs directing you to the different points and the entrance and exit ramps to the many parking areas and local road access points along the way with the many benches to sit if you want to take a break. The trail is mostly wooded and there is not much to see as far as scenery but if you looking for a level smooth place to ride, this trail is a great choice.
This trail is just 1.2 miles from our home and is by far our favorite trail to ride. We enter the trail at the northern endpoint in Dutchtown in Haverstraw and ride to Nyack Beach Park and back. The 12.3 mile ride can be done in less then an hour or you can ride up the mountain and include the loop around Rockland Lake State Park where you can also park and enter the trail from. This trail winds up and down along Hook Mountain State Park with views from high over the Hudson River and then down along the rivers edge to Nyack Beach State Park. If you can get out during the week you can have the trail to yourself. Hybrid or mountain bikes are the better choice but you can make the trip on a road bike if your carful. If you live in this area you shouldn't miss this hidden gem.
We had a wonderful time riding from Gardiner on the southern endpoint to Rosendale when we turned around due to the weather changing for the worse. We rode back to New Paltz and ate at "The Station" restaurant right on the trail before heading back to our car in Gardiner. The trail was level and wooded which was a blessing since the temperature was nearing 90 degrees. There are several bridges and streams to cross and beautiful scenery.
The only drawback was since its a packed dirt trail there was quite a bit of mud to evade or in some places unable to evade. The thick black mud coated our bikes and ourselves pretty good. Our advice is to avoid riding in the rain or just after a heaving rain and pick a nice dry day to ride.
Overall we loved the trail and will go back this fall and finish the northern section and adjacent trails.
I visited the walkway to roller skate, because I’d heard great things about it, and that it was super smooth. The rail trail on the Poughkeepsie side was super smooth and great, but the actual Walkway had huge cracks, some quite raised, every two feet. This made it impossible to flow and we basically had to march our skates across it, and I took two pretty bad falls (thank you, protective gear.) Soooo that was a real bummer. The rail trail on the other side was smooth for a bit but then got very rough. It was definitely worth the trip, but I wouldn’t recommend skating the walkway if you want a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Not smooth roads from 79th Street towards 125th Street. Narrow areas.
After 141th Street....some roads are not smooth.
Due to the fact that roots, heat, rain and etc..causing to crack and rise.
This is a beautiful ride through an area lush with lake views. The surface provides a smooth ride. The trail is well maintained with a bike repair station.
I take this trail from the reservoir to Bronxville often. I love it. Even riding on road section in Scarsdale though a residential area along Fox Meadow is lovely.
We rode the trail Newton (Pepper Rd) to Trumbull Twin Brooks Park. The trail is generally in good condition, a little hilly than most rail-trails we've ridded in CT and MA. Where the trail joins roadways, trail markings were very poor. Traffic was very considerate and stopped by us at all crosswalks. Only experienced three spots (of 14 miles) where the packed dirt was pretty loose like sand. We turned around at Twin Brooks Park because we lost the trail, absolutely no guidance in the area, but we took advantage of the beauty and had our lunch on a park bench near the pond. All said and done, the ride was good.
Stayed at Shawnee resort with my wife and 2 kids (6 and 9). Not knowing the area we cam upon this trail at Hialeah. Started easy enough but before long the hills started. Wish there had been warnings (maybe we missed them). We are not experienced bikers so we ended up walking up all the hills with our little ones. We made it to Smithfield Beach 1.7 miles and kids didn't want to ride back. I rode back to get the car. It was a good ride but had to walk up one hill. Next day we started at Smithfield going north and got as far as Turn Farm about 2.2 miles. This stretch was pretty flat with minimal hills. A lot of green but can hardly see the river. But, good stretch to ride with kids as mostly level. Will need to visit again alone to see how far I can make it.
On 08/19/19 we rode a section of this trail running south from the airport to just past the viaduct. To begin with the trail was slightly difficult to locate and we ended up asking someone at the airport how to locate the trail. We were hoping to get in a 20 to 25 mile ride, but after passing under the viaduct the trail became increasingly tight (rubbing up against bushes) and muddy (large puddles of water) which caused us to turn around. When we arrived back at the airport we figured that heading north would be similar to our southerly experience so we ended our ride.
Our assessment of the section of the trail that we rode:
Narrow - We had to ride single file.
Muddy - It did look like it maybe rained the night before.
Rough - We usually average around 12 mph. On this trail we were at 8 mph.
Has potential, but needs a little TLC.
More suited for mountain bikes (or at least bikes with wider tires) than hybrids.
Baseline:
We are in our mid to late 50's and our home trails are the Pine Creek Trail and the Buffalo Valley Trail.
I started riding on NJ trails a few weeks ago and I had some things I liked about this trail and other things that I did not enjoy:
There's plenty of shade and it's a few degrees cooler up north than going south. There are some scenic views, for example a little water fall, body of water, areas of rock that had been blasted for the train tracks.
On the less favorable side: There are a number of times that you'll need to cross a road. Sometimes these are county roads with a lot of fast moving trucks. Be very careful! Also, there can be mud after a rain. A number of areas are very narrow and you'll encounter rocks and holes in the trail.
I did not see any animals (except for a dog).
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