Explore the best rated trails in Mount Vernon, NY. 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 90 trails covering 644 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.
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 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...
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 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...
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 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...
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 Paulinskill Valley Trail follows a creek by the same name through a section of rural New Jersey with a strong German influence. In fact, the word kill is Dutch for “riverbed or stream channel.”...
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...
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...
The 3.1-mile Kress Family Trail in Roxbury occupies the former route of the Shepaug Valley Railroad (the Shepaug, Litchfield and Northern Railroad). The railroad was famously known as the “crookedest...
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 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...
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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 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 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 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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
This shared-use path was built as part of the improvement of NY State Route 347 in Suffolk County. SR 347 is a 15-mile arterial between Hauppauge and Port Jefferson, and the trail is envisioned to...
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 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 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...
Running alongside a New Jersey Transit passenger line, the Traction Line Recreation Trail has been around since 1986, when Jersey Central Power & Light donated portions of the land to the Morris...
This trail is located in the Mahlon Dickerson Reservation which is a unit of the Morris County Park Commission. The trail follows an abandoned railroad bed through hardwood forests, past ponds, swamps...
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 Battery Bikeway is a only a half a mile long but it is an important link in the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway system, connecting the East River Greenway with the Hudson River Greenway to form a...
The Maybrook Trailway is a paved multiuse trail stretching across Putnam and Dutchess counties in New York state. The trail, which is owned and was built by Metro North Rail, occupies the former...
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 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 William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail—named for the county executive who championed it—is a local treasure in the Hudson Valley region of New York. The 13.1-mile trail runs through what seems...
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...
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 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 Kennedy Trail begins at the northwest corner of the 68-acre campus of John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers. The town, which sits 30 miles from White Plains and 55 miles from New York...
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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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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...
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...
It’s hard to believe that a noisy locomotive once ran through here, given that stillness is a defining characteristic of the Middlesex Greenway. Even when people pour onto the trail from the adjacent...
The Jack Harrington White Plains Greenway was recently renamed to honor a long-time member of the city's conservation board. The trail's corridor follows the former New York, Westchester & Boston...
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 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 Maybrook Trailway is a paved multiuse trail stretching across Putnam and Dutchess counties in New York state. The trail, which is owned and was built by Metro North Rail, occupies the former...
This shared-use path was built as part of the improvement of NY State Route 347 in Suffolk County. SR 347 is a 15-mile arterial between Hauppauge and Port Jefferson, and the trail is envisioned to...
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 Paulinskill Valley Trail follows a creek by the same name through a section of rural New Jersey with a strong German influence. In fact, the word kill is Dutch for “riverbed or stream channel.”...
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 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 Bronx River travels from the mouth of the East River north to the Kensico Dam, providing views of the natural history of the area. Because the trail is under development, there are several gaps...
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 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 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...
We started the trail in Middleport parking on Palmer Ave. Highly recommend this direction as it’s mainly uphill to Harriman. We clocked 19 miles exactly to Harriman. The uphill is not super intense but is uphill so the way back was super fun and easy! We stopped in Monroe on the way back to Middleport. 38 miles in total ALL PAVED and 99.5 % trail. Excellent. Little weird spot right before Goshen as the trail ends abruptly with no signs. Head into the main town of Goshen and turn right at the wine store and you’ll be back on track!
I have walked biked and jogged along greenway trails in Hauppauge along 347 from route 111 to Terry Road numerous times. Lately i run at night as do several others who i see along the trails. I have never seen the giant solar lights along the trail come on. The bus stop lights are on but the lamposts are never on and the paths are very dark I use a flashlight but others don't and it can be dangerous with debris along the pathway. I can't be the only one who as complained because it seems that since its inception they have never worked and i don't know why it took so long fpr me to complain. Concerned runner, Thank you
I was really pumped to go for a long run on this trail, heard nothing but amazing things. But it seems TS Henry and Ida took its toll on this path. LOTS of washouts, bridges closed and areas completely washed away. I’m sure it will get fixed in time but just be cautious for the time being
We rode this portion of the D&R trail two years ago, and thought we'd do it again yesterday. Started at the trail head along Carnegie Road at Lawrenceville, and rode for about 2 1/2 miles going north-east (we were plaining on doing 20 out and 20 back) . That was enough to decide to pack it up, and go to another trail closer to home. I guess, because of the heavy rains we had in August/September, to repair wash-outs, they just threw very fine gravel down, not packed, and in many places about 2" thick. It made for miserable riding on our cyclocross bikes with 32mm tires. Whoever is in charge of the trail maintenance needs to educate themselves of proper materials and techniques to be used for the trail repairs. Maybe it got better as you got further away from Lawrenceville, but we weren't going to chance it. A real shame, it used to be a great trail.
Some say the Delaware River Trail is the best in NJ. My vote is for Columbia Trail. The only negative is that it is a bit short at 15 miles. The trail is usually wide and well maintained, I've never seen it crowded, but I'm retired and use it during the week. The canopy of trees keeps it cool in the hot summer days of July and August and the turning leaves are spectacular in the fall. About 12 miles from High Bridge, in the town of Long Valley, is a great little coffee shop, the Coffee Potter, that sells pastries and really good coffee and teas. If that isn't enough, less than half a mile from the trail at the same intersection, you can ride to a group of three restaurants, a brew pub, a Latin restaurant, and and All American Cuisine restaurant. Beginning at High Bridge there is some minor elevation. I suggest starting there, so that coming back is easier.
Most of the trail is crushed stone, but there are sections of really hard dirt and some short stretches that might better be described as gravel, as well as a paved section - also very short. There are a few places intersections where a cyclist has to cross a road, but they aren't very busy. Still, caution is always recommended. I've ridden it with no problem with both a hybrid and a gravel bike, and that's what most riders use, but I've seen road bikes navigate the trail with no difficulties. A mountain bike would be fine, but isn't necessary.
Although this is an easy ride, if you're miles from your car and have a breakdown, it's still a problem. Bring the usual necessities in case of flat or other fixable breakdowns because of that distance. Watch for deer and other wildlife. I understand there are black bears, but I've never seen one. Bring the family. Enjoy.
I love this trail and the scenery. But there is a ditch with a crashed car at the bottom. The car is pretty old. Maybe late 70s or early 80s. It's between the parking space 17 park and ride lot in Monroe and the overpass. There's a green gate blocking the ditch. I would love to know more information about it if anyone knows.
Historic trail with varied terrain and beautiful scenery. We parked in Rockland County and rode over the Tappan Zee Bridge and made am easy connection to the trail.
Miles of secluded, smooth, paved trail. We were there on a Tuesday and hardly met anyone. Typical rail trail views with woods and rocks, but the view of the lake and wetlands was very pleasant and broke it up. Surprised to find the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail where it crossed the bike path. Starting in Hopewell Junction heading south east there is a slight incline until Whaley Lake. Not a problem, just made it easier on the way back. After the Whaley Lake continuing south there is a slight decline which did make it a a bit of a grind on the way back but really nothing to be afraid of. We thoroughly enjoyed the day. The only reason I did not give this trail 5 stars was because of lack of and condition of bathroom facilities. When you are of a certain age this becomes more important to you :-) We did the William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail, Walk Over the Hudson, and Hudson Valley Rail Trail the previous day, making for a nice mini-vacation. We travelled 3 hours for this trip and it was worth it.
I have done the trail four times so far, and it is a great experience. I usually take route 25 up to Monroe, hang a right off of 25 to the park, and park my car there. The last leg of the north end takes you to an abandoned factory, and it’s a little sketchy. I don’t recommend it. But if you take the south route all the way down to Trumbull round-trip at 15 miles it is beautiful. The paths are extensive, and as a bicyclist, you could call out to everyone if you were on their left or right. It’s a very safe and fun trail for the whole family.
Some really beautiful areas. But not suited to road bikes!
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