Find the top rated trails in Paterson, 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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In June 1986, the Morris County Park Commission dedicated this recreation trail that runs parallel to the New Jersey Transit Line railroad tracks. The path utilizes a little over three miles of...
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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...
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 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...
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 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 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...
In the early 1830s the Morris Canal opened across northern New Jersey, from Phillipsburg on the Delaware River to Newark, and later to Jersey City on the Hudson River. It provided a thoroughfare for...
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 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...
Lawrence Hopewell Trail currently runs for 17 miles on public and private lands in Lawrence and Hopewell townships, about five miles north of Trenton. Trail planners hope to complete the trail, which...
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 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 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 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...
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 Columbia Trail strings together forests, farms and parklands as it stretches 15 miles among the small towns of High Bridge, Califon, Long Valley and Washington. Most of the corridor parallels 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...
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...
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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...
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...
In June 1986, the Morris County Park Commission dedicated this recreation trail that runs parallel to the New Jersey Transit Line railroad tracks. The path utilizes a little over three miles of...
Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway, which opened in June 2014, runs just shy of 4 miles between Jones Beach State Park and Tobay Beach. Both beaches permit swimming and provide opportunities to purchase...
The Oxford Bikeway is a .9 mile long pave trail constructed on an abandoned railroad right-of-way. The trail can be accessed at three points. To the north the trail ends at Pequest Road, however there...
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 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"...
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 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 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 Bronx River Greenway will one day stretch 23 miles along the river through New York's Westchester and Bronx counties. Currently, 18 miles of the trail are complete in disconnected segments largely...
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 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...
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 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 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...
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 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 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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
This trail is in an area rich in geological history. Zinc and Iron Ores were transported along this branch from mines in the area that operated for over 200 years. The trail is scenic with a slight...
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 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 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...
Lawrence Hopewell Trail currently runs for 17 miles on public and private lands in Lawrence and Hopewell townships, about five miles north of Trenton. Trail planners hope to complete the trail, which...
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...
Note: Periodically parts of the trail become impassable from floods and other damage. For updates on trail conditions, visit the Canal State Park website. The Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
Thursday, August 09, 2018, 90'F and humid
Yeah, a good ride, which connects via tunnels under the highway to Jones Beach and a more direct connection to the 5-mile bike path that goes north to the mainland. Get sweaty then enjoy the salty ocean beach waters. A go
Thursday, August 09, 2018, 90'F and very humid.
After slogging through the ridiculous Long Island traffic, I rode here and the the other 2 connected trails, which are all nice. You reach the other 2 paths via tunnels under the highway from the Jones Beach parking lots. I have a hard time believing the boardwalk is 4 miles long though. Get nice and sweaty then go in the lovely, salty ocean waters.
This was our first time here, and thankfully it was not too crowded. The foliage cover and the path are incredible, though, so you can enjoy a lot of streams and greenery while walking/jogging/bicycling. For cycling, it’s pretty mild, so if you’re looking for a challenge, this might not be for you. Wonderful family bike morning!
Speeding and unruly bikers come often. Many forgo the bikers' decorum of announcing their approach from behind. " On your left " or "On your right " should be the case, but that is actually the exception. Just be careful if you are walking. It is the only fly in this ointment. The section from Dunkerhook Road in Paramus to the northern end in Ridgewood pleases the sense much.
Extremely steep in some sections (not bike-able), maybe 10% is paved, mostly construction type gravel. Was stuck in the very lowest 3 gears for most of the ride. Did not come across any other bike rider. Not a pleasant ride by any stretch of the imagination. Quite a few hikers though.
We were driving home to PA from CT and stopped to stretch our legs on this trail, so we didn't ride the full length. We started at Goshen and there was plenty of parking in the municipal lot that sits right at the trail head; this was a Monday afternoon, but there was still plenty of parking (thank you to the town for providing free parking!).
The trail is nicely paved and very well maintained. The first two miles were a bit noisy because the trail runs parallel to a busy highway, but after that it was quiet and relaxing. We went a bit beyond Chester and turned around. (Unlike some other reviewers, we didn't find Chester particularly charming.) The trail was flat, easy, well shaded, and relaxing, and we were grateful to the people who keep it in such good condition. Our only (VERY minor) complaint was that close to Goshen the trail sometimes had the feel of riding moguls, probably because tree roots are growing beneath the asphalt. Overall, we would recommend the trail.
After riding, we left our car in the municipal lot and walked two blocks to the Sunshine Cafe. Although the signage made us think it was just a juice bar, it had a nice menu--great paninis and a long list of specialty burgers. We recommend the restaurant highly.
Absolutely love this trail. First off, get there early. Sandy Hook is a popular place and after 9 on the weekends there will be a wait at the entrance to get in.
You can park anywhere and jump on the trail. It's paved and a smooth ride. The view is great and changes from water to trees and back. There aren't really any hills to worry about so it's mostly easy pedaling.
I usually rig a chair to the bike and stop off on the bay side to relax for bit.
This is a beautiful trail. I always start at High Bridge and work my way towards Long Valley. There is a slight incline in this direction. It makes for a much easier ride coming back.
This trail is well maintained and easy to ride along the entire length. There are parking areas along the route so you don't have to ride the whole thing. It is very scenic and there are many photo ops. You will not be alone on the trail but it isn't over crowded either.
I've seen all types of bikes on here; fat tires, road bikes, hybrids, MTBs. The trail is smooth enough that any will work fine. This trail is multi-use and there will be people walking and even some on horseback (past Califon).
My wife and I rode the trail today (28-Jul-2018). It had rained the day before, so the trail was a bit wet. There were muddy spots, but most of the time the trail was just a bit wet. We planned on parking near the Simply Day Spa, but realized that the access to the trail from that parking spot was impossible to access with a bike - it was steep and rocky. And of course wet. So we parked at the East Crisman Road parking, just after the single lane bridge. Next time, just park at the Footbridge Park. But once on the trail, we realized some spots were muddy but manageable. There were times when between E Crisman parking and the airport, the trail narrows and widens. Once at the Blairstown Airport, you have to use Lambert Road for a bit, then into Airport Road. From here, there are no signs to direct you to where the trail is. From there, Airport Road ends and you will see a dirt road before the gates - that's the trail. From here, the trail sort of becomes wide enough for two way bike traffic to just a patch of dirt for you tires. The trails need a lot of maintenance - a lot of low branches, some branches on the road and basically, it just needs some trees cut down. Because of the lack of maintenance and overgrowth, you can hardly see anything on either side of the trail. But it was a good ride, flat trail - my wife and I rode up to Paulinskill Viaduct. Nice structure, with all the graffiti and all.
After reading some of the reviews I was prepared for a disastrous trail. Yes, its a little bumpy in spots but I felt it was mostly smooth. A couple of places are semi-rough but it wasnt that big of a deal.
Also, getting to it is a little tricky if youre just searching on google for directions. I found the best launch point to be at the northern most end of the South County Trail (just south-east of the Tarrytown Resovior). Drive your car to and get off at exit 23 of the Saw Mill Pkwy. There is a park and ride right there. Park your car and head south on your bike for the South County Trail and North for the North County trail.
I always attempt to start at one end of a trail and ride it to the end. According to the description the trail starts in Harriman which may have been the case at one point but as of July 2018 is not so. As others have said the trail ends abruptly at 12 miles and does not go to Harriman. I'd recommend you start at Crane Park in Monroe, it is easy to find and offers plenty of parking.
As far as the trail itself the scenery was average. The trail itself is all paved and mostly flat so it made for easy riding. The towns off of the trail are very quaint, I'd highly recommend walking around Goshen and visiting Chester for its local brewery. If you'd like to extend your ride try to find the unpaved extension in Goshen. It is single track and about two miles long so I'd take a mountain or hybrid bike.
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