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.
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 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...
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...
Hudson River Greenway stretches between Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan and the Little Red Lighthouse underneath the George Washington Bridge. The trail passes through Hudson River Park,...
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 Essex–Passiac county...
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...
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 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...
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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 3.6-mile Middlesex Greenway connects the towns of Edison, Metuchen, and Woodbridge in northeastern New Jersey. The paved pathway, which follows the route of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad...
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...
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...
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...
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 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 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 Sussex Branch Trail got its start in the late 1840s as the narrow-gauge, mule-drawn Sussex Mine Railroad, whose primary purpose was hauling iron ore from the mines in Andover to Waterloo Village...
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...
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...
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...
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 Bronx River Greenway offers 23 miles of paved pathway in New York's Westchester and Bronx counties. The developing trail is open in disconnected segments largely paralleling the Bronx River...
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 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...
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 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 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 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 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 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 tree-lined, 22.5-mile Henry Hudson Trail is the definition of scenic variety. Traversing both urban and natural environments, the trail passes wetlands, streams, fields, and the Garden State...
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 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...
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...
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 Essex–Passiac county...
These three contiguous trails—the Raymond G. Esposito Memorial Trail, Old Erie Path and Joseph B. Clark Trail—occupy the former right-of-way of the Erie Railroad's Nyack and Piermont Branch. Each...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
Bergen County's Saddle River County Park Bike Path traverses a 577-acre linear park system that hugs the banks of the Saddle River and its tributaries. Five park areas are linked by the multi-use...
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Much of New York's 15-mile 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 to Monroe. At Crane Park,...
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 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...
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 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"...
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...
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...
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 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 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 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 Essex–Passiac county...
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 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 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 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...
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...
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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...
This trail is difficult to rate because it's so different in many places and we only rode about a quarter of it. It is not a true rail trail. Parking on Cedar Knolls Rd. in Whippany, we rode west into Lewis Morris County Park. What makes it confusing are the many, poorly-marked offshoot trails. Also, it's confusing because it's many different types of riding in one trail. It goes from road riding, to light trail riding, to mountain biking. There are spots where the trail ends with no direction as to where to go. Once you get into Lewis Morris County Park, it becomes mountain biking, roots and all. I would not attempt this part of the trail with a road bike. I had my hybrid with no suspension and ended up walking quite a bit. In some spots, you ride on rocks. The surface is slightly icy in some spots. The area around Speedwell Lake is nice and has some ruins of old buildings in the parking lot. If I ride this trail again, I would start further west. Morristown National Historic Park is located along the trail, which is a destination for next time. To optimize this ride, research the different sections and pick the one that's right for you.
The LHT is many trails in one. We rode from the parking area (98 Carson Rd. in Princeton) to Bristol Meyers Squibb in Hopewell. To create a loop, we took Elm Ridge Rd. to Carter Rd. and back to the trail at the Educational Testing Service, then back to the car. If you map to this parking area, your GPS takes you to the right location. (I've mapped many trail parking areas that aren't where they say they are. ) It's obvious that the community has put a lot into the development of this trail. I would give it a B+ for signage. There were only 2 or 3 spots where it wasn't quite clear. One major one is if you ride through Maidenhead Meadows Park, there's a point in the woods where you come to a T-intersection. There's no marking to indicate you go to the right. When you reach the road (Princeton Pike), take a left to ride along the road. There is a decent shoulder, which makes for safe road riding. Within about a half-mile, you'll see the Brearley House sign at Meadow Rd. This is a short, worthwhile side trip to see the 1761 home of a Constitution signer. This is where the D&R Canal trail is located. It's also a nice area for a short rest and snack. This trail has a mixture of settings - historical, woods, roads, neighborhoods (beautiful homes), and parks. Any type of bike can be ridden on most of this trail. The wooded areas had a lot of downed branches and leaves that might make them a little tricky with a road bike. Princeton is a great town for its architecture, shops, and restaurants.
This is a nice trail, which passes through the Massapequa Preserve on the southern end. The northern end of the trail is located near the Syosset Long Island Railroad station, which makes it an easy destination for riders from the City. There are some street crossings, easy to navigate. There is one part of the trail that is confusing, where it crosses Sunrise Highway. There is a dental office across the street. When you cross the Highway, continue to the right and the trail picks up in about an eighth of a mile. The Bethpage State Park is huge. There are numerous mountain biking trails in the area. There are bathrooms at the Bethpage State Park parking/picnic area.
I was looking for an ATV friendly trail so my girlfriend and I could take a short ride on our new touring bike. We picked a dry but cold Saturday in November. I did my research and it appeared, based on this website, that this trail was open for ATV and/or ORV usage. We drove all the way down from Albany to find out the gates were locked on the trail and there was signage banning ATV, Horseback riding, Snowmobile usage, etc. We checked a couple of access points and it was the same thing. We were looking forward to a scenic tour of that area along the canals with the view of the mountain alongside of us. So, we wasted half a day, gas and tolls, to just basically turn around. TrailLink needs to update the trail description to include just walking, hiking and maybe bicycling. For this, I can only give the trail a 4 star rating.
Great ride, very easy, anyone can do it. It can be accomplished on a Road Bike. Surface was flat, smooth and clean.
I rode the northern section of the trail last week. I started at the Oakshades Park trail head, rode to the end at Popamora Point park, and then continued on a (mostly) marked on-street bike path to the Highlands Sea-Bright Bridge over to Sandy Hook. The trail was in very good shape with a few sections of root bumps. Fine for a road bike.
Once over the bridge I easily accessed the Gateway National Recreation Area multi-use path which allowed for fine cycling throughout the peninsula.
On the way back I took a detour to the Mt. Mitchill Scenic Overlook which, according to the signage, is the highest point on the eastern seaboard south of Maine.
Including some exploring of the historic sites included in the Recreation Area and the detour, about a 45 mile out and back.
This trail is a must, but be carful about the crowds.
This is a beautiful paved trail for biking, running, walking, strollers, and wheelchairs. It is well-kept and offers scenic views--from rolling fields, to bridges, to train cars, to even an old cemetery. My husband and I biked the entire length and back on a gorgeous fall day. It was a really nice ride, but be aware that it is often a false flat trail. One other major thing to be aware of is that you CANNOT access this trail from Mary Harriman Park in Harriman. Your best bet is to access if from Monroe. If heading east on the trail toward Harriman, the trail comes to a dead end fenced off bridge with no access and you're forced to turn around and go back the way you came. Hopefully someday they will fix this and extend it into Harriman for better access. That is my only complaint about this otherwise beautiful trail.
Newly paved trail is now open from the marina to Northern Blvd. This is a great ride especially during the week when it is not so crowded. As another reviewer stated one can extend their ride into nearby Fort Totten.
At the end of the trail is a Kings supermarket with awesome sandwiches and more.
No meter parking along Kimball Ave before Palmer Rd.
To avoid getting lost trying to connect to the bike path after passing the Scarsdales Train Station: exit at the station go north on East Pkwy; Rt on Crane Rd; Lf on Fox Meadows Rd (after Fenimore Rd) it changes to Walworth Ave and Lf on Greenacres Ave. The 2nd entrance to the trail is about 1/5 mile on the right.
There are restrooms when you reach the Kensico Dam.
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