Explore the best rated trails in Stony Brook, 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 60 trails covering 379 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 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...
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...
First a canal, then a railroad, and now a trail define the history of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Completed segments span Connecticut south to north, from New Haven to the Massachusetts...
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 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...
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 Savin Rock Trail offers just over a mile of paved pathway along West Haven’s coastline. Along the way, you’ll enjoy picturesque views of Long Island Sound and access to its sandy beaches. The west...
You might expect a 4-mile rail-trail that passes through three downtowns to be excessively urban, but the quaint town centers on the Joseph B. Clarke Rail Trail are compact and surrounded by...
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....
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...
When complete, Connecticut’s Shoreline Greenway Trail will be a scenic 25-mile route through four quaint New England towns off Long Island Sound. From Lighthouse Point to Hammonasset Beach State Park,...
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,...
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 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 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...
The Middlebury Greenway provides a paved, off-road option for a self-propelled journey across suburban Middlebury. The trail touches on several business districts and parks, ending at an amusement...
The Hanover Pond Trail is a mile-long rail-trail in Meriden, Connecticut offering scenic natural escape combined with historical exploration. The smooth asphalt trail is open to a diverse range of...
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...
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...
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 Old Erie Path reveals spectacular views of the Hudson River Valley as the rail-trail rolls along cliffs that border the river’s western shore. Although fairly short, it joins two 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...
Splayed over 1,146 acres in northwest Bronx, Van Cortlandt Park has a lot going on. The park is New York City's fourth largest and is home to the oldest municipal golf course in America. There are...
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...
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...
When complete, Connecticut’s Shoreline Greenway Trail will be a scenic 25-mile route through four quaint New England towns off Long Island Sound. From Lighthouse Point to Hammonasset Beach State Park,...
The Quinnipiac River Gorge Trail is a 1.3-mile rail-trail in Meridan, Connecticut. The trail occupies the former railbed of the Meriden, Waterbury & Connecticut River Railroad, a 17-mile line which...
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,...
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 High Line trail runs 30 feet above the bustling Manhattan streets and sidewalks below, which for trail lovers makes it an attraction in the same league as the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State...
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...
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...
The Branford Trolley Trail is essentially a long footbridge occupying an old bridge along the route of an abandoned trolley track. The bridge links nature trails on both sides of the water through a...
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...
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 Hanover Pond Trail is a mile-long rail-trail in Meriden, Connecticut offering scenic natural escape combined with historical exploration. The smooth asphalt trail is open to a diverse range of...
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 EPCAL Alternative Transportation Path loops around the 2,900-acre Enterprise Park at Calverton (hence its name: EPCAL) on New York’s Long Island and links to the Town of Riverhead’s 65-acre...
The Saddle River County Park Bike Path is a beautiful suburban trail that winds alongside the Saddle River. Most of the trail runs through moderately dense suburban development, with residential and...
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 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...
Just an hour north of New York City, the Timp-Torne Trail offers a scenic hike through Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks with panoramic vistas of the Hudson River. The rugged blue-blazed trail...
The Quinnipiac River Gorge Trail is a 1.3-mile rail-trail in Meridan, Connecticut. The trail occupies the former railbed of the Meriden, Waterbury & Connecticut River Railroad, a 17-mile line which...
The Old Erie Path reveals spectacular views of the Hudson River Valley as the rail-trail rolls along cliffs that border the river’s western shore. Although fairly short, it joins two other...
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...
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...
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 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 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 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 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 Raymond G. Esposito Memorial Trail travels from one end of the village of South Nyack to the other in 1 mile but greatly expands its reach by connecting with the Old Erie Path and a new shared-use...
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 Hanover Pond Trail is a mile-long rail-trail in Meriden, Connecticut offering scenic natural escape combined with historical exploration. The smooth asphalt trail is open to a diverse range of...
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...
Splayed over 1,146 acres in northwest Bronx, Van Cortlandt Park has a lot going on. The park is New York City's fourth largest and is home to the oldest municipal golf course in America. There are...
When complete, Connecticut’s Shoreline Greenway Trail will be a scenic 25-mile route through four quaint New England towns off Long Island Sound. From Lighthouse Point to Hammonasset Beach State Park,...
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 Qunnipiac Linear Trail is an easy multipurpose path in Wallingford, Connecticut. The trail skirts Community Lake while traveling a heavily wooded corridor along the Quinnipiac River. It is one of...
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...
We chickened out last year about half-way down and turned back because it was getting too thick with brush. Decided to take another crack at it by myself today and I found it an interesting challenge. Rocky and hilly with loose dirt and sections where parts were washed away, which made it somewhat of a challenge if youre moving at any significant speed. I ended up with a few scrapes from the sticker bushes, some of which you cant avoid because youre too busy watching the trail to make sure you dont get your wheel caught in a rut in the washed-away sections.
All in all It was a short, somewhat challenging trail, with some nice views of the river at the end. At 2 miles, it should be a nice chal;lenge for a novice or intermediate mountain bike rider, but you definitely should not try this on a road bike.
My wife and I have been using this trail for years primarily for in-line skating. It is a fantastic trail that is extremely enjoyable each time we are there, however we have noticed over the last few years a real deterioration in the sections in Cheshire and Hamden. The wooden bridges are breaking down that is it dangerous to skate over them, due to the holes that are developing. The inevitable tree roots are getting more and more noticeable and need to be addressed before the ruin the trail any further. The trail needs to be swept and blown regularly, as the stones, gravel and branches all over the trail are noticeable and a hazard to both in-line skaters as well as bikers.
We rode a total of about 34 miles,17 miles there & back.. We enjoyed this trail,its different then a lot of trails,you are all over the place,riding in residential,the woods,past the Monrovia Nursery,then into the town..but all on paved ground..Good signage.little bumpy in a few spots,but over all pretty good. Mostly flat with a few small climbs.Would like to go back & finish the trail..
The trail offers the opportunity to ride in the green and without cars for most stretches, but its views are limited.
The first part through Yonkers is very uninspiring, it looks more like a landfill than a nice trail, so I would definitely skip that part next time. Coming through those Hudson villages is nice, but it also creates the necessity to cross a lot of streets. That wouldn't have been much of a problem if the trail was designed for it, but the way it is now you need to dismount your bike because the curbs are just too high to bike over, so that definitely takes the flow out of the ride.
Signage is poor at some places as well, I would recommend a GPS unit to ride the whole trail. There are also a couple of unbikeably steep sections that also require you to dismount. The final destination, Croton dam, is impressive to see and the highlight of the route.
All in all a very mediocre biking trail, but options are very limited anyway, departing from NYC. I think I won't be riding it again.
I road this trail for the first time this past week. It's nice but way too short! I did take a detour into Piermont which extended it nicely and stopped at the bike friendly Bunbury's.
As of July 2019 the paved surfaces ranged from fair to excellent but were mostly good. Intersecting loops and dead ends provide approximately 12 miles of trails but these were non-continuous secondary to construction blockages. This trailway is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2020. The trails pass mostly baseball fields, soccer fields, picnic areas and municipal storage lots which give parts of the park an industrial feel. There are several good quality bathrooms attached to snack bars along the trail. The views of east Manhattan and the standing waves in the Hell's gate section of the East River are excellent. On the island you may also pass Icahn Stadium, The New York Police Department Harbor Unit, John McEnroe Tennis Academy, a native plant garden and the Manhattan Psychiatric Center Hospital (formerly known as Blackwell's Island Lunatic Asylum).
Parked at the trail head in Millwood & rode North. Did total 35 miles. 17 1/2 one way.Rode into the Putnam railway,as they run into each other.The trail is very scenic.You ride pass some towns. But is hilly & can be challenging ..for some..There are sections that are bumpy.. (tree roots) a lot are marked..just have to pay attention..There are some road crossing..all & all we had a good ride..but don't think this trail is for everyone,not just an easy flat trail.. We had lunch at the Tazza cafe on Rt 133,near where we parked,it was great. Toward the healthy side,loved it..
Before we began we talked to some people at the trail head, and decided to use it to explore the town of Piermont NY which has a nice little downtown and a beautiful pier. About 1/4 mile into the trail there is a dirt path going to the right...went on that until we found a tiny hut labeled 'Piermont' (it is a small museum). Getting advice from a jogger, we went down the steep hills there into town..had coffee at a neat little shop then and eventually found the pier. We had to walk up the steep hills on our return. This was an unexpected adventure, Next time we will do the entire trail.
Long Wharf to Yale is partially on-road, busy and tricky. Agreements with landowners have been completed and future construction will eliminate some of the on-road. 2018 trail completions in Cheshire and Southington make the trail continuous for 23 miles.
The remaining section in Southington is scheduled for construction in 2020. The Plainville section is currently in design. Construction could start in 2021. It might be phased, so construction might be complete in 2024 or later. When the Southington section is complete it will be relatively safe to ride on-road across Plainville.
From Northwest Dr on the Plainville/Farmington border the trail goes continuously to Main St Westfield about 34 miles. A few railroad bridges in Westfield have to be rebuilt to complete the trail to the Westfield River
North of the Westfield River the railroad is active. The best on-road routes include hilly and traffic. In Southampton the trail will be on the abandoned railroad right of way, but the right of way has not yet been purchased.
Getting to the trail in Easthampton requires about 10 miles of on-road. The last 7 miles of the trail to Northampton are complete
As of June 2019 the paved surfaces ranged from excellent to fair but were mostly good. Branching and intersecting bicycle trails make it very easy to get lost so having a detailed map of the route is essential. Parking at the recommended lot at Orchard Beach costs $8 on weekdays and $10 on weekends so you may want to try street parking near one of the entrance points.
We rode this trail on 6/16/19 North from the Tait Road parking lot to its end in Newtown and back, approximately 20 miles total. Almost constantly shaded by trees, very removed from highway traffic, felt like I was in the deep woods at many points. Initial section runs along a ridge and you can look down and see the rivers. Some parts are cinder, some paved, some dirt; there were one or two short sections of gravel; you need a hybrid or a mountain bike (no skinny road bike tires). But overall a very nice ride and worth your time! The section near Tait Road had a number of walkers and families with kids; as we got further north it was much less crowded. As noted, there are several points where you have to cross a road or ride on-road for a short section to get to the next part of the trail, so if you're riding with kids please be aware of this. But we found those sections fairly easy to navigate, even though the signage isn't as good as it could be. There are a few small uphills but they're very short ... just about all flat. Nice to have something like this close to our home in Fairfield County!
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