The Best Hikes Near NYC
Most people don’t correlate ‘hiking’ and ‘New York City’ in the same sentence, but there are some amazing hikes super close to the city! We try and go hiking as often as we can, but we’ve found ourselves wanting to escape the city a bit more lately, so we thought we would make a list of our favorite hikes less than 2.5 hours from NYC!
Overlook Mountain
Location: Woodstock, NY
Distance from NYC: 2.5 hours
Overlook Mountain is one of our favorite hikes because of the abandoned building near the summit. The abandoned building used to be an old hotel which was originally built in the 1800s. The hotel had many different owners over the years and actually burned down, twice. In the 1940s the property was finally sold to New York State and its remains are now a popular resting spot for hikers on Overlook Mountain. How cool is that?!
Arden Point & Glenclyffe
Location: Garrison, NY
Distance from NYC: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Arden Point & Glenclyffe is a hike that anyone can do. The path is mostly flat and shady, and there are a few different trails you can take. This would be a great hike to do with kids or elderly family members! The most interesting trail on this hike is the one that Benedict Arnold used to escape the British during the Revolutionary War! The Benedict Arnold path is extremely short, but the history behind it is too cool to pass up.
Minnewaska State Park
Location: Ulster County, NY
Distance from NYC: 2 hours
Minnewaska State Park has a ton of trails, but the one we took lead us to an amazing waterfall! The Awosting Falls trail is fairly easy to hike and the waterfall view at the end is well worth it. We never thought we could find such a picturesque waterfall in New York State! Definitely one of our favorite hikes we’ve ever done.
Beacon Mountain
Location: Fishkill, NY
Distance from NYC: 1 hour and 45 minutes
The views from the summit of Beacon Mountain are some of the best we’ve seen in New York State. At the top of the mountain there is also a fire tower you can climb up! This hike has it all, epic scenery, abandoned buildings, and a great little nature escape from the city life.
Bear Mountain
Location: Bear Mountain, NY
Distance from NYC: 1 hour
Bear Mountain is probably one of the most popular hiking spots near NYC, but when things are popular, there’s usually a reason. We love the hike at Bear Mountain because it’s very rewarding. The hike to the summit it a bit long but it makes it worth it when you get to the top. The views are stunning and there are many lookout points you can stop at along the way up. We suggest if you want to hike Bear Mountain to go on a weekday to avoid crowds!
Got any favorite hikes near NYC that we missed? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to check them out!