New York has diverse terrain that caters to your level of fitness, while providing you with fresh air and cardiovascular exercise. Hiking options that you will find in New York include guided and self-guided tours, located in river valleys, mountain ranges and cities. This allows you to see a variety of scenery, while having the option of hiking on trails that can take from hours to days to complete.
Long Island
The southeastern part of Long Island's Shelter Island offers you more than 2,000 acres of easy terrain to explore, which is maintained by the Nature Conservancy. Mashomack Preserve is east of New York City, with 11 miles of hiking trails where you can see marshes, creeks, ponds and oak woodlands. To prevent the natural environment from being disturbed, bicycling, jogging and horseback riding are prohibited. Wildlife that you may see at the Mashomack Preserve include terrapins, fox, ibis, osprey, harbor seals and the endangered piping plover.
Catskills
Northwest of New York City, you can go hiking along rocky ridges and dense forests in the Catskill Mountains. Mohonk Preserve is a scenic wilderness in the Catskill and Shawangunk Mountains, with about 60 miles of trails for you to go hiking, biking, cross-country skiing or horseback riding. Minnewaska State Park Preserve is another hiking destination in the Catskills, where you will find 30 miles of hiking trails.
Adirondacks
Upstate New York is home to the Adirondack Mountains, where you can choose from a wide variety of hiking trails that range from easy to strenuous. Waterfalls are a feature of easier hikes, from Cascade Lake in the southern Adirondacks to High Falls Gorge in the northern Adirondacks. If you are interested in challenging terrain, Bald Mountain has a steep one-mile hike and Black Mountain exceeds four miles in length.
Letchworth State Park
The Genesee River was carved out of a gorge with waterfalls and 600-foot-tall walls at Letchworth State Park in western New York, where you can hike on scenic trails along the canyon's rim. This straight seven-mile hike allows you to park vehicles at each end, or you can opt for a 14-mile round trip. If you are traveling with kids, the Pond Trail is a three-quarter-mile hike that takes you to a pond that is stocked with fish.
Hudson River Valley
With rolling hills rather than mountains, the Hudson River Valley is a day-trip hiking destination just north of New York City. Harriman, Bear Mountain and Hudson Highlands are state parks that offer hiking trails, ranging from easy to moderately strenuous. Another option is walking on part of the Appalachian Trail.
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