Breathtaking New York Hikes — The Appalachian Trail

Janina Casey is an experienced finance and investment professional based in New York. In her free time, Janina Casey enjoys getting out of the city to hike. New York State is home to a number of excellent hiking trails, one of the most famous of which is the Appalachian Trail.

Stretching from Maine to Georgia, this trail includes 90 miles of paths in New York. It crosses the state about 30 miles north of the city and generally passes through relatively remote areas. One part of the trail crosses through the Bear Mountain Zoo, close to the popular Bear Mountain Bridge. This segment of the trail used to be very difficult, until a reconstruction project added rock steps for particularly steep sections.

State parks through which the trail passes include Hudson Highlands, Harriman, Sterling Forest, and Clarence Fahnestock. Hikers who want a real challenge can easily plan multiple-day hikes since the trail has eight shelters. However, it is important to map out a route first, as the shelters can be quite far apart.