Lots of rugged terrain and a few good scrambles...starts tough and ends easy.

Harriman State Park is the second largest state park in all of New York and it offers excellent recreational opportunity including hundreds of miles of hiking trails. This hike follows multiple trails to complete a long loop up Pingyp Mountain as well as Flaggy Meadow Mountain. These high points offer excellent views of the surrounding area but this does require some strenuous climbing. There are multiple connecting trails along the way that can be used to add side trips and explore the area further. When hiking in the park, pay close attention to the trail markers and reference a trail map, especially when venturing off on other trails.

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk travels along one of New York City's largest beachfront areas on Staten Island, providing bikers and walkers some excellent coastal scenery in the city. The boardwalk offers easy access to the beach and is open for bicycles and foot traffic.

This famous trail travels through neighborhoods of the lower west side, offering excellent urban scenery including the Hudson River and the impressive New York City skyline. The trail is raised almost 30 feet above street level and offers a unique and safe way to explore the area. The concrete trail is open to pedestrians only.

On this hike you are not surrounded by pine and oak but by Lady Liberty, Columbus Monument, Liberation Monument, and Manhattan skyscrapers. You are able to take advantage of walkways, a nature path and Interpretive Center. Leashed dogs are permitted on this walk.

Harriman State Park and the surrounding parks offer hundreds of miles of hiking trails and recreational opportunity in the New York area. The trails can be combined to customize endless hiking trips. This hike follows multiple trails to complete a loop hike on Breakneck Mountain where hikers will enjoy views of the surrounding lakes and mountain terrain. The beginning and end of the hike consists of a steep climb and descent but the remainder only has some small ups and downs.

Minnewaska State Park is situated on the Shawangunk Mountain Ridge which is known for its rugged rocky terrain and dense hardwood forests. With over 35 miles of carriage roads and 50 miles of footpaths, the state park offers excellent hiking and biking opportunity. This hike follows the Upper Awosting Carriageway to Lake Awosting and back. The hike follows all carriage roads but there are additional footpaths and connecting trails that can be used to explore additional areas of the park.

Taughannock Falls is an impressive 215-foot waterfall that plunges off a rocky cliff into a steep gorge. The state park offers trails that travel into the gorge as well as along the rim, providing excellent views of the picturesque waterfall from the southeastern access along the rim all the way to Highway 89 just before the river empties into Cayuga Lake. There is also a trail that travels into the gorge as well as a south rim trail that provide additional hiking options in the park.

Algonquin Peak is a large and majestic mountain, the second tallest in New York and the only other peak aside from Mt Marcy exceeding 5,000 feet in elevation in the state. The mountain dominates the view from the open fields at the start of the Adirondack Loj Road. The climb is short compared to most Adirondack peaks, but also very steep for the second half after a gentle climb in the first 2 miles. A trailside waterfall is reached at 2.5 miles and after a steep climb, a small rocky cobble comes into view on the right. The trail takes a sharp left up a somewhat tricky ledge then climbs more gently to the junction with the trail to the summit of Wright Peak at 3.2 miles. From here, the trail becomes very steep and its surface turns to solid, bare bedrock that has water running down it during wet periods. Treeline is reached at 3.7 miles (4,800 feet) and the remainder of the climb is over bedrock and gravel (please stay off the plants) to the summit, where excellent views of most of the High Peaks, the massive cliff of Wallface Mtn, and the western lakes are found. The weather above the treeline is windy and subject to rapid changes, so please come prepared if venturing to the summit.

Taughannock Falls State Park is named after a 215-foot waterfall that is known as one of the most scenic natural attractions in all of the Northeast. The state park offers both gorge and rim trails above and into the rocky gorge that provide amazing views. The campground is also just a short distance from the shoreline of Cayuga Lake. A campground in the state park offers tent and trailer sites that can accommodate units up to 30 feet max length. The campsites are equipped with picnic tables and fire pits. Other campground amenities include water, restrooms with showers, a dump station, and boat launch. The sites are $18 per night. There are also cabin rentals available which can sleep 4 people and include cots, a fridge, outdoor grill, and picnic table. There is no heat or running water in the cabin. The cabins are $52.50 per night. Sites can be reserved online until the day before arrival and some sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.