UPDATED March 2017: Check out these scenic outdoor hiking options near New York City, in Southeast New York's Rockland and Westchester counties, on Long Island, and in nearby Fairfield County, CT. The mountains, parks, and other nature areas listed here are all offer easy hiking and nature trails that kids and families of all skill levels can enjoy. So pack a picnic, get out of the city, and get outdoors!
    

Hiking in Rockland County

Bear Mountain
Palisades Parkway, Route 9W, 7 Lakes Drive, Bear Mountain
More than 250 miles of hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing trails 
    

Blauvelt State Park
Highland Avenue, Greenbush Road, Blauvelt
Features 590 acres of undeveloped park land 
     

Buttermilk Falls
199 South Greenbush Road, West Nyack
The highlight of the 75-acre park is Buttermilk Falls, of which visitors can hike to the top. 
   

Clausland Mountain Park
10 Nike Lane, Upper Grandview
This 532-acre park has scenic overlooks
   

Dater Mountain Nature Park
Johnsontown Road, Sloatsburg
The highest elevation offers a view of the Village of Tuxedo, The New York State Thruway, and Orange County.
   

Demarest Kill Park
57 New Hempstead Road, New City
The 30 acres of heavily wooded land includes a pond, which is stocked annually with Brown Trout.
   

Eleanor Burlingham Memorial Park
25 Municipal Plaza, Sloatsburg
Features Ramapo River, one of the few canoeable rivers in the metropolitan area

H. Pierson Mapes/Flat Rock Park
101 Torne Valley Road, Hillburn
Offers access to, and views of, Ramapo River

Hook Mountain State Park
Upper Nyack
A bike path runs from Haverstraw Beach State Park to Nyack Beach State Park.

Kennedy Dells Park
355 N. Main St., New City
Features a fitness trail, hiking trails, horseback riding, a horse corral, nature study, soccer, and cross-country skiing

Monsey Glen Park
140 Saddle River Road, Monsey
The hiking trail passes several sandstone Native American caves in which numerous artifacts have been discovered.

Mountainview Nature Park
2 Strawberry Hill Lane, Central Nyack
Scenic views including one of the Tappan Zee Bridge

Nyack Beach State Park
698 N. Broadway, Upper Nyack
Features 61 acres of waterfront along the Hudson River

  
Samuel G. Fisher Mount Ivy Environmental Park
75 Firemens Memorial Drive, Pomona
Hiking along the abandoned railroad bed 

Sean Hunter Ryan Memorial Park
Bradley Parkway Route 38, West Nyack
This half-mile section of hiking trail is dedicated to the memory of a fallen Park Ranger.

South Mountain Park
164 South Central Highway, Garnerville
Offers a number of views of the Hudson River
   

Stony Point Battlefield
Park Road off Route 9W, Stony Point
Historic site featuring oldest lighthouse on the Hudson River

Tallman Mountain State Park
Route 9W, Palisades
Offers hiking, cross-country skiing, running track, and more 

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Hiking in Westchester County

Beaver Dam Sanctuary Park
135 Beaver Dam Road, Katonah
Walking trails and natural areas, as well as a dog park
 

Blue Mountain
435 Welcher Ave., Peekskill
A large park that offers hikes to the top of Mt. Spitzenberg and Blue Mountain

Choate Sanctuary
Crow Hill Road, Mount Kisco
More than a mile of walking trails through rolling hills 

Croton Gorge Park
35 Yorktown Road, Croton-on-Hudson
Visitors are able to hike across a large waterfall.

   
Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park
2957 Crompond Road, Yorktown Heights
Features 960 acres of trails for hiking, jogging, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing
   

George's Island Park
Dutch Street, Montrose
Trails with views of the Hudson; a popular spot to view eagles in the winter.

Graff Sanctuary
Furnace Dock Road, Cortlandt Manor
A protected woodland ridge that overlooks the Hudson River 

Hudson Highlands Gateway Park
Doris Lee Drive, Cortlandt
The 352-acre park was formerly a Revolutionary War lookout site. 

Kensico Dam Plaza
1 Bronx River Parkway, Valhalla
The park, located at the base of a scenic dam, includes paved loops for walking and biking.

Mountain Lakes Park
201 Hawley Road, North Salem
Nearly 13 miles of trails in Westchester’s northern-most park
    

Saxon Woods Park
1800 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains
A park with a trail system along the Mamaroneck River 

Tibbetts Brook Park
355 Midland Ave., Yonkers
A large park with many amenities, and includes parts of the South County Trailway and the Croton Aqueduct Trail. 
 

Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
Route 121, Cross River, NY
As the largest park in Westchester County, it features the Trailside Nature Museum.
 

Westmoreland Sanctuary
260 Chestnut Ridge Road, Mount Kisco
Offers 7.5 miles of interconnecting trails

RELATED: Hiking Trails for Families on Staten Island
   

Hiking on Long Island

Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park 
440 Montauk Highway, Great River
The state park includes an arboretum and historic mansion.  

Belmont Lake State Park
Southern State Parkway, Exit 38, North Babylon
Includes 7.6 miles of trails around Belmont Lake

Bethpage State Park
99 Quaker Meetinghouse Road, Farmingdale
Hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing trails alongside five world-class golf courses  

Blydenburgh County Park
Veterans Memorial Highway, Smithtown
Visitors can hike a 5-mile trial around Long Island’s second largest lakes.

Caleb Smith State Park Preserve
581 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown
The 530 acres include hiking trails and a nature museum.
     

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Camp Hero State Park
1898 Montauk Highway, Montauk
Trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing alongside ocean views

Cathedral Pines County Park
Yaphank-Middle Island Road, Middle Island
Loop trail featuring wild flowers

Caumsett Historic State Park
25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Lloyd Harbor
Miles of hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and nature trails over acres of woodland, meadows, rock shoreline, and salt marsh

Cedar Creek Park
3340 Merrick Road, Seaford
The 259-acre park features walking and jogging trails, as well as bike paths.
 

Cedar Point County Park
5 Cedar Point Road, East Hampton
Large park with nature hiking trials and views of Gardiner’s Bay
   

Cold Spring Harbor State Park
95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor
Hiking offering views of Cold Spring Harbor 

Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Sunrise Highway/Route 27, Oakdale
Features 50 miles of hiking, horseback riding, cross-country ski, and nature trails

Gardiner County Park
Montauk Highway, Bayshore
Trails on the property of the Sagtikos Manor Estate
   

Garvies Point Museum and Preserve
50 Barry Drive, Glen Cove
Includes 5 miles of marked nature trails, as well as trails for the visually impaired 

Heckscher State Park
Heckscher Parkway, East Islip
Hiking trails in the “Home of the White-Tailed Deer”

Hempstead Lake State Park
Lakeside Drive, West Hempstead
Hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing trials alongside Hempstead Lake

Hither Hills State Park
164 Old Montauk Highway, Montauk, NY
Trails and packed sand roads with stunning water views
  

Indian Island County Park-Riverhead
Cross River Drive, Route 105, Riverhead
Hiking trails at the head of the Peconic River

Lakeland County Park
Johnson Avenue, Islandia
Nature trail-boardwalk over the head-waters of the Connetquot River.

  
Massapequa Preserve
East Merrick Road, Seaford 
Hiking and biking trail alongside a stream and gardens
   

Muttontown Preserve
34 Muttontown Lane, East Norwich
Nassau County's largest nature preserve with miles of marked nature trails

Nissequogue State Park
799 Saint Johnland Road, Kings Park
The hiking trail provides views of the Nissequogue River and Long Island Sound.
   

Norman J. Levy Overlook Park and Preserve
1600 Merrick Road, Merrick
Three miles of hiking and jogging trails with 18 exercise stations.

Orient Beach State Park
40,000 Main Road, Route 25, Orient
Hiking, biking, and nature trails along the waterfront

Peconic Dunes County Park
Sound View Avenue, Peconic
A 36-acre park with hiking opportunities
   

The Reverend Arthur Mackey Sr. Park
Lakeside Drive, Roosevelt
Three miles of nature trails

Robert Cushman Murphy County Park
Old River Road, Manorville
Hiking through a watershed for the Peconic River

Robert Moses State Park
Robert Moses Causeway, Fire Island
Nature, hiking, and cross-country skiing trails with beautiful views
 

Sears Bellows County Park
Bellows Pond Road, Hampton Bays
Extensive trail system for hikers and horseback riders

Shadmoor State Park
900 Montauk Highway, Montauk, NY
More than 2,400 feet of ocean beach and hiking trails

Southaven County Park
Victory Avenue, Brookhaven
Hiking alongside the Carmans River

Sweetbriar Nature Center
62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown
Features 54 acres of hiking and nature trails with views of the Nissequogue River
   

Terrell River County Nature Preserve
20 Main Street, Center Moriches
The 263 acres of park land are open for hiking and bird-watching.

Theodore Roosevelt County Park
Montauk Highway, Montauk, NY
Features 3½ miles of self-guided nature trails

Trail View State Park
8101 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury
Hiking and biking trails on hilly terrain and open fields
  

West Hills County Park
Sweet Hollow Road, Hunington
Trails include the historic Walt Whitman Trail, which leads to Jayne’s Hill, the highest point on Long Island.

Wildwood State Park Beach
790 Hulse Landing Road, Wading River
Hiking and cross-country skiing trails in a park along the Long Island Sound
    

Hiking in Fairfield County, CT

Audubon Center of Greenwich
613 Riversville Road, Greenwich
Walking trails amongst seven nature sanctuaries

Bartlett Arboretum
151 Brookdale Road, Stamford
Hiking trails through gardens, forests, and around a 2-acre pond

CT Audubon Society Nature Center
2325 Burr Street, Fairfield
Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary features 7 miles of trails and boardwalks.
    

Darien Nature Center
120 Brookside Road, Darien
Several walking trials with views of wildlife and flora 
    

Devil's Den Preserve
33 Pent Road, Weston
The largest preserve in Fairfield County inlcudes 20 miles of trails.

Earthplace
10 Woodside Lane, Westport
The nature center and wildlife sanctuary provides scavenger hunts along the trails. 

Indian Well State Park
Howe Avenue, Shelton
The park includes hiking and 15-foot waterfalls.

Mianus River Preserve
Westover Road, Stamford
Miles of rolling trails alongside the Mianus River
    

New Canaan Nature Center
144 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan
Arboretum and nature preserve with 2 miles of crisscrossing trails

Ordway Preserve
165 Goodhill, Weston
Features 62 acres of dontated land with trails

Weir Farm National Historic Site
735 Nod Hill Road, Wilton
The park bordered by a 110-acre network of trails called the Weir Preserve.

RELATED: Hiking and Nature Trails in Upstate New York