NYC Hike accessible from Train?

[animalmom]

Looking for a place for an out saturday-in sunday loop or back and forth that I can access from NYC via the train - i hate fussing about parking (but will take advice on ones with easy parking too)

Also looking for advice on a five day hike near NYC - I've done the Delaware water gap to culver's gap and culver's gap north for 4 days so I'd like something new.

[Pencil Pusher]

Check with the Appalachian Mountain Club, New York/North Jersey Chapter: http://www.amc-ny.org/

They have quite a few hikes and backpack trips going on each weekend and each trip varies in length and speed. I really enjoyed their hikes. It can be really social or a real muscle burner, depending on your choice. I recall hikers that took public transportation from the city, but don't remember the names or places... it's been a few years.
The Long Trail starts right at the GW bridge on the Jersey side, fyi. I went on that for about 20 miles and wound up in a big enough city/town that most likely had public transportation. Passed all sorts of neat historical sites along the way.

[JimSproul]

Check out Marz Trailways at:

http://www.martztrailways.com/index.html

They have service to the Delaware Water Gap and The NY Port Authority.

I am taking my son up to Long Island for College and checked out hiking in the area.

There is an AT stop on the Harlem Line, not far from the Conneticut Border.

[dperry]

NY-NJ Trail Conference has an excellent page on taking public transportation from NYC to trails here: http://www.nynjtc.org/trails/no-car.html. This includes links to all the major train and bus operators. Depending on where you are going, it might be more convienient to take a bus for one or both legs of your trip (though probably also more expensive.) Do make sure to check the schedules beforehand, as service is sometimes limited on weekends. Also, if you do take the train, keep in mind that the Manitou stop on Metro-North's Hudson line and the Appalachian Trail stop on the Harlem Line are what is known as "flag" stops; i.e., you must let the conductor know when you give him/her the ticket that you want to get off there; otherwise, the train won't stop. Coming back, you must make sure that the engineer can see you standing next to the tracks; otherwise, the train will pass you by.

To build on Pencil Pusher's post, this page at the AMC-NY site:

http://www.amc-ny.org/rec_actv/trancode.html#7

will give you specific suggestions on which trains/buses to take to specific trailheads. Again, do confirm the schedules to make sure they haven't changed from whenever this page was posted.

Unfortunately, Bonanza Bus no longer runs up US 7 in Connecticut, so that area is out unless you want to arrange a shuttle from the Harlem Line or Danbury, CT. However, they still do go to Canaan, CT, and Great Barrington, MA, both of which are close to the AT, so that's a thought for your five-day hike. Website is here: http://www.bonanzabus.com.

Enjoy!

[Mountain Dew]

If you take the train from NYC out to the A.T. then do yourself a favor and DON'T go north. That is the worst marked part of the entire trail. It's a joke.

[r_m_anderson]

Look at the 'New York Walk Book' published by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, it's full of great hikes for people who live in/near NYC with information about buses/trains. Most outdoor stores in the tri-state area have it.

[animalmom]

I think I will walk south on the AT from the train stop.

Anyone done this? Is it nice?

Going this weekend

[2XL]

I have only done from the train stop to Telephone Pioneers Shelter and back as a half day hike, about 3.6 miles each way.
Heading south you cross a long section of bog bridges, maybe a quarter mile if I remember correctly. Then into the woods, up a small hill and you get to the top and are at the edge of a field, walk along the edge of the fields at the top of the ridge, then down hill to the Dover Oak.
That really is a big tree. Up the hill about a mile is the shelter.
Sorry I can't tell you more. I will be doing NY State going south at the end of this month.

[animalmom]

10 miles to the shelter going north, I'll be careful to watch the trail markings TY

The train leaves grand central at 748 and with one transfer they drop you on the AT, I'll do a lil writeup on everything when I get back.

[steve hiker]

The train leaves grand central at 748 and with one transfer they drop you on the AT, I'll do a lil writeup on everything when I get back.

What, you can ride from Grand Central Station to the AT on the subway? That must be one urban stretch of trail. I've only been to NY once so just out of curiosity, is this true?

[Pencil Pusher]

I'm not sure where it crosses, but I think a commuter train goes by the Bear Mountain Bridge, which I think is the intersection with the AT. Either way, NYC is so condensed you can get into the countryside pretty quickly. Granted, the 'countryside' is more condensed as well, but a little can go a long way for those living in a concrete jungle.

[Mountain Dew]

If you hike north from the trail then make sure to take a RIGHT at the cemetary. The trail is very hard to follow once you reach the cemetary, but rest assure the trail goes right.

[animalmom]

Yes, I turned right at the creepy cemetary - get this it's the cemetary for the state mental hospital that's like 2 miles to the west - B movie horror!

The trail was as well marked as the rest fo the AT IMO, as in, just fine.

I got off the AT at the train stop, it was $22 round trip from grand central and hiked north.

The first 2 miles or so are through fields so if it's wet you will be unhappy ...

then up a hill to a ridge then very easy hiking to wiley shelter which is pretty darn nasty and right next to a road so not so good for weekends but I went apst it anyway.

Nice tent platforms and it has a picninc table so good lunch spot.

I stayed at ten mile river shelter which was very nice except it had a LOT of ballsy mice.

The water from the pump is nasty, I recommend you get water from the spring on the hill to the south (on the trail).

The hill before ten mile shelter is pretty rough at the end of the day.

Came back the next day, ate at thedeli .6 south fo the station, was back in the city by 5.

Met Freddy Bear (flip flop s-n) and Numskull (GA-ME turbo hiker) and stayed with them at ten mile river. Cool dudes. Ridge runners came by and so did the shelter caretaker who brought us some budweisers!

I had mountain home beef stroganoff which is my favorite backpack meal.

Hike back was rainy in the afternoon but not that bad.

Very very fun.