What are the best places to hike with children in the New York area?

HardyC

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Tuper Lake, NY
I have lived in upstate New York my entire life. Now that I have kids I want to introduce them to the adventures of hiking. Some of the trails that I really enjoy seem to be too difficult for them. I was wondering if anyone knows of any easy trails around this area that would be good for children around the age of 8- 11 years old?
 

renoviolaoutdoors

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Pelham Bay Park

The Bronx's Pelham Bay Park offers the Kazimiroff Nature Trail, an approximately 2-mile hike that loops through a section of the park known as Hunter Island. Enter from the northern corner of the Orchard Beach parking lot.
You can choose to hike a shorter 30-minute loop or a slightly longer 45-minute path, both of which wind through a variety of landscapes including meadows, shrubland and forest, with views of the Long Island Sound.
"You're actually winding your way through a lot of different ecosystem types," said Aucoin, who added that scenery includes a stretch of rocky coastline that's reminiscent of what you would expect to see in Maine.
"You won't find it anywhere else in New York City," she said. "It's a little slice of New England popped right down there in the Bronx."


Inwood Hill Park

Inwood Hill Park offers visitors a peek into New York's past: it was once inhabited by Native Americans known as the Lenape, and legend has it that the park was where Peter Minuit purchased the isle of Manhattan from them in 1626.

Marine Park

Marine Park includes the Salt Marsh Nature Trail, also known as the Gerritsen Creek Nature Trail. It can be accessed behind the park's Nature Center near the intersection of East 33rd Street and Avenue U.

The Greenbelt

A 2,880-acre network of parks and green spaces in the center of Staten Island, the Greenbelt boasts more than 35 miles of marked hiking trails, from short loops to a 12-mile path, many of which can be accessed near the park's nature center at 700 Rockland Ave., where visitors can pick up a trail map and plan their hike.

Alley Pond Park

The landscape of Queens' Alley Pond Park was formed by a glacier some 15,000 years ago — it left boulders in the green space which can still be seen today
"It's a great place to witness the remnants of long ago glacial activity," said Aucoin, who said the great sheet of ice left behind the rocky debris, as well as depressions in the earth that are now kettle ponds.


 

dinosaur

troublemaker
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The best hike I ever took in New York was on 42nd Street. But that's definitely not for kids.
 

Arla

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New England/Lake George Area, NY
I spend a lot of my summer in Upstate New York and love to hike there, specifically Lake George. Prospect Mt. Is pretty good for beginners, but you might need sturdy shoes if you go the whole way, but there is an option to bus up and/or down if your kids don't have the attention span to go the whole way.

Another fun one is Buck Mt. which is a lot more intense, so mabye not fit for you kids, but around 3 miles to the summit with BEAUTIFUL views.
 
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