From cascading waterfall walks in the Catskills and Central New York to the rugged, pine-scented peaks of the Adirondacks, from sweeping Hudson Valley vistas to serene strolls along Lake Ontario, New York State offers boundless opportunities to explore the roads less traveled. Stumble upon an idyllic hidden gem park or trail where you can embark on a mindful walk, quiet reflection, and escape into nature. Discover even more hidden gem hikes across New York State.
Adirondacks
Owl Head Lookout
📍 Route 73 , Elizabethtown, NY 12932
Credit: @mozmount on Instagram
Just 30 minutes outside Lake Placid in the Adirondacks, Owl Head Lookout offers a low-effort, high-reward hike with sweeping views in every season. This 5-mile, 2,530-feet summit round-trip trail is one of the less frequented climbs in the expansive park, so you’ll be treated to tranquility amongst cliff formations, towering pines, and the sounds of flora and fauna, all leading to panoramic perspectives at the summit.
Catamount
📍 Au Sable Forks, NY 12912
Credit: @jthomas_adker on Instagram
If you’re looking for High Peak–style scrambles and a moderate challenge on a quieter trail, Catamount Mountain is often regarded as one of the region’s best short hikes, often overlooked because of its size compared to the 46 High Peaks. Rising to 3,168 feet in the Taylor Pond Wild Forest, the trail offers a fun, steep climb with rocky scrambles and a narrow rock fissure known as the “chimney.” At the open summit, revel in unrivaled views of Whiteface and Esther Mountains. In season, wild blueberries add an extra highlight to your trek.
Stewart Mountain
📍Chestertown, NY 12817
Photo courtesy of Rachel Dymond
This under-one-mile, under-the-radar trail in Chestertown offers a scenic payoff, with views of Loon Lake and Gore Mountain in the distance. A prime pick for hikers of all ages and ability levels, (and a great one for the pup, too) Stewart Mountain offers “Forever Wild” beauty year-round. Stay awhile at the summit, as the well-marked trail makes this an ideal spot to catch a peaceful sunrise or sunset.
Capital-Saratoga
Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
📍 56 Game Farm Rd, Delmar, NY 12054
Photo courtesy of Rachel Dymond
20 minutes outside of Albany, Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is an outdoor oasis that spans over 450 acres of fields, forests, and wetlands, offering an easy, immersive way to experience nature. Walk wooded loops or along the water while spotting wildlife like turtles, beavers, and endless bird species. Highlights include the ADA-accessible Woodlot Trail, a short loop winding through the lush woodland, and teeming with small animals, songbirds, and refreshing forest scenery. The Beaver Tree Trail is a must-do, offering some of the region’s best flora and fauna as it circles Beaver Pond with scenic overlooks and close views of the water and surrounding habitat.
Peebles Island State Park
📍 1 Delaware Ave North, Cohoes, NY 12047
Photo courtesy of Rachel Dymond
Secluded scenery awaits at Peebles Island State Park, where the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers meet. The easy, two-mile Perimeter Trail follows the Mohawk’s shoreline, offering scenic views of wooded terrain, rushing rapids, and a small waterfall just before the river joins the Hudson. Beyond its natural beauty, Peebles Island is rich in history, from early Indigenous presence to its role in the American Revolution, when General Philip Schuyler chose it as a strategic defensive position during the 1777 British invasion of New York.
Catskills
Vernooy Falls
📍 Rochester, NY 12446
Venture into the Catskill’s Sundown Wild Forest for a 3.5-mile roundtrip hiking haven leading you to the cascading Vernooy Kill Falls. The shady forest trail climbs steadily with small plateaus along the way, making for a serene stroll.
Plattekill Falls
📍 Hunter, NY 12427
Tucked at the top of Platte Clove along Plattekill Creek, Plattekill Falls is a hidden gem far less crowded than the surrounding Kaaterskill Falls. This short hike is part of the Catskills’ Platte Cove, whose rugged natural beauty inspired many Hudson River School artists. The 0.4-mile loop brings you to a 50-foot waterfall cascading over a cliff and plunging into a serene pool at the base of a rock-rimmed canyon. The rock faces surrounding the falls are covered in moss and greenery, adding to its allure.
Central New York
Gilbert Lake State Park
📍 18 CCC Rd, Laurens, NY 13796
Credit: @familyroadtraveled on Instagram
Just 30 minutes from Cooperstown, this state park offers over 12 miles of trails for hiking, year round. Trek along the Lake of the Twin Fawns trail, a 2.5-mile loop traversing wooded and open terrain. The wide, gently rolling trail is well marked and offers outlooks of Gilbert Lake.
Pixley Falls State Park
📍 11430 NY-46, Boonville, NY 13309
Credit: @cherrendino on Instagram
Off the beaten path, venture to Pixley Falls State Park for a picturesque hiking destination centered around a 50-foot waterfall. Five miles of hiking trails and two small gullies create an easy and scenic wooded backdrop for a restorative nature retreat.
Chautauqua-Allegheny
Canadaway Creek Wildlife Management Area
📍 8765 Center Rd, Cassadaga, NY 14718
Looking to take the long way? The Earl Cardot Eastside Overland Trail is a 19-mile adventure stretching across Chautauqua County, featuring some of the region’s best-maintained and clearly marked paths. Curving through heavily wooded forests and diverse ecosystems, this expansive but secluded sanctuary allows you to fully immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and scents of nature.
Chautauqua Lake Wildlife Management Area
📍 Bemus Point, NY 14712
Chautauqua Lake Wildlife Management Area is a 123-acre haven just six miles from Jamestown. The area features trails that curve around fields and marshlands, leading to the scenic shores of Chautauqua Lake. Bask in the elements as you enjoy fishing, hiking, and wildlife observation along Tom’s Point Trail,
Finger Lakes
Birdseye Hollow State Forest
📍 County Route 96, Bradford, NY 14815
Covering 3,500 acres, Birdseye Hollow State Forest is a peaceful retreat offering miles of outdoor recreation and accessible trails. Explore nearly 11 miles of the renowned Finger Lakes Trail, which winds through quiet deciduous woodlands, past babbling brooks, and around a large pond with a floating dock.
Catharine Valley Trail
📍 Montour Falls, NY 14865
The Catharine Valley Trail is a year-round recreation path stretching roughly 13 miles through a scenic, glacially carved valley just south of Seneca Lake. Following historic railroad and canal towpaths, its wide, compact stone-dust surface promises a smooth, accessible route for walking and biking. The trail makes its way through shaded forests, wetlands, and open meadows, feeling like a private wooded corridor. Take in scenic overlooks, spot wildlife, and enjoy the trail’s bountiful natural beauty from Watkins Glen to Pine Valley.
Greater Niagara
Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve
📍 93 Honorine Drive, Depew, NY 14043
Credit: @mergs87 on Instagram
Located 15 minutes outside Buffalo, Reinstein Woods is a unique 292-acre preserve of forests, ponds, and wetlands enveloped by suburban development. It features several miles of easily-navigable trails and abundant wildlife. Explore highlights like the State Symbols Trail, a nature playground, and one of the largest forest-grown beech trees in New York State. The preserve also offers seasonal guided walks and hosts an annual fall nature festival.
Four Mile Creek State Park
📍1055 Lake Road, Youngstown, NY 14174
Photo courtesy of NY State Parks
Just north of the mighty Niagara Falls, Four Mile Creek State Park hugs the shoreline of Lake Ontario and presents a pristine place to enjoy nature and serenity. Mosey along hiking trails that wind along densely wooded bluffs, and make sure to check out the marsh at the mouth of Four Mile Creek, home to wildlife including great blue herons, white tailed-deer and to native plant life like white trillium and greenbrier.
Hudson Valley
Ooms Conservation Area
📍480 Rock City Rd, Chatham, NY 12037
Photo courtesy of Rachel Dymond
Just outside the charming town of Chatham, Ooms Conservation Area spans 180 acres with three miles of peaceful, well-maintained grassy trails winding through rolling fields and around the 35-acre Sutherland Pond. Along the way, pause at wooden benches, a boardwalk, or the gazebo at the Piers Forestier-Walker Memorial Overlook to take in the serene landscape.
Poet’s Walk Park
📍 776 River Rd, Red Hook, NY 12571
Photo courtesy of Rachel Dymond
Perched in the Hudson Valley, just outside of Rhinebeck, Poet’s Walk Park is a 120-acre designed landscape captivatingly connecting nature and poetry. Landscape architect Hans Jacob Ehlers created the park around 1850 in honor of Washington Irving and other literary figures who reputedly strolled here. The idyllic pathways unfold as a series of “outdoor rooms” framed by classic wooden vistas, rustic pavilions, sunlit fields, and thick forests, all overlooking majestic mountain vistas.
Long Island
Belmont Lake State Park
📍 625 Belmont Ave, West Babylon, NY 11704
Photo courtesy of NY State Park
Long Island may be famous for its pristine beaches, but Belmont Lake State Park holds its own as a wilderness wonder, offering something for everyone. Centered around the 28-acre Argyle Lake, the park is perfect for relaxing by the water, boating, biking, and hiking. Explore on foot the 1.4-mile Belmont Lake Trail that follows the lake’s perimeter, transitioning from smooth pavement near the shoreline to quiet gravel paths deeper in the woods.
Muttontown Preserve
📍Muttontown, NY 11732
One of Long Island’s most enchanting natural escapes, Muttontown Preserve encompasses 550 acres of rolling meadows, open fields, wooded forests, quiet marshes and lakes, all set among historic grounds and estates. Miles of trails invite you to explore landscapes rich with wildflowers, towering trees, and diverse wildlife. Along the way, you’ll be treated to hidden treasures from vine-covered ruins to national landmarks like the elegant 1920s Chelsea Mansion.
New York City
Mount Loretto Unique Area (Staten Island)
📍 20 Kenny Rd, Staten Island, NY 10309
Credit: @cecenature on Instagram
Mount Loretto Unique Area covers more than 200 acres along Staten Island’s southern shore, with a mix of forest, grasslands, wetlands, and coastal shoreline. The lush landscape ranges from flat to gentle hills, making it an easy place to hike and it is especially known for its variety of wildlife.
Marsha P. Johnson State Park (Brooklyn)
📍 90 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Both a park and an important LGBTQ cultural landmark, Brooklyn’s Marsha P. Johnson State Park stretches across seven acres of waterfront along the East River. Meander the pathways as you’re immersed in unique views of the Manhattan skyline, historical remnants and signage, and ample green space for relaxation and recreation. It is the first New York State Park to honor an LGBTQ person and a transgender woman of color.
Roosevelt Island (Manhattan)
📍 591 Main St. Roosevelt Island, NY 10044
Photo courtesy of Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
Set in the East River with vast skyline views of Manhattan, Roosevelt Island blends history, green space, and solace in the heart of the busy city. Stroll the paved waterfront paths to Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park at the island’s southern tip, where rows of Little Leaf Linden trees create a striking corridor leading to the 7,700-ton granite memorial of the former president. Change direction and venture the island’s historic Blackwell Island Lighthouse.
Thousand Islands-Seaway
Keewaydin State Park
📍 45165 NYS Rte 12, Alexandria Bay, NY 13607
Credit: @wnyviews on Instagram
In the seasonal splendor of Alexandria Bay, Keewaydin State Park features excellent vantage points for watching the variety of boats traverse the majestic St. Lawrence River. Take the 0.8-mile Keewaydin State Park Riverside Trail and circle the shoreline as you travel through the forest, rocky outcroppings, all leading to a kayak launch and fantastic fishing spots.
Whetstone Gulf State Park
📍 6065 West Rd. Lowville, NY 13367
Built in and around a three-mile-long gorge cut into the Tug Hill Plateau, Whetstone Gulf State Park showcases some of the most scenic vistas east of the Rockies. Especially quiet and beautiful at sunrise and sunset, take a walk around the various trails, and around the gorge trail as you soak in the sounds of nature and the crisp air.
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