With summer right around the corner, students are always looking for things to do. Hiking is a well-known activity in the New York Region. Here is a list of trails around the area from Long Island all the way up to Albany. Each hike is within a New York State Park. State parks are the best to hike because they are kept maintained well. Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park is located in the Long Island region. This state parks offers around eight different trails. It is possible to connect all the trails together and make it one long hike but make sure you have a map in order to do that. The trails do get confusing. Belmont Lake State Park is located in the Long Island region as well. There are many different trails throughout the park. The lake is the beautiful part of the hike. Scenic trails are the best to hike because you always have something to look forward to.Caleb Smith State Park Preserve is located in the Long Island region, too. The trails located in this state park are great because they range on the lower side of mileage. You can take a short hike or you can hike a bunch of different trails in one day to make it a real work out.

Nyack Beach State Park is located in the lower Hudson Valley area. There are a couple of trails to follow once you find the map, but the main trail starts near the beach. You can start with a nice walk along the water then you can either choose to climb up the mountain on the rock path or continue on the paved path to eventually lead you up the mountain.

Cold Spring Harbor State Park is located in the lower to mid-Hudson Valley area. This state park has one main trail that continues across the entire park. It has a couple of peaks to have a great lookout.

Bear Mountain State Park is located in the Hudson Valley. It offers many trail to hike. One of the popular ones but hard ones is Anthony’s Nose. It is a high peak which you can see the beautiful Hudson Valley.

Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park is located in the Hudson Valley. This park has two main trails that loop around the park. This park is also known for a great place to picnic after the hike. I has many seating areas available.

Harriman State Park is located in the Hudson Valley. This park includes many different trails offering options to hike around the many lakes inside the park. Some of the parks also include swimming so it is a nice cool down after a long hike.

Minnewaska State Park Preserve is located in the Hudson Valley. Minnewaska is a great state park that offers view of lakes, waterfalls, and the Hudson Valley. They offer over 15 different trails to hike on. They also have swimming in designated areas in the lakes.

Taconic State Park – Copake Falls Area is located in the Hudson Valley. This park has a stunning waterfall to hike around. They also offer different trails depending on the length of your hike.

Taconic State Park – Rudd Pond Area is located in the Hudson Valley. This park is part of Copake Falls but it is a different entrance. This offers other trails as well for more stunning views.

Lake Taghkanic State Park is located in the Hudson Valley. Lake Taghkanic offers 10 different trails varying in different lengths. The lake also has a beach that allows swimming when the lifeguards are on duty. It is another great park that lets you have a nice cool down after a great hike.

Thacher State Park is located in the Albany region. This park has a stunning and huge water fall. If you are into waterfalls, this hike is for you. They offer around 10 different trails to see the falls along with beautiful views.

Schodack Island State Park is located in the Albany region. This park only offer three trails to hike on but it is right alongside of the Hudson River. It is a great place to go boating and camping as well.

Max V. Shaul State Park is located in the Albany region. This park offers a couple of trails to hike as well but it is best known for the views it provides. Max V. Shaul State Park also offers a full campground to maximize your trip.

The most interactive and bigger state parks are located in the Hudson Valley and above. The best option is to plan a weekend to see multiple state parks in that weekend. Some state parks offer camping options so you can make the most of your time.

All of these state parks require payment to get in. The prices do range but the average is $10 per car. New York State Parks do offer other methods of payment such as their empire passport. You can purchase the passport at an average cost of $65 for unlimited access to all New York State parks for one year. If you plan to hike all or more of these, look into saving yourself some money.

Happy hiking.