Trails
Thousands of miles of trails connect communities, parks, natural resources and the heritage of New York State. Trails serve as recreational resources, alternative transportation routes and contribute to the economy of the state. From rugged foot paths in the Adirondacks to paved greenway trails along the Manhattan waterfront, our trails are as diverse as the communities which host them.
State Parks is charged with coordinating and developing a statewide plan for trails. Working with our partners in other state agencies, regional and statewide trail organizations, and dozens of local trail stewards, Parks assists in the development and maintenance of an extensive network of trails offering year-round recreational opportunities.
Check out Trails in State Parks to explore trail and recreational opportunities
at State Parks and download State Park Trail Maps or visit the Department of Environmental Conservation
website for information on trails in State Forests, Wildlife Management Areas, Unique Areas and Forest Preserve land in the
Adirondack and Catskill Parks. Trails in New York will allow you to access
trail and contact information on over 90 shared use and single use trails throughout the state using an Interactive Map or search a
Trails Inventory database by county, trail surface or trail use where information is collected on 700 trails statewide.
Visit the Featured Trail page to experience one of the state's trails more in depth. Learn about the New York State Trails Council, a citizen advisory council consisting of representatives of the many trail uses prevalent in the state. You are encouraged to visit the Partners page which provides links to federal and state agencies involved with trails, national, statewide and regional trail organizations and local trail stewards located all around the state.
Read Trail Tips and be better prepared for your next trail visit. Technical Assistance provides helpful documents and links regarding developing and maintaining trails from Rails Trails to horse trails to single track. Also included is a link to information regarding the Recreational Trails Program that provides grants for trail development and maintenance.
The Documents page offers PDF versions of the Empire State Trails booklet and Trails Planning documents, in addition to links to Master Planning documents for State Parks. Statewide Plans provides links to the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) which serves as a status report and overall guidance document for recreation resource preservation, planning and development in New York State, the 2009 Open Space Conservation Plan which provides a comprehensive blueprint for focusing and achieving the state's conservation goals, and eventually to the Statewide Trails Plan.