5 Easy New York Hikes You Have to Experience
Letchworth State Park in Castille, NY
High Falls Conservation Area | Philmont, New York
New York State is home to more than 3,900 hiking trails! While hiking can be overwhelming for many, including myself, you don’t need to trek for miles to see beautiful views in New York State. In fact, some of the state’s most incredible nature can be seen in a 20-minute walk or less. Below, I’ve included 5 stunning waterfalls that you can see in under a 2-mile walk.
Chittenango Falls State Park | Cazenovia, NY
High Falls Conservation Area is absolutely stunning and even more so in the summer. This hike is great because they have multiple trails depending on if you want a more challenging, or an easier hike. Make sure to wear proper attire as the trails can get steep and muddy, but the final view is totally worth it. The best part is when you're finished you can go grab dinner in Hudson, NY which is an awesome town!
Find info website HERE.
Kaaterskill Falls is the most difficult on this list to access, however, I wanted to include it as it's one of my favorite falls in New York State. This moderate hike is about 1.4 miles roundtrip and gives great views of the tiered 260-ft waterfall. They have hiking options to both the bottom, and top, of the falls. Highly recommend planning your day in advance and wearing proper attire as the hike is very steep and can get very muddy.
Find info website HERE.
Known as the "Grand Canyon of the East," Letchworth State Park is one of the most beautiful places in the Northeast. This 17-mile park has beautiful waterfalls, valleys, and scenic overlooks, but my favorite part is that it's very accessible by car. Drive to each scenic spot, park your car and walk only a short distance to observe the magical sights (there are also hiking trails for those who prefer it).
Find info website HERE.
This is one of the easiest on this list, Chittenango Falls is my favorite park to visit on a relaxing day as it's a super fast trip to the falls and the trails are very maintained. Park your car, walk a few steps to the trail entrance, make your way down the steps and observe one of the most beautiful waterfalls in NY. You can also walk over a bridge to get up-close views. I could spend hours just sitting and watching the falls here, they truly are so beautiful!
Find info website HERE.
Niagara Falls obviously doesn't need an introduction, however, it's a beautiful place to experience that doesn't mandate extensive hiking. While you can buy tickets to boat tours, helicopter tours, and more to see the falls, we just parked our car in a nearby parking lot and walked over to get nice views. Pro Tip: The Canadian side of Niagara Falls has panoramic views of Horseshoe Falls AND the American falls so try to check out both sides if you can!
Find info website HERE.
