When hikers ask which trails in New York are worth a full day — or several — the conversation always circles back to the same handful of routes. Below we've ranked the ten longest hiking trails in New York by total mapped distance, drawing from the 58,889 trails OutsideAtlas currently tracks in the state. Each entry includes the distance, what makes the route distinctive, and an honest note on who should actually attempt it.
New York compresses Adirondack High Peaks, Catskills, Finger Lakes gorges, Long Island shoreline, and Hudson Highlands into one state. The Adirondacks alone are larger than several Western parks. The Long Path, Northville-Placid Trail, and the New York AT segment provide hundreds of miles of formal multi-day terrain. May-October for high routes; black flies in late spring; fall foliage in early October is the visual peak.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 58,889 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in New York — but the data has limits worth being honest about. OpenStreetMap distance tags are crowd-sourced and inconsistent. A route may appear longer or shorter than the official measurement, especially when long-distance trails (like state and national scenic trails) are tagged in segments rather than as a single relation.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Stephanie and Fred Shuman Reservoir Running Track
At 1.60 mi, Stephanie and Fred Shuman Reservoir Running Track tops the list — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.60 mi, fine_gravel surface on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. A gravel-and-dirt tread holds up well after rain, though loose surface on descents calls for trekking poles or careful footing. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Stephanie and Fred Shuman Reservoir Running Track trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Cox Lake - Triangle Lake Portage
At 0.80 mi, Cox Lake - Triangle Lake Portage lands at #2 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.80 mi, earth surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cox Lake - Triangle Lake Portage trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Cox Lake - Sparkler Lake Portage
At 0.30 mi, Cox Lake - Sparkler Lake Portage lands at #3 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.30 mi, earth surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Cox Lake - Sparkler Lake Portage trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Long Trail
At 0.30 mi, Long Trail lands at #4 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.30 mi on a genuinely demanding grade. Compared to similar trails in New York, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Long Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Mid-State Trail
At 0.30 mi, Mid-State Trail lands at #5 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.30 mi on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Mid-State Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Long Path
At 0.20 mi, Long Path lands at #6 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.20 mi on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Long Path trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Holland Glen
At 0.10 mi, Holland Glen lands at #7 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi, dirt surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Holland Glen trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Holland Glen West
At 0.10 mi, Holland Glen West lands at #8 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi, dirt surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Holland Glen West trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Loyalsock Trail
At 0.10 mi, Loyalsock Trail lands at #9 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in New York, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Loyalsock Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. M&M Trail (white)
At 0.10 mi, M&M Trail (white) lands at #10 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi, dirt surface on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the M&M Trail (white) trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your New York trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for New York. May-October for high routes; black flies in late spring; fall foliage in early October is the visual peak. Hypothermia in shoulder seasons (Adirondack weather changes fast), ticks (Lyme endemic), and slick rock on exposed High Peaks routes.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More New York hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our New York coverage continues below.
- Steepest trails in New York — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in New York — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in New York — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in New York — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in New York — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in New York — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in New York — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in New York last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
