You Don't Need a Car

Local Hikes, Parks and Trails via Public Transportation

Within a 50-mile radius of Columbus Circle in New York City lie scores of wild forest and mountain trails.

Public transportation can get you out of the city and into the woods in 30 to 90 minutes! Weekday service is more frequent on most routes. For service, call the listed numbers or visit the referenced web sites. Be sure to inquire for return times and locations. Scheduled train and bus times do change and also vary seasonally. Always call ahead.

There are five points of embarkation from Manhattan, all reachable by subway (plus a train from Hoboken with a direct connection from PATH trains).

And don't forget that Trail Conference books and maps are invaluable sources of information on trails and transportation in the entire New York-New Jersey hiking area. Visit our online store to find the books and maps you need.

Red and Tan Lines

Many hiking guides refer to the Red and Tan Lines for public transportation along the Rt 9W corridor. They are now part of Coach USA, which in turn is part of the Stagecoach Group. As part of the changes routes have changed.

 
 
 

Comment: Please be relevant, civil, non-commercial.

zostrin@yahoo.com's picture

Web Editors: I think that the following comment on your site concerning the Red & Tan bus may be incorrect (see webpage "Plan a Hike/You don't need a car"): "Note: Red and Tan Lines "•GWBT weekends: two early buses on Sat. and one on Sun. but all returns are to PABT." The schedule for that bus (9A) posted on their webpage--"effective from June 1, 2009 onward"--shows that on weekends there are several return trips to the GWBT. The sked in front of me (printed out last week before I hiked along the Hudson river trail) shows trips from Alpine returning to the GWBT at 1:27, 3:27, 5:27, and 7:27 PM. Except at 1:27PM, the same bus continues on to PABT. The schedule also shows 9:40 & 10:40 AM buses leaving on weekends from GWBT--i.e., on both Sat. & Sun. Sincerely, Zvi Ostrin
horicon@post.com's picture

Do hiking groups meet at bus locations in Ulster County??? Trailyways? Kingston, Woodstock?? Ulster County Public Transport? SUNY Ulster(Stone Ridge), Kingston?
k2malkin@optimum.net's picture

If you don't get any other replies, your best bet is to check out the clubs at http://www.nynjtc.org/content/member-clubs and the hike schedules at 
horicon@post.com's picture

When do groups meet in New Paltz, NY??? At the bus Station???  Has any one taken the taxi to Mohonk or Minnawaska???   Does any one meet in Kingston, NY????  Bus Station or at the Park and Ride??   Stone Ridge, NY??  at Suny Ulster??  There is a parking lot there and the college permitts parking.  
mountaincreek@usa.com's picture

There are some hiking groups that meet in New Paltz at the Trailways bus station at 10 AM on saturdays.
horicon@post.com's picture

Is there ride sharing from the New Paltz Bus Station to Minnnawaska or Mohonk?
Orange County Parks's picture

The 11 Mile Heritage rail trail is directly accessible from the Route 17 park and ride in Monroe, serviced by Coach USA.
Suzy's picture

Starting July 3, 2015, you can catch the Metro-North to Tuxedo, New York from Penn Station and, on weekend mornings only, catch the big yellow school-bus shuttle through Hariman State Park.  The bus meets the 10:17 arriving train in Tuxedo.  You can get off at numerous trailheads, parking areas, lakes and camps. The shuttle is one loop only (no return pick-up, unless you catch it the following day), so you really need the Trail Conference maps or digital mapset for your smartphone to plan ahead, and be able to hike back out to public transportation. You can also stay overnight in the park, and then catch the shuttle back to the train stations (either Sloatsburg or Tuxedo) as it loops through the park just before noon.