Breakneck Ridge and why you might not want want to hike it
Ok, Breakneck Ridge is a pretty popular hike but you probably don’t want to hike it because:
- It’s a packed and dangerous parking situation along a busy highway and the trail is crowded like a rush-hour Manhattan sidewalk. If you were aiming for a getaway in nature, it’s probably not the natural environment you were aiming for.
- If you’re debating whether you should hike Breakneck, it’s probably not the hike for you. It’s a seriously strenuous, long, uphill scramble requiring a steady balance, a lot of endurance, and pulling yourself up with your hands. Under-prepared hikers get injured on a near-daily basis and need to be rescued, which is a real bummer for everyone and a serious drain on local resources.
- The trail gets thousands of visitors a day in peak seasons and the damage to the natural environment is immense. The trail is becoming ever wider, natural fauna is being trampled and broken, and without it, the mountainside is being washed away by erosion. The area just can’t sustain as many visitors as it gets.
If you're just looking for a place to hike and Breakneck was your default or it doesn't sound like the right hike for you right now, there are lots of other great alternatives offering a challenge and great views.
If you were going to take MetroNorth to the hike
- "The Best Metro-North Accessible Hikes in New York" from Thrillist
- The NY/NJ Trail Conference has a great tool to find hikes based on difficulty, distance, public transit accessibility, etc. Highly recommended.
- 11 of the Hikes on this list of 22 Best Hikes near NYC are available from MetroNorth.
- "Five Train-Friendly Trails Less Than 2 Hours from New York City" from the NY/NJ Trail Conference.
If you were going to drive to the hike
- The NY/NJ Trail Conference has a great tool to find hikes based on difficulty, distance, public transit accessibility, etc. Highly recommended.
- This article of the 22 Best Hikes near NYC is a great set of options.
- The website Hike the Hudson Valley has a ton of great options. Highly recommended.
If you’re just looking for a few suggestions in the same area as Breakneck, consider:
Bear Mountain
Great views Many trail options Parking lot Amenities Reachable by train
Difficulty: Anything you want from no walking to moderate
Links
Harriman State Park
Great views Waterfalls Very large Several loop options Parking lots Reachable by trainDifficulty: Moderate
Links
Clarence Fahnestock State Park
Many trail options Parking lots Appalachain trail crosses itDifficulty: Easy
Links
Mount Beacon
Amazing views Firetower lookout Parking lot Several length options Accessible by train Restaurants, breweries, etc in BeaconDifficulty: Moderate to high
Links
Storm King Mountain
Amazing views in several directions Multiple routes Parking lots Some trails can be dodgy in winter (icy) This is a mountain, not the sculpture park.
Difficulty: Moderate
Links
Popolopen Torne
Amazing views Fun to say Some parts may be quite difficult for some people
Difficulty: High
Links
Anthony's Nose
Good views Dicey parking along the highway
Difficulty: Low-medium
Links