You live in New York City. You love the Appalachian Trail. You use public transit. This article is for you!

The New York section of the AT stretches almost 100 miles between the state’s borders with New Jersey (mile 1370.0) and Connecticut (mile 1468.7).

Here’s how to hike the whole New York AT in four weekends, getting from NYC to the trail and back using almost entirely public transit. These were my first AT hikes, on which I earned the trail name “Metro North” (after the train lines).

Mile markers correspond with FarOut’s northbound Appalachian Trail guide.

Section Hiking the New York AT: Quick Navigation

Weekend 1: Miles 1370 – 1388
Weekend 2: Miles 1388 – 1412
Weekend 3: Miles 1412 – 1454
Weekend 4: Miles 1454 – 1469

Weekend 1: NJ Transit to Port Jervis Line
Mile 1370 – 1387/88 plus bonus miles

For this hike, you’ll be taking a bus (1h 45min) on the southern end and connecting the bus stop to the AT via a 1-mile spur trail. You’ll be taking a train (1h 10min) on the northern end. You can connect trail and train station via a spur trail, a one-hour shuttle bus, or a five-minute rideshare. Let’s take a look in more detail.

Mileage: ~20 Miles

This section is roughly 20 miles, including 18.4 AT miles, around 1 mile on the State Line Trail to get to the bus stop, and optionally 2 miles on the Sapphire Trail to get to the train station.

The southernmost section of the NY AT features some steep climbs suited to New Yorkers, as aptly described in this FarOut comment:

This section also features the Bellvale Farms Creamery, a more than 200-year-old dairy farm just 0.3 miles off the AT. You’ll want to come by for the ice cream (my flavor choices are circled below), charging station, and water spigot. 

Let’s look at the public transit options on either end of this section.

Southern End

• Mile 1370.0: NJ-NY border 
• Transit line: NJ Transit Bus 197 (schedule)
• Station: Greenwood Lake – NY, Jersey Ave. (Google Maps location)

From NYC Port Authority Bus Station (for NOBO hikers): Buses start at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and 7:45 a.m. on Sunday

To NYC (for SOBO hikers): Note that evening rides are only available on Saturday, not Sunday, so plan your return trip accordingly. Some options are 4:11 p.m., 6:14 p.m., 8:14 p.m., 10:20 p.m.

Connecting the AT and the bus station is the State Line Trail. Just south of the NJ-NY border (mile 1369.9), take the State Line Trail east to Lakeside Road, also called Jersey Ave or NY-210. Then make a left to get to the bus station. (FarOut shows a blue blaze that goes from the State Line Trail to the Ernest Walter Trail, but you should stay on the State Line Trail.)

Northern End

• Mile 1387.3: Sapphire Trail leads from the AT 2 miles north to Harriman Station (see AllTrails) OR
• Mile 1388.4: Elk Pen parking off Arden Valley Road (Google map location)
• Transit line: Port Jervis Line train (schedule)
• Station option 1: Tuxedo (south of the AT)
• Station option 2: Harriman (north of the AT)

From NYC Penn Station (for SOBO hikers): Trains start at 9:14 a.m., arriving in Tuxedo at 10:29 a.m., which is later than some hikers might prefer.

To NYC (for NOBO hikers): The evening options are 5:25 p.m., 6:44 p.m., and 9:57 p.m. from Tuxedo, and 10 minutes sooner if from Harriman.

Between the AT and the station, there is the Harriman Shuttle Bus (schedule), but its times are not ideal. They pick up from Tuxedo at 10:45 a.m., then do a long loop to the Elk Pen AT parking at 11:45 a.m., and then back to Tuxedo quickly at 12:00 p.m. (too early for even very fast NOBO hikers). So the late-rising SOBO hiker would have to wait for the long loop. And even a fast NOBO hiker is unlikely to complete nearly 20 miles by 11:45 a.m.

Instead, I recommend either the Sapphire Trail or reserving a very short rideshare between the AT and either Tuxedo (9 minutes) or Harriman (5 minutes). Wait times can be long outside of NYC, so reserving ahead of time is a good idea if you can estimate your hiking speed and know the train time you are targeting. 

Possible Itineraries

NOBO folks can hike Saturday or Sunday (or both, if you split the 20 miles into two days). They’d take the bus to the NJ-NY border, hike the State Line Trail to the AT, hike NOBO 18.4 miles to Elk Pen parking, and finally take a 5-minute rideshare to the train back to NYC.

Late risers can hike SOBO on Saturday, starting with the 9:14 a.m. train followed by a 5-minute rideshare (or the 1-hour shuttle bus) to Elk Pen parking, then hike SOBO 18.4 miles to the NJ-NY border and hike the State Line Trail to the bus back to NYC. Note that this bus doesn’t run Sunday evenings, so this is a Saturday plan.

Hikers with extra cash could consider staying at a hotel at either end. For example, Friday night after work, one could take the bus/train up to the AT, stay at a hotel, and start hiking Saturday morning. I did this and stayed at the Tuxedo Motel, then did this hike SOBO in a day.

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Weekend 2: Port Jervis Line to Hudson Line
Mile 1388 – 1412

For this hike, you’ll be taking the Port Jervis Line train (1h 10min) on the southern end and the Metro-North Hudson Line train (1h 20min) on the northern end. You can connect trail and train stations via five-minute rideshares on both ends. Let’s take a look in more detail.

Mileage: 23.3 mi

This section features the Trailside Museums and Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park and the Lemon Squeezer, a famously tight squeeze between two giant boulders that may require removing your pack. Let’s look at the public transit options on either end of this section.

Southern End

• Mile 1388.4: Elk Pen parking off Arden Valley Road (Google map location). Get to/from here via rideshare from the station.
• Transit line: Port Jervis Line train (schedule)
• Station option 1: Tuxedo (south of the AT)
• Station option 2: Harriman (north of the AT)

From NYC Penn Station (for NOBO hikers): Trains start at 9:14 a.m., arriving in Tuxedo at 10:29 a.m.

To NYC (for SOBO hikers): The evening options are 5:25 p.m., 6:44 p.m., and 9:57 p.m. from Tuxedo, and 10 minutes sooner if from Harriman.

This is the northern end of the preceding section, so you may notice that the transit details are the same except the details for SOBO and NOBO hikers are swapped. I’ve just copied it here to save you some scrolling.

Northern End

• Mile 1411.7: South Mountain Pass Road (Google map location)
• Transit line: Metro-North Hudson Line train (schedule)
• Station: Manitou (Saturday and Sunday only stop)

To NYC (for NOBO hikers): The evening options are 5:33 p.m., 6:33 p.m., and 7:33 p.m. from Manitou.

From NYC Grand Central Station (for SOBO hikers): Trains starting at 6:55 a.m., arriving in Manitou at 8:09 a.m.

Here again, I recommend reserving a very short rideshare between Manitou and the AT (5 minutes). Wait times can be long outside of NYC, so reserving ahead of time is a good idea if you can estimate your hiking speed and know the train time you are targeting. 

Possible Itineraries

Early risers might prefer SOBO, since trains depart for Manitou (northern end) earlier than for Tuxedo/Harriman (southern end). But NOBO is also very doable. With 23.3 AT miles, this one may be best split into two days once you account for train transit times on either end.

I split this section up by staying the night at West Mountain Shelter at mile 1402.2 (where there were black bears, but I was with a polar bear so I was safe). As in the previous section, hikers with extra cash could consider staying at a hotel on one end to lessen the impact of transit time.

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Weekend 3: Hudson Line to Harlem Line
Mile 1412 – 1454

For this hike, you’ll be taking the Metro-North Hudson Line train (1h 20min) on the southern end and the Metro-North Harlem Line train (2h) on the northern end. You can connect the trail and the Hudson Line via a five minute rideshare, but on the northern end, the Harlem Line stops right at a white blaze! Let’s take a look in more detail.

Mileage: 42.7

This section features a swim at Canopus Lake Beach (where there is a new shelter built in 2021), pizza at the RPH shelter, and the largest oak tree on the AT, the Dover Oak.

Let’s look at the public transit options on either end of this section.

Southern End

• Mile 1411.7: South Mountain Pass Road (Google map location)
• Transit line: Metro-North Hudson Line train (schedule)
• Station: Manitou (Saturday and Sunday only stop)

To NYC (for SOBO hikers): The evening options are 5:33 p.m., 6:33 p.m., and 7:33 p.m. from Manitou.

From NYC Grand Central Station (for NOBO hikers): Trains starting at 6:55 a.m., arriving in Manitou at 8:09 a.m.

Again, since this is the northern end of the preceding section, the transit details are the same as above except “for SOBO” and “for NOBO” are swapped.

Northern End

• Mile 1454.4: NY Route 22 (Google map location)
• Transit line: Metro-North Harlem Line train (schedule)
• Station: Appalachian Trail (Saturdays and Sundays only). This is my favorite place in all the world — a train station directly on the AT. 

From NYC Grand Central Station (for SOBO hikers): Trains starting at 7:14 a.m., arriving on the AT at 9:22 a.m.

To NYC (for NOBO hikers): The evening options are 4:35 p.m. or 6:35 p.m. from the AT.

Possible Itineraries

With 42.7 AT miles, this one can be split into two or three days and may be better saved for long weekends. Both Manitou Station on the Hudson Line and Appalachian Trail Station on the Harlem Line are weekend-only stops. So if you’re hiking midweek or taking at least three days to hike, you’ll need to use one of the neighboring stations on whichever end falls on a weekday.

For example, Pawling Station on the Harlem Line is a five-minute rideshare from the AT or a 50-minute walk (Google Maps directions) that takes you past Tony’s Deli (see their Instagram for inspiration). I felt pretty safe walking along NY-22, unlike other times I tried to skip the rideshare and walk on a curving highway with no shoulder.

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Weekend 4: Harlem Line to the CT border and back
Mile 1454 – 1469 (plus bonus miles)

For this hike, you’ll be taking the Metro-North Harlem Line train (2h) and hiking out and back to the CT border. The Harlem Line will stop right at a white blaze! Let’s take a look in more detail.

Mileage: 28.6 to the border and back, 31.2 to the campsite beyond the border and back

This section completes the NY AT, arriving at the Connecticut border. The AT crosses into CT and then back into NY and then back into CT.  This plan takes you to the last bit of the NY AT, and you get to briefly visit CT and walk along the beautiful Housatonic River.

We already know the public transit options for this section, but let’s review!

Southern End

• Mile 1454.4: NY Route 22 (Google map location)
• Transit line: Metro-North Harlem Line train (schedule)
• Station: Appalachian Trail (Saturdays and Sundays only)

Northern End

Mile 1468.7: NY-CT border, or the Schaghticoke Mountain Campsite just beyond it at mile 1470.

You’re just turning around hiking back to Appalachian Trail Station from here, so there’s no transit info on this end.

Possible Itineraries

Fast hikers could do all 28.6 miles (14.3 miles to the border and back) in one day. What I did was hike past the border to the Schaghticoke Mountain Campsite (mile 1470.0), so I had two 15.6-mile days. There, the polar bear and I celebrated my birthday with a cupcake-flavored bar.

This is also where I got my trail name, “Metro North.” When other hikers asked where I was parked, I said, “I’m taking Metro North.”

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Featured image: Photo via Anna Zimmerman. Graphic design by Zack Goldmann.