New York · best-of list
The 19 Best Outdoor Spots in New York
All 19 outdoor spots our route editors picked in New York, across 10 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect trails, beaches, parks and viewpoints, with Ithaca contributing the most (4).
Our curated picks
19 outdoor spots in New York, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Ithaca 4 picks
Buttermilk Falls State Park
Ithaca · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Gorge Trail beside a chain of cascades ending in a swimming hole.
Tip: Gorge Trail closes in winter.
Photo: NP824 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cornell Botanic Gardens
Ithaca · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Herb gardens, arboretum and gorge trails on the Cornell campus.
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ithaca Falls
Ithaca · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
150-foot falls a short walk from downtown, the tallest of the city's gorges.
Photo: Stilfehler · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taughannock Falls State Park
Ithaca · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
215-foot plunge falls at the end of an easy gorge trail, plus a rim overlook.
Photo: RockyRaccoon at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Brooklyn 3 picks
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
52 acres including a Japanese hill-and-pond garden and spring cherry blossoms.
Tip: Late April for cherry blossoms; free entry some weekday mornings.
Photo: Three60five (talk) (Uploads) · Public domain
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
Waterfront park on old piers with lawns, Jane's Carousel and skyline views.
Tip: Pebble Beach at Pier 1 is best for sunset photos.
Photo: (User:Wgreaves) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Prospect Park
Brooklyn · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
Olmsted and Vaux park with the Long Meadow, a lake and woodland Ravine.
Tip: Saturday Grand Army Plaza greenmarket is next to the entrance.
Photo: King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 4.0
Beacon 2 picks
Breakneck Ridge
Beacon · On our Hudson Valley by Rail route
Steep rock scramble with big Hudson Highlands views.
Tip: Hard scramble; avoid when wet.
Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0
Mount Beacon Park
Beacon · On our Hudson Valley by Rail route
Steep climb past incline-railway ruins to a fire tower with river views.
Photo: Abe Green · Google
Keuka Lake 2 picks
Keuka Lake State Park
Keuka Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Bluff-side park on the west branch with a swimming beach and picnic lawns.
Photo: Shuvaev · CC BY-SA 4.0
Keuka Outlet Trail
Keuka Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
7-mile rail-trail from Penn Yan to Seneca Lake past old mill ruins and waterfalls.
Photo: Stephanie Buckley · Google
Museum Mile 2 picks
Conservatory Garden
Museum Mile · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
Six acres of formal gardens in Central Park's northeast corner, the park's only formal garden.
Tip: Enter through the Vanderbilt Gate at Fifth Ave and 105th St.
Photo: Summ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
Museum Mile · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
1.58-mile running track around the reservoir with skyline views across the water.
Tip: Run counterclockwise, as the locals do.
Photo: Carsten Keßler from Münster, Germany · CC BY 2.0
Seneca Lake 2 picks
Seneca Lake State Park
Seneca Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Shoreline park in Geneva with a lake walk and summer spray park.
Photo: Michael Baker · Google
Watkins Glen State Park
Seneca Lake · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Gorge Trail with 19 waterfalls, stone bridges and a walk behind Rainbow Falls.
Tip: Gorge Trail opens mid-May to early Nov; start at the top entrance via shuttle.
Photo: Flickr user: Peter Rivera Stamford, Connecticut https://www.flickr.com/people/ri · CC BY 2.0
DUMBO & Brooklyn Heights 1 pick
Brooklyn Heights Promenade
DUMBO & Brooklyn Heights · On our New York New Year's Eve route
Third-of-a-mile esplanade above the East River with a straight-on view of Lower Manhattan and the harbor.
Tip: On New Year's Eve you can often see several harbor fireworks shows from here.
Photo: Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0
Hudson 1 pick
Kaaterskill Falls
Hudson · On our Hudson Valley by Rail route
Two-tier waterfall in the Catskills painted by Thomas Cole.
Tip: Use the viewing platform trail; avoid the ledges.
Photo: Mwanner · CC BY-SA 3.0
Manhattan 1 pick
Bethesda Terrace
Manhattan · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
Carved arcade and fountain at the heart of Central Park, a calm start before Midtown crowds.
Tip: Walk in from 72nd St and continue to Bow Bridge.
Photo: Julian Lupyan · CC0
New York City 1 pick
The High Line
New York City · On our Hudson Valley by Rail route
Elevated rail-line park with gardens and Hudson River views.
Tip: Walk north to south, ending at the Whitney Museum.
Photo: Alessandro Henrique · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the outdoor spots in New York?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 19 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of New York has the most outdoor spots on this list?
Ithaca has the most (4 of 19), followed by Brooklyn (3) and Beacon (2).
Are any of these free?
13 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Breakneck Ridge, Conservatory Garden, Brooklyn Heights Promenade, Kaaterskill Falls, Bethesda Terrace, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for New York
Best outdoor spots nearby
Destinations on this list
- Ithaca 4 on this list
- Brooklyn 3 on this list
- Beacon 2 on this list
- Keuka Lake 2 on this list
- Museum Mile 2 on this list
- Seneca Lake 2 on this list
- DUMBO & Brooklyn Heights 1 on this list
- Hudson 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.