Bike and Hike the Empire State Trail

Spanning 750 miles, the Empire State Trail is the longest multi-use trail in the United States. It connects 20 regional trails to create a continuous statewide route that welcomes bicyclists and hikers to explore New York State’s extraordinary experiences, people and places. Designed to promote outdoor recreation, encourage healthy lifestyles and bolster tourism-related economic development, the trail officially opened at the end of 2020, after nearly four years in the making.

This historic project connects New York City with the Canadian border via the Hudson River Valley Greenway and Champlain Canalway Trail, and Albany with Buffalo via the Erie Canalway Trail. (Eventually, another section will be added traversing Long Island.) About 75% of the pathway is made up of off-road trails ideal for activities in every season – biking, hiking, running, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Creating this mega trail was a major undertaking, with more than 58 distinct projects in communities spanning the state. Existing regional trails were linked via the addition of 180 miles of new off-road trails. Improvements were made to better serve and accommodate trail users, such as new signage, trailheads, safety measures, bike racks, restrooms and benches. The trail welcomes visitors year-round during daylight hours, from dawn to dusk.

Since the trail passes through so much of the state, there are literally hundreds of state parks and cultural and historic sites to experience along the way. Plus, visitors can enjoy picnicking at local parks and trailheads, or stopping off at breweries, wineries and restaurants within a few miles of the trail. When you're traveling the east-west section running just north of the Finger Lakes, take a slight detour off the trail route and stay a night or two with us here at Yale Manor to rest up before continuing your cross-state journey.

“Leave the road, take the trails.” – Pythagoras