Running trails in Nyack, NY
Nyack has 5 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 2 on crushed gravel or dirt, 1 loop that returns to the trailhead, 1 with a stated distance, and 1 open 24 hours. 3 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 2,476 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Nyack Beach State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,167 reviews
Scenic 61-acre riverside park attracting hikers, bikers, kayakers & cross country skiers in winter.
Hook Mountain State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 910 reviews
Large, undeveloped riverside park offering trails for hiking & biking, plus scenic overlooks.
Mario Cuomo Bridge Pathway
4.7 ★★★★★ 297 reviews
Multi-use bridge trail for cyclists and walkers, offering river vistas and resting points.
Mountainview Nature Park
4.2 ★★★★☆ 91 reviews
Hillside nature park featuring steep, wooded hiking trails with scenic river & mountain views.
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Nyack
- Match the surface to your legs. Nyack gives you a choice: 1 paved, 1 crushed gravel, and 1 natural surface. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More paved trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 1 trail here is a loop, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Nyack is Hook Mountain State Park at 6 mi. 1 trail is long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 1 trail in Nyack is open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 3 of the 5 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 3 have trailhead parking and 2 have restrooms in Nyack. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 with mile markers, 2 that runners describe as quiet, and 3 dog-friendly. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Nyack trails by type
Running trails near Nyack
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.