THE LONG PATH

The Long Path: New York’s Signature Trail

The Long Path is New York’s premier long-distance hiking trail, stretching over 350 miles from the George Washington Bridge in Manhattan to the Village of Altamont, and continuing northward toward the Adirondacks. Marked with distinctive aqua blazes, the trail traverses iconic landscapes including the Palisades, Hudson River Valley, Shawangunk Ridge, Catskill Mountains, and Schoharie Valley. From Altamont, it extends toward the Mohawk River, through Saratoga County, eventually connecting to the village or Northville and the Northville Placid Trail, extending through the Adirondack Park.

 

A Vision from the 1930s

 

The idea for the Long Path began in the 1930s, when scientist and outdoor enthusiast Vincent J. Schaefer envisioned a continuous trail linking New York City with the Adirondacks. Inspired by long-distance routes like the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine and Vermont’s Long Trail, this new path would offer a similar opportunity across New York State.

 

During that time, Raymond Torrey, hiking editor of the New York Post, published a series of articles featuring Schaefer’s descriptions of the trail under the title “The Long Brown Path”.

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.
— Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road

Schaefer’s concept emphasized exploration, using landmarks, compass and maps rather than a continuously blazed route.  In later years, he drafted Field Guide to the Landmarks of the Long Path of New York, a five-part series of travel friendly booklets covering 84 landmarks along the Long Path North from Schoharie County to Whiteface Mountain.

The Trail Today

Even before Vincent Schaefer envisioned a cross-state trek, hiking groups in the Hudson Valley were laying the groundwork for regional trail systems. Their collaboration led to the creation of the New York New Jersey Trail Conference, which in 1991  formally adopted the Long Path as a long-distance route and marked much of its southern section with the aqua blazes hikers follow today.

 

To carry the further north, local enthusiasts established the Long Path North Hiking Club. Its volunteers have built and maintained sections from Greene County toward the Mohawk River and Saratoga County, opening access to some of the region’s most scenic landscapes.

 

For many years, the Long Path stretched 358 miles from the George Washington Bridge to High Point in Thacher Park. North of the Mohawk River, the route remained a mix of marked trails, road walks, and unblazed segments maintained cared for by the Long Path North Hiking Club and other volunteers.

 

In 2024, the Long Path North Hiking Club, in partnership with Historic Altamont, extended the northern terminus from Thacher Park into the Village of Altamont, bringing the trail to the newly constructed Altamont Community Kiosk.

 

Today, hikers can enjoy the Long Path in many ways—from short day hikes to multi-day treks. Those who complete the full journey from New York City to the Village of Altamont are invited to register with the NYNJ Trail Conference and be recognized as official Long Path “end-to-enders, joining a unique community of long distance hikers.

Altamont, a Trail Town

With the completion of the Altamont Community Kiosk, the Village of Altamont now serves as the northern terminus of the Long Path. This milestone highlights Altamont’s role as a welcoming gateway for hikers and a hub for trail-related activities.

 

While future extensions may carry the Long Path farther north, Altamont will remain an important waypoint along the route. This past year, the New York New Jersey Trail Conference has designated the village an official Long Path Trail Town, recongizing its lasting place in the trail’s evolving legacy.

Get Involved

The Long Path thrives thanks to volunteers and community partners. To learn more about how you can contribute to the trail’s maintenance and growth, click a logo below and visit the New York New Jersey Trail Conference Long Path page and the Long Path North Hiking Club.