These 2 New York Hiking Trails Are Ranked In the Top 3 In America

Memorial Day 2025 finally gave much of New York State the summer-like weather we had been waiting for. You could hear the lawnmowers were buzzing, the state parks were filled with picnickers and we finally put on those hiking shoes we got for Christmas.

Here are a couple of hiking trails to place on your summer bucket list for 2025. Out of the hundreds of thousands of miles of hiking trails in the United States these 2 spots in New York State are considered among the very best in the Nation.

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USA Today asked their experts to nominate the best hiking trails in America. Then the on-line magazine gave readers the opportunity to vote for their favorite hiking trails. In the end these 2 New York locations ended up in the Top 3 for Best Hiking Trails for a Scenic and Casual Day Hike.

#3 - Watkins Glen State Park - Watkins Glen, NY - USA Today ranks Gorge Trail at Watkins Glen State Park as the #3 best hiking trail for a scenic and casual day hike. Watkins Glen has 19 waterfalls. Follow gorge trail to the Cavern Cascade and find yourself under the waterfalls.

#2 - The Trapps - Mohonk Preserve - New Paltz, NY - USA Today ranks this 5 mile walk as the #2 best hiking trail for a scenic and casual day hike. For more of a challange, the Lost City Loop will take you to a place where some say a city used to stand.

USA Today readers chose Devil's Kettle at Judge C.R. Magney State Park in Minnesota as the best hiking trail for a scenic and casual day hike.