Best Mountain Bike Trails in New York
Stewart, Highland, Glacier Ridge, the Catskills. The MTB scene most people miss in their state-capital lists.
NY MTB is dominated by two scenes that don't overlap. The Hudson Valley (Stewart State Forest, Highland Park, Sunset Trails) gives you east-coast flow + tech 90 minutes from Manhattan. Upstate (Glacier Ridge, Wilmington/Whiteface) is bigger-mountain, lift-served, and chilly half the year.
Owen rode Highland Mountain a dozen times the summer he was based in Beacon. The Catskills have grown a real network in the last few years — Plattekill is the big bike park, and the surrounding state forest networks are improving fast.
By region
Hudson Valley (Stewart, Highland, Sunset)
Closest decent MTB to NYC. Stewart is the volume play; Highland is the lift-served bike park.
Catskills (Plattekill, Windham)
Bike parks + surrounding state-forest networks. Plattekill is the gnarlier of the two.
Upstate / North Country
Whiteface (Wilmington), Glacier Ridge near Lake Placid. Big-mountain feel.
Western NY (Buffalo + Rochester)
Sprague Brook, Holiday Valley. Quietly excellent.
When to go
Plan a ride in New York
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Common questions
- Lift-served season?
- Highland Mountain Park: roughly mid-April through November. Plattekill: weekends only late Apr through Oct.
- What's good for beginners?
- Sunset Trails (Wallkill) and the green flow at Highland. Stewart will eat beginners alive.
- NYC car-free options?
- Metro-North to Beacon, ride to Stewart 30 minutes. There are also organised shuttles from Manhattan in summer.