May is National Bike Month, but with so many options around the county, finding the right place to bike might leave your head spinning. To help you get into gear, we’ve gathered some of our favorite bike trails from around the county for all levels of riders. Start slideshow »
Biking not your thing? No problem! Check out our guide to 27 beautiful Westchester parks—no bike required.
Photo: ivantsov / Fotolia
Location: 45 Welcher Ave, Peekskill
Length: 7 miles
Surface: Mix of dirt and paved
Traffic: No motor vehicles
Characteristics: Three different trails, one for beginner (yellow markings), one for intermediate (orange), and red for advanced in a 1,600-acre park. Open seven days a week from dawn to dusk.
Fee: $5 with pass; $10 without pass
Location: Route 35 and 121 South, Cross River
Length: 30 miles
Surface: Mix of dirt and paved (riding is only allowed on paved trails)
Traffic: No motor vehicles
Characteristics: The County’s largest park (4,315 acres), Ward Pound Ridge offers multiple loops of rugged trails. Open seven days a week 8 am to dusk, year-round.
Parking Fee: $5 with pass, $10 without pass
Length: 13.2 miles
Southern End: New York City line.
Northern End: Kenisco Dam Plaza in Valhalla
Surface: Paved
Traffic: No motor vehicles
Characteristics: Runs alongside the Bronx River parkway and has three paved segments—a one-mile loop near Oak Street in Mount Vernon, a 3.6-mile section from Palmer Road in Bronxville north to Harney Road in Scarsdale, and a 5-mile section extending from Green Acres Avenue in Hartsdale to Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla. Open seven days a week from dawn to dusk.
Length: 92 miles
Southern End: West end of south side walkway of George Washington Bridge at Hudson Terrace, Rte 505 South, Fort
Lee, NJ.
Northern End: Bear Mountain Bridge, intersection of Rte 9W and Rte 6 at the traffic circle.
Surface: Mix of dirt and paved
Traffic: Many high-level traffic intersections
Characteristics: This loop traverses both sides of the Hudson River and is quite hilly (7,200 vertical feet of climbing) and can be full of fast-going cars.
Length: Approximately 22 miles
Southern End: Eastview park-and-ride (Greenburgh-Mount Pleasant border) where Rte 100C crosses the Saw Mill River Parkway. Connects from South County Trailway (see next slide).
Northern End: Baldwin Place on the Westchester-Putnam County border near Rte 6 and Tomahawk St where North County Trailway connects to the Putnam County Bicycle Trail.
Surface: Paved
Traffic: Trail itself is off-road but intersects with public roads and driveways.
Characteristics: This bicycle and pedestrian path located primarily on the former Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad tracks is gentle. Open seven days a week from dawn to dusk.
Length: 14.1 miles
Southern End: Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
Northern End: Elmsford at Route 119-Tarrytown Road (between Saw Mill River Parkway and Rte 9A) Connects from North County Trailway (see previous slide).
Surface: Paved
Traffic: The trail itself is off-road, but it intersects with public roads and driveways.
Characteristics: Same as North County Trailway (see previous slide). There is, however, a 2.15-mile break in the trail in Yonkers from Redmond Park to Tuckahoe Road. Open seven days a week from dawn to dusk.
Location: Croton-on-Hudson
Length: 41 miles
Southern End: Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course Clubhouse.
Northern End: Croton Dam Reservoir.
Surface: Mix of paved and dirt/gravel
Traffic: Some sections are off-road, but throughout the trail there are frequent intersections with roads and driveways.
Characteristics: The trail is flat although some sections have small stones and occasional tree roots. The trail can be muddy after a heavy rain.
Photo by Kristen Herde / Wikimedia Commons
Location: Mount Pleasant
Length: Approximately 5 miles
Surface: Mix of dirt and paved
Traffic: No motor vehicles
Characteristics: Located in Mount Pleasant, the mostly single-track Graham Hills trails are geared towards experienced riders as it winds through many habitats. Open seven days a week from dawn to dusk.
Location: Yonkers
Length: 5 miles
Surface: Mix of paved and dirt
Traffic: No motor vehicles
Characteristics: Located in Yonkers adjacent to the Sprain Reservoir, the trail has large rock outcroppings and is heavily wooded. A beginner trail provides cyclists with challenging curves but a level topography.
Location: Tarrytown
Length: Approximately 1 mile
East End: East end of Tarrytown Lakes, on the southwest side of Nepperhan Avenue near the Eastview Park & Ride, where Route 100C goes under the Saw Mill River Parkway.
West End: Sunnyside Ave, just south of its intersection with Nepperhan Avenue.
Surface: Mix of paved and dirt, mostly paved
Traffic: All off-road
Characteristics: Running East-West on the south side of Tarrytown Lakes, this short trail is flat except for the access to each end. At the east end it comes close to connecting (across a high-traffic road) with the south end of North County Trailway (see earlier slide for info).
