Giant Stairs (Palisades)

Scenery:
Difficulty: 10 out of 10 (long hike with very steep climbs and a one-mile section of boulder scrambling)
Fees: Cheapskate alert! New as of 2023, it’s now metered parking here. $1.5/hr weekdays; $2.50/hr weekends. Money well spent. (First hour is free; Wednesdays are free.)
Highlights: boulder fields, clifftop views, rock scrambling, waterfall
Distance: 5.2 miles, Loop
Approximate roundtrip time: 4 hours
Total ascent: 1,269 ft
Max elevation: 542 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You want to scramble over a mile-long stretch of boulders while taking in some gorgeous Hudson River views. Also, you LOVE climbing stairs.

Bear Hill Preserve

Scenery:
Difficulty: 3 out of 10 (flat, easy stroll with optional rock-clambering)
Fees: Cheapskate alert! The price to hike here keeps going up (from three dollars in 2015). There’s now a seven-dollar (per hiker) day-use fee here (peak times only – other times, it’s free!), with no charge for hikers under 12. You can also get an annual pass for twenty-five bones. Money very well spent.
Highlights: chasm, clifftop views, rock formations, sweetness
Distance: 1.5 miles, Up-and-Back
Approximate roundtrip time: 2 Hours
Total ascent: 187 ft
Max elevation: 1,931 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You want to take an easy stroll to some awesome clifftop views with fun rock formations to explore.

Little Stony Point

Scenery:
Difficulty: 2 out of 10 (easy little stroll)
Highlights: beach, clifftop views
Distance: 1 miles, Loop
Approximate roundtrip time: 1 Hour
Total ascent: 150 ft
Max elevation: 123 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You want a short, easy stroll to a picturesque beach and unique clifftop view of the Hudson River.