This list of rail trails in New York lists former railroad rights-of-way in New York that have been converted to rail trails for public use. Many of these rail trails are also part of the statewide Empire State Trail network, which officially opened Jan. 1, 2021.
Trails *trail that is part of the Empire State Trail network Trail name Length Location Original Rail Road Opening dateAdirondack Rail Trail34 miles (55 km)Essex and Franklin countiesNew York Central RailroadDecember 1, 2023 Akron Clarence Trail Erie County West Shore and Buffalo RailroadClarence Pathways (TrailLink) 2004 Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail Albany County Albany and Susquehanna Railroad (Delaware and Hudson Railway)2011 Albany-Hudson Electric Trail* 36 miles Rensselaer and Columbia counties Albany and Hudson Electric Railway (Albany Southern Railroad)2020 Allegheny River Valley Trail Allegany and Cattaraugus counties Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway (Pennsylvania Railroad)1998 Andes Rail Trail plus Bullet Hole Spur Andes, Delaware County Delaware and Northern RailroadJune 2012 Ashokan Rail Trail Ulster County Ulster and Delaware RailroadOctober 18, 2019City of New York Auburn Trail from Powder Mills Park through Victor to Canandaigua Farmington Town Line Rd Ontario County Auburn and Rochester Railroad1993 Ballston Bike Path Saratoga County Schenectady Railway Company1994 Black Diamond Trail Taughannock Falls State Park to Ithaca, New York Tompkins County Lehigh Valley Railroad 2016 Black River Recreational Trail Jefferson County New York Central Railroad Bog Meadow Brook Saratoga County Canalway Trail* Mostly towpath trails, but parts, like the Mohawk-Hudson Trail (below), use former rail beds.1973 Catharine Valley Catherine Valley Trail (TrailLink) Chemung and Schuyler Counties Chemung Railroad (Pennsylvania Railroad)2002 Cato–Fair Haven Trail Cayuga County Lehigh Valley Railroad (Auburn Branch) Catskill Scenic Trail from Bloomville to Roxbury Delaware County Ulster and Delaware Railroad1990 Cayuga–Seneca Canal Trail from Geneva to Waterloo Seneca County Chautauqua Alison Wells Ney Trail Chautauqua County Chautauqua Brocton Area Recreational Trail Chautauqua County Chautauqua Laurie A. Baer Trail Chautauqua County Chautauqua Nadine and Paul Webb Trail Chautauqua County Chautauqua Nancy B. Diggs Trail Chautauqua County Chautauqua Ralph C. Sheldon Jr. Trail Chautauqua County Chautauqua Village of Mayville Trail Chautauqua County Cheektowaga Rails to Trails Erie County Lehigh Valley Railroad2009 Chittenango Gorge Trail Cazenovia Corkscrew Rail Traill 3 miles Stephentown Rutland RailroadJune 6, 2015Partner Trails, Rensselaer Land Trust Corning Bike Path Corning-Painted Post Middle School to Princeton Avenue, Corning, New YorkCorning Bike Path (AllTrails.com) Steuben County Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad1955 Topographical Map of Corning, New York (Historic Aerials) DnH Canal Heritage Corridor North DnH Canal Heritage Corridor South Dutchess Rail Trail* Dutchess County Central New England Railway2007County Celebrates Official Opening of Phase II of the Dutchess Rail Trail Electric Trolley Trail, Pittsford Shoen Place to Marsh Road Pittsford, Monroe County Rochester & Eastern Rapid Railway (interurban, aka the Orange Line) Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail East Aurora Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad2023New section of Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail opens in West Falls Fonda, Johnstown, and Gloversville Rail Trail Fulton County Fonda, Johnstown, and Gloversville Railroad2007 Genesee Valley Greenway Jefferson Road Rt. 252 to Letchworth State Park and Sonyea, New York. Then segments and gaps to Cuba, New York Monroe, Livingston, and Allegany Counties Genesee Valley Rail Road (Pennsylvania Railroad)1992Genesee Valley Greenway Gorge Trail Gorge Trail (TrailLink) Chittenango Falls State Park, Madison County Lehigh Valley Railroad (Elmira and Cortland Branch) Greater Jamestown Riverwalk Chautauqua County Erie Railroad (Only the portion north of downtown Jamestown along the Chadakoin River) Harlem Valley Rail Trail Dutchess and Columbia Counties New York and Harlem Railroad (New York Central Railroad)1996 High Line Gansevoort Street to 34th Street Manhattan New York Central Railroad2009 Hojack Trail Cayuga Cayuga County Lake Ontario Shore Railroad (the Hojack Line) Hojack Trail Hamlin Wiler Road to East Kent Road Monroe County Lake Ontario Shore Railroad (the Hojack Line) Hojack Trail Hilton Salmon Creek Park to North Greece Road Monroe County Lake Ontario Shore Railroad (the Hojack Line) Hojack Trail Hannibal Viele Rd. to Martville Rd. Wayne County Lake Ontario Shore Railroad (the Hojack Line) Hojack Trail Webster Vosburg Rd. to Orchard Park Webster, Monroe County Lake Ontario Shore Railroad (the Hojack Line)1997 Huckleberry Multi-Use Trail Tannersville, New York Ulster and Delaware Railroad Hudson Valley Rail Trail* Lloyd, Ulster County Central New England and Western Railroad1997 Jim Schug Trail Dryden, Tompkins County Lehigh Valley RailroadJim Schug Trail (Town of Dryden, New York) John Kieran Nature Trail Van Cortlandt Park, The BronxJohn Kieran Nature Trail (TrailLink) New York and Putnam Railroad (New York Central Railroad) Joseph B. Clarke Rail Trail Rockland County Northern Railroad of New Jersey (Erie Railroad)1994 Kaaterskill Rail Trail Currently . The goal is to connect the Village of Hunter to North-South Lake Greene County Ulster and Delaware Railroad Kennedy Rail Trail Westchester and Putnam Counties New York and Mahopac Railroad (New York Central Railroad) Keuka Outlet Trail Yates County Fall Brook Railroad (New York Central Railroad)July 4, 1984 Kings Park Hike and Bike Trail Kings Park, Suffolk County Long Island Rail Road, Kings Park State Hospital spurAugust 2014 Kingston Point Rail Trail* , extension planned Kingston, Ulster County Lehigh Valley Trail (Black Diamond) W. River Rd, Genesee Valley Greenway, Auburn Trail to NY 251 Monroe County and Ontario County Lehigh Valley Railroad2004Mendon Foundation Lehigh Memory Trail 0.5 miles Williamsville, Erie CountyLehigh Memory Trail (TrailLink) Depew and Tonawanda Railroad (Lehigh Valley Railroad)1990 Link Trail Chittenango Falls State Park, Madison County Long Pond Greenbelt Bridgehampton to Sag Harbor, Suffolk County Long Island Rail Road, Sag Harbor Branch Maple City Trail Ogdensburg and St. Lawrence County Maybrook Trailway* 28.2 miles Dutchess and Putnam Counties. Beacon Line (Metro-North Railroad / New York and New England Railroad) from Hopewell Junction to BrewsterJanuary 4, 2021 The Maybrook Trailway is Now Open! Mohawk Hudson Bike/Hike Trail* (part of Canalway Trail System) 86, with gaps in Watervliet, Colonie and Pattersonville Schenectady and Albany Counties. Schenectady and Troy Railroad (New York Central Railroad) from Cohoes to Schenectady. Towpath trail from there west.1977 Newstead Trail Erie County West Shore and Buffalo Railroad North County Trailway* Westchester County New York and Putnam Railroad (New York Central Railroad)1981 North Shore Rail Trail 10.4 miles Port Jefferson Station to Wading River, Suffolk County Long Island Rail Road, Wading River ExtensionJune 10, 2022Long Island's North Shore Rail Trail opens, repurposing abandoned railroad line into recreational trail Northport Rail Trail Suffolk County Long Island Rail Road, Northport Branch2008 Nyack Rail Trail Rockland County New York and Erie Railroad (Erie Railroad) Ontario Pathways Trail (Canandaigua to Stanley) East Street Canandaigua to Flint Road Ontario County Northern Central (Pennsylvania Railroad)1992 Ontario Pathways Trail (Stanley to Phelps) Ontario County Pennsylvania Railroad Ontario and Western Rail Trail (Kingston to Ellenville) Ulster County New York, Ontario and Western Railway Orange Heritage Trailway Orange County Erie Railroad1996 Oswego Recreational Trail Oswego County New York, Ontario and Western Railway1979 Pat McGee Trail Cattaraugus County Erie Railroad1987 Pendleton Rail Trail Pendleton Erie Railroad2006-2007 Portage Trail Putnam County Trailway* 12 Putnam County New York and Putnam Railroad (New York Central Railroad) Railroad Run Saratoga County Rivergate Trail Rochester, Syracuse and Eastern Trolley Trail Monroe county Rochester, Syracuse and Eastern Rapid Railroad Rutland Trail from Norwood to Moira St. Lawrence and Franklin counties Rutland Railroad Sodus Point to Wallington Trail Wayne CountySodus-Wallington Rail Trail (TrailLink) South County Trailway* Westchester County New York and Putnam Railroad (New York Central Railroad)August 1999 South Hill Recreation Way Thompkins County Ithaca and Owego Railroad (Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad)1988 Spring Run Trail Stillwater Multi-Use Trail* Stillwater Boston and Maine Railroad Tarrytown Lakes Extension Westchester County New York and Putnam Railroad (New York Central Railroad) Tonawanda Rails to Trails Tonawanda Erie RailroadAugust 11, 2016Celebration Marks Completition Of Tonawanda Rails To Trails Project Town of Edwards Nature Trail St. Lawrence County Gouverneur and Oswegatchie Railroad (New York Central Railroad)Hiking the Trail to Yesterday; The Edwards Nature Trail Uncle Sam Bikeway Troy Boston and Maine Railroad1981 Vestal Rail Trail Broome County Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad2002Press Connects Walden–Wallkill Rail Trail Orange and Ulster Counties Wallkill Valley Railroad (New York Central Railroad)April, 1991 Walkway over the Hudson* (Poughkeepsie Bridge) Poughkeepsie and Highland The Maybrook Railroad Line, Central New England Railway (CNE), New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NH), Penn Central (PC) and Conrail, et al.2009 Wallkill Valley Rail Trail* Ulster County Wallkill Valley Railroad (New York Central Railroad)1993 Warren County Bikeway from Glens Falls to Lake George Warren County Delaware and Hudson Railroad1979 as first rail trail in New York state Zim Smith Trail Saratoga County Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad (Delaware and Hudson Railroad)October 31, 2010
See also List of trails in New York, for notable non-rail trails
References
External links Rail-Trails of New York State Friends of Genesee Valley Greenway Victor Hiking Trails Chautauqua Rails to Trails