A couple of weeks ago, some friends and I got the chance to head upstate to Beacon, to hike Mount Beacon!
What really surprised me wasn't only the clean, fresh air, blue skies and incredible greens after being in the city for 6 months, but also the fact that it was so easy to get there and I'd never been!
I, therefore, thought it might be helpful to know what's required to get upstate and to hear about your adventures.
What you are looking for is the Metro North rail which leaves from Grand Central station and takes you wherever you'd like to go.
To book a ticket, the easiest way is to download the MTA eTix App (iOS or Android) which will allow you to buy your tickets in advance, and “activate” them when you arrive at the train.
The easiest thing to do is plan/pick your hike using a website like:
To prepare, be sure to download the track you would like to hike using one of the above websites, as reception is sometimes not very good when you are well into your hike and you may have many options presented.
Pick something that you are going to be comfortable with, take note of any warnings, pack some food and lots of water and enjoy your hike!