I had never been hiking in my area before and my Dad figured we would have a great time checking out a trail by us. So, we headed up to Cold Spring to hike Breakneck Ridge. If you’re interested in seeing spectacular views and breaking a sweat, Breakneck Ridge is the hike for you.
Breakneck Ridge Loop
The trail is located in Cold Spring, about an hour and forty minutes from New York City. You can get there by driving up the Palisades Parkway or Sprain Brook Parkway. If you’re coming directly from New York City, you can also take MetroNorth to the Cold Spring Station.
Once you get to the trail, you can grab a map for $2, from the trail guides at the entrance. If you need to use the bathroom, do it here because there won’t be a place to go while hiking!
The route (white trail to yellow trail to red trail) that we hiked took us about 2 and a half hours from beginning to end. It was a great hike, but it was extremely strenuous at the beginning. Once you get up to the first ridge, you’ll understand why its called Breakneck. You are essentially rock climbing the entire way up. There are about five scenic lookout points throughout the hike to take in the gorgeous views of the Hudson River.
Make sure to bring water and a camera. Go early in the day before the big crowds hit.
Cold Spring
After we finished our hike, we headed into town for lunch. Cold Spring is a quaint historical town. It has a small town vibe and the main street is lined with small eateries and shops.
We decided to sit down at Hudson Hill’s, a delicious eatery with a cute porch out front. We enjoyed BLT’s and local craft beers before walking around the little town.
For more information, head over to the Trail Conference for NY and NJ.
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