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Hard Hiking Trails near Jamaica

There are 7 hikes near Jamaica in our database that fit. They average 22.2 km and 487 m (1,598 ft) of ascent.

That is 6 percent of the 114 routes we map near Jamaica. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 22.2 km against 2.9 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 487 m (1,598 ft) on average versus 63 m (207 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Expert

Lenape Trail

New Jersey · United States

Distance
33.8 km
/ 21.0 mi
Elevation gain
743 m
Typical duration
8 hr 43 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Shore Trail

New Jersey · United States

Distance
16.2 km
/ 10.1 mi
Elevation gain
357 m
Typical duration
3 hr 57 min
  • Coastal
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Sierra Trail

New Jersey · United States

Distance
17.3 km
/ 10.7 mi
Elevation gain
380 m
Typical duration
4 hr 14 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Colonial Greenway

New York · United States

Distance
24.3 km
/ 15.1 mi
Elevation gain
534 m
Typical duration
6 hr 8 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Lenape TrailNew Jersey33.8 km743 m8 hr 43 minExpertApril to October
Nassau Suffolk Greenbelt TrailNew York31.5 km693 m8 hr 6 minHardApril to October
Shore TrailNew Jersey16.2 km357 m3 hr 57 minHardApril to October
Sierra TrailNew Jersey17.3 km380 m4 hr 14 minHardApril to October
Tarrytown Lakes Trail SystemNew York16.3 km359 m3 hr 59 minHardApril to October
Hudson Valley Greenway Trail (Elmsford to New Castle)New York15.7 km346 m3 hr 49 minHardApril to October
Colonial GreenwayNew York24.3 km534 m6 hr 8 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Lenape Trail, Nassau Suffolk Greenbelt Trail, Shore Trail. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

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