Winter hiking is a great way to experience the beauty of scenic mountains, woodlands, and waterfalls without all the crowds. These seven incredible hikes are ideal for winter exploration — just remember to bring your gloves, warm clothes, and microspikes!
Beginning hikers will enjoy this beautiful winter trail that offers incredible summit views of Lake George and Bolton Landing. Don’t forget to pack a lunch for this leisurely hike!
Whiteface Mountain
Whiteface Mountain is one of the Adirondack’s High Peaks and the fifth-highest mountain in New York. It features an incredible ski resort that hosted the 1980 Winter Olympics and has the Eastern United States’ largest vertical drop.
The summit offers a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains, including the Green Mountains of Vermont and even the skyscrapers of Montreal on a clear day. The mountain’s most famous attraction is its slopes, which are perfect for skiing and snowboarding. Those who want to show off their skills can visit the terrain parks, which feature obstacles like jumps and rails for skiers and riders to try out their tricks.
Whiteface Mountain is also a great location for other winter activities, such as snow tubing and bobsled, or cross-country skiing. You can also take a scenic ride on the Cloudsplitter Gondola, which gives you a stunning view of the surrounding mountains. The village at the base of the mountain has many restaurants and shops, including Taste NY Cafe and Waffle Cabin, which serve dishes made with local ingredients. There are also many other attractions at the base, including the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex and the two-story castle that was built to honor veterans of World War I.
Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain State Park is a popular spot for hikers of all ages to enjoy New York’s natural beauty. There are tons of different things to do here including hiking, kayaking, and fishing. There are also a few great picnic areas and lakeside restaurants to enjoy during your visit.
If you’re looking for an epic hike with a view that will take your breath away, then be sure to check out the Suffern Bear Mountain Trail. This trail starts in Stony Point and travels over Pyngyp Mountain to reach the Bear Mountain State Park. This trail is considered to be moderate in difficulty and offers amazing views that are well worth the effort.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly way to enjoy the great outdoors, consider using a Sports & Outdoors Voucher! With this voucher, you can enjoy hiking, camping, and other outdoor adventures without breaking the bank. Use your voucher to purchase gear, book a guided tour, or simply explore on your own. With SavingGain, you can experience nature without sacrificing your wallet.
Another awesome winter hiking trail in Bear Mountain State Park is the West Mountain Trail. This trail is fairly easy until you get near the top of the mountain where it starts to get quite steep and challenging. This hike is also unique because it includes a walk through Doodletown which is an old 1900s small hamlet town to explore with older graveyards and landmarks.
Buck Mountain Trail
With impressive old growth in the lower sections of Buck Mountain Trail, this hike is a treat for anyone looking to explore the backcountry of Silver Falls State Park. Begin your trek at the trail fork near Shelving Rock Road and Dacy Clearing, just a little north of the park’s main entrance. The trail starts climbing, and it does so at a grunt-inducing 17% grade over its first 2.8 miles.
Continue to rise on the wide track and admire a beautiful grove of Douglas-fir and hemlock. Then, the trail dips into a mossy valley beneath a large tree and continues rising into the secondary forest before bending left at another trail sign to descend on a gravel entrance road for the horse camp.
The trail then reaches a multi-trail junction where the Lake Creek Trail, Nine Mile Ridge Trail, Buck Mountain Trail, and Umatilla Rim Trail converge. It’s a rare intersection of trails that keeps avid hikers changing up loops while exploring this incredible wilderness area.
The Buck Mountain Trail ends at a summit with views of several surrounding mountains and the valley below. Take some time to enjoy the views, and don’t forget to bring snacks, water, and a windbreaker in case of changing weather conditions.
Keuka Outlet Trail and Preservation Area
The Keuka Outlet Trail is a seven-mile hiking and biking path that runs from the town of Penn Yan on Keuka Lake to the town of Dresden on Seneca Lake. The trail is open year-round and offers hikers, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and bikers a beautiful and relatively easy walk through picturesque scenery.
There are many activities to enjoy along the Keuka Outlet Trail including hiking, cycling, horseback riding, and birding, but winter is an especially good time to visit. During the winter, there are fewer visitors and you’ll be able to enjoy the trails without the usual distractions of other outdoor recreational activities.
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One of the most popular winter hiking trails on the Keuka Outlet Trail is Rattlesnake Ledge, a moderately challenging hike that rewards hikers with stunning views and photo opportunities. This hike is dog-friendly and perfect for beginning hikers, but be sure to bring your microspikes in case conditions turn icy and slippery.
Cumberland Trail
As the name suggests, Cumberland Trail traverses a vast swath of Tennessee’s grand plateau, a landscape renowned for its innumerable vantage points capable of generating primal awe in even the most casual observer. In a state that boasts so many stunning natural features, Cumberland Trail State Park manager Robert Fulcher believes the linear park is destined to earn national recognition as one of America’s greatest long-distance hiking trails.
Fulcher’s confident the Cumberland Trail will soon be a destination for hikers of all stripes, from hardcore through-trekkers to weekend day-use trail enthusiasts. And that’s exactly what he and his team are working towards, encouraging great strides forward for the park’s ambitious trail project with a relentless pursuit of scenic stewardship and outdoor recreation opportunities.
The park’s Daddys Creek section — known to spring break-away students as the “trail of a thousand steps” due to the steep climb in and out of a rocky river gorge — is a particularly impressive stretch. Hikers navigating this segment will find themselves skirting the sides of a rugged bluff, crossing a long swing bridge, and exploring several large limestone arches, including Lockhart’s Arch. With views of classic Tennessee whitewater and awe-inspiring rock formations, the 7.2-mile loop will leave hikers with plenty of memories to take home.
Zion National Park
Zion National Park is one of the most popular parks in the United States and for good reason. It’s home to spectacular canyons, sandstone spires, and prickly pear cacti, along with a wide range of wildlife. With a variety of hiking trails to enjoy, you can explore the beauty of this incredible national park.
Angels Landing is a popular trail that takes hikers to one of the most iconic views in all of Zion National Park. However, this isn’t a hike for everyone – it’s not recommended for acrophobic or those with a fear of heights as portions of the trail take hikers up a narrow ridge with sheer drop-offs. Luckily, there are chain rails to hold onto during these sections.
Another popular trail in Zion National Park is the Checkerboard Mesa Trail, which takes hikers to a rock formation that’s covered in crosshatches caused by layers of windblown sand. The trail is fairly easy and takes about three miles round trip, and it’s a great way to see some of the more unique rock formations in Zion National Park without spending all day hiking. Zion National Park is also a great place to spot the endangered California Condor, which can be seen soaring through the air in and around the park’s canyons.
Cape Falcon Trail
A stunning hike along the coast with views of crashing waves and crumbling cliffs, Cape Falcon Trail is a must-do for nature lovers. This intermediate-level hike, located in the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve and Oswald West State Park near the town of Manzanita, offers scenic views of Smuggler’s Cove, Neahkahnie Mountain (which has great hiking trails you’ll want to check out), beach and forest scenery, and seabirds.
Beginning at the trailhead in Oswald West State Park, this trail winds through a dense forest with old-growth trees and occasional peek-a-boo views of Smuggler’s Cove below. After about a mile of hiking you’ll reach a fork where the left trail will go down to Short Sands Beach and the right will continue to the end of Cape Falcon Trail. It’s worth taking the time to walk down to Smuggler’s Cove for the views and to see the gorgeous Blumenthal Falls before continuing.
The best time to visit the Oregon coastline and the Cape Falcon Trail is during the summer months from July through September when the temperatures can be warm enough to feel like beach weather and the skies are typically clear. This provides optimal conditions for hiking and sightseeing, as well as beautiful sunsets on the ocean.
Conclusion
Another awesome winter hiking trail in Bear Mountain State Park is the West Mountain Trail. Buck Mountain Trail With impressive old growth in the lower sections of Buck Mountain Trail, this hike is a treat for anyone looking to explore the backcountry of Silver Falls State Park. The trail then reaches a multi-trail junction where the Lake Creek Trail, Nine Mile Ridge Trail, Buck Mountain Trail, and Umatilla Rim Trail converge.
