X-Country Skiing

You Are Here: HOME > Nature / Play & Action > X-Country Skiing

Explore X-Country Skiing in NYC & Vicinity

X-Country Skiing is a great way to explore the nature as well as to get some exercise. Trails can be groomed or you can just use non-motorized paths in most county and state parks for a “more rustic experience”. The problem near NYC with x-country skiing is the lack of rentals if you don’t have your own equipment- they are impossible to find. However, some locations have rentals available on site (we’ve notated that), but you can also get (seasonal or daily) rental equipment from a few outfitters (f.e. Rock and Snow in New Paltz, Action Sports in CT, Cunningham’s at Lake Placid, Chet’s Place in PA, Big Bear Gear in NJ or Jimmy’s at Belleayre) at near-by towns and near (northern) resorts. WORDS TO THE WISE: Try it out first at a skiing centers with rentals on-site (Lake Placid and norther NY area are great for those) and if the kids like it, you can get your own equipment for fairly cheap online and explore many more places.

Jump to X-Country Skiing trails in: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Upstate NY, Pennsylvania

MANHATTAN

  • Central Park– BYO Equipment… 6+ inches of snow and you are allowed to X-country ski… Sheeps Meadow and Great Lawn are prime destinations…
  • Riverside Park– BYO Equipment… A loop that extends the length of the park…

BROOKLYN

QUEENS

BRONX

  • Van Cortlandt Park– BYO Equipment… with enough snow, it’s a winter wonderland…

STATEN ISLAND

  • Greenbelt– BYO Equipment… Groomed trails near Greenbelt Nature Center…

WESTCHESTER

LONG ISLAND

  • Nassau County
    • Bethpage State Park– BYO Equipment
    • Eisenhower Park– BYO Equipment
    • Garvies Point Museum & Preserve– BYO Equipment
    • North Woodmere Park– BYO Equipment
    • Muttontown Preserve– BYO Equipment
    • Trail View State Park– BYO Equipment
    • Valley Stream State Park– BYO Equipment
  • Suffolk County
    • Caleb Smith State Park Preserve– BYO Equipment
    • Belmont Lake State Park– BYO Equipment
    • Blydenburgh County Park– BYO Equipment
    • Cathedral Pines County Park– BYO Equipment
    • Sunken Meadow State Park– BYO Equipment
    • Cedar Point County Park– BYO Equipment
    • Montauk County Park– BYO Equipment
    • Wildwood State Park– BYO Equipment
    • Quogue Wildlife Refuge– Rentals Available on certain days, call ahead…

CONNECTICUT

  • Winding Trails Cross Country Ski Center– Rentals Available, groomed daily…
  • Waveny Park– BYO Equipment…
  • Air Line State Park– BYO Equipment. Old rail line that can be accessed from East Hampton, Colchester, Thompson and Putnam…
  • White Memorial Conservation Center– BYO Equipment
  • Housatonic Valley Railbed Trail– BYO Equipment
  • Northwest Park and Nature Center– Rentals Available… 12 miles of trails too…
  • Chatfield Hollow State Park– BYO Equipment

NEW JERSEY

  • High Point State Park– Rentals Available… 10 miles of groomed trails and lots more for “make your own adventure”…
  • Thompson Park– Rentals Available at the ski hut, first come first serve… groomed trails too…
  • Fairview Lakes YMCA– Rentals Available… private property with day passes as well as lessons..
  • Palisades Interstate Park– BYO Equipment
  • Wawayanda State Park– BYO Equipment
  • South Mountain Reservation– BYO Equipment
  • Lewis Morris County Park– BYO Equipment
  • Allaire State Park– BYO Equipment
  • Cheesequake State Park– BYO Equipment
  • Jockey Hollow– BYO Equipment. Many claim “the best trails in the state”…
  • Long Bridge Park– BYO Equipment
  • Schooley’s Mountain County Park– BYO Equipment
  • Turkey Swamp Park– BYO Equipment

UPSTATE NY

  • Mohonk Mountain House– Rentals available. Groomed Trails. Expensive as hell, but worth it if you have the cash…
  • Rockland Lake State Park– BYO Equipment
  • Belleayre– Mountain skiing resort that has a free x-country trail system, but no rentals on site… instead, get your skiis at Jimmy’s…
  • Bearpen Mountain Sports– Rentals Available… locally owned winter sports center…
  • Windham Mountain Country Club– Rentals Available… as are beginner level trails…
  • Bear Mountain State Park– BYO Equipment
  • Fahnestock Winter Park– Rentals Available, usually. Probably the best place to get started with groomed trails, warming hut and sledding hill to boot…
  • Frost Valley YMCA– Rentals Available… call them for availability for day guests…
  • Minnewaska State Park Preserve– BYO Equipment
  • Mountain Trails Cross Country Ski Center– Rentals available… as are lessons and groomed trails… near Tannersville and Hunter Mountain, it is one of the best kept secrets for winter sports around…
  • Pineridge Cross Country Ski Area– Rentals available, groomed and tracked. Lessons and a hut, plus 35 km of tracks in Taconic region…
  • Adirondacks:
    • Garnet Hill Lodge– Rentals Available…
    • Lapland Lake Nordic Vacation Center– Rentals Available…
    • Dewey Mountain Recreation Center– Rentals Available…
  • Catskill Scenic Trail– BYO Equipment. Flat and wide near the West Branch Delaware River…
  • Lake Placid Area:
    • Mt Van Hoevenberg– Rentals Available…
    • Whiteface Club & Resort– Rentals Available… at the nordic center…
    • Cascade XC-Ski– Rentals Available… where Olympics took place…
  • Cunningham’s Ski Barn– Rentals Available. Great place to rent and for advice. Closer to Mt Gore, connects to Beaver Meadow Trail System as well…
  • Tree Haven Trails– Rentals Available, North of Albany but you can ski through fields of Christmas trees…
  • Mine Kill State Park– BYO Equipment. Great groomed trails and usually empty, but no rentals…
  • Saratoga Spa State Park– Rentals Available, as are great groomed trails and warming hut and spa in this winter sport paradise…

PENNSYLVANIA

  • Delaware Water Gap– BYO Equipment
  • Crystal Lake Ski & Outdoor Center– Rentals Available, 3+ HR Drive…
  • The Inn at Starlight Lake– Rentals Available… it’s an inn with rentals available…
  • Beltzville State Park– BYO Equipment
  • Delaware State Forest– BYO Equipment
  • Gouldsboro State Park– BYO Equipment
  • Hickory Run State Park– BYO Equipment
  • Lehigh Gorge State Park– BYO Equipment
  • Promised Land State Park– – BYO Equipment. Snowshoe rentals available, but no skis… try Bruce Lake Natural Area and Conservation Lands…

MORE/SIMILAR

Latest Full Reviews of X-Country Skiing in NYC & Vicinity