One Of America's Most Popular Hiking Spots Is Located In The Most Unexpected Place

One of North America’s most popular trails is down in New York’s Hudson Valley Region. Part of Hudson Highlands State Park, Breakneck Ridge can be found in both Putnam and Dutchess Counties. According to Trails.com, the Breakneck Ridge Trail received more votes than any other hike when it came to naming the Best Trails in North America.

Seeing more than an estimated 100,000 people each year, the mountain itself has seen a dangerous amount of visitors of the last handful of years. The trail has actually become so popular that last year the state began discussing whether or not it should be shut down for good. The high amount of traffic has left the trail damaged and even covered with an extensive amount of graffiti.

Thankfully, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference has been a huge helping hand to get this trail back to better standards. Working with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, members, and volunteers have worked towards educating visitors and residents of New York on why the area must be protected and respected.

The Trail Conference has announced that it would remain open for 2018. While you might be inclined to think that a trail this popular would be an easy one, it’s very far from it. The trail up Breakneck Ridge is one that’s considered to be very hard, made up of a steep climb that involves quite a bit of major rock scrambling. Roughly four miles long, the difficult hike is one that’s rewarding and gives you incomparable views of the Hudson Valley Region - hence its popularity.