23 Great Day Hiking Trails in the Northeast

Jessup Path, a birch-lined hiking path in Acadia National Park.

Acadia National Park
Among the best ways to see the top sights of Acadia National Park – the oldest national park east of the Mississippi River – is via a day hike. Just four short trails will allow you to enjoy each of the park’s highlights: America’s first sunrise, the Atlantic coast, historic carriage roads, and Maine’s evergreen woodlands.

New Hampshire
Among the best ways to enjoy southern New Hampshire’s natural highlights is via a day hike. Just four short trails will allow you to experience The Granite State's southern top sight – views from ancient mountains, fire towers guarding grand forests, ice age-era rock formations, and the Atlantic Ocean.

New Jersey
Walking through shoreline natural areas or up and down a long ocean strand will delight any child. On the Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey boasts a number of such great beach trails.

New York
With thousands of miles of hiking trails in New York state – from the famous Appalachian Trail to those crisscrossing the Adirondacks and Finger Lakes areas – you’ll have no trouble finding a great place for you and your children to put the boots to the dirt.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks series.

Great beach day hikes for kids in New Jersey

Camp May Point State Park lighthouse

Walking through shoreline natural areas or up and down a long ocean strand will delight any child. On the Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey boasts a number of such great beach trails:
g Cape May Beach State Park’s Yellow Trail – The 1.5-mile long trail heads through varying coastal habitats, including a wetland marsh, coastal dunes and the grand finale: the ocean beach.
g Corsons Inlet State Park – Listen for migratory birds and watch for the nesting sites as hiking a sandy path through a lush coastal forest.
g Barnegat Lighthouse State Park – Climb 217 steps to the top of this lighthouse built in 1859. Afterward, picnic at the lighthouse’s base. Warning: Following Labor Day, the lighthouse closes for winter.
g Spizzle Creek Bird Blind Trail – Keep an eye out for osprey and wading birds as this trail heads through a thicket at Island Beach State Park on a 1-mile round trip. Cool off afterward with a dip into the ocean.
g Fisherman’s Cover Conservation Area – Bring Spot or Queenie with you to this dog-friendly beach. The shoreline runs several hundred feet on Manasquan Inlet.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.