Recently, after a long cyclocross season, I got on my suspension bike for the first time in months and had a revelation. Mountain bikes! They’re so fun! It’s so pleasant to glide over roots and rocks without feeling it in every joint.

For those who have time off during the holidays, are looking to spend time with family outside (or avoid them), or are just newly trail-curious, TBD presents the Twelve Trails of Christmas—a dozen of our favorite trail systems within an hour(ish) from New York City.

I will start by saying that riding wet trails mostly ruins them, so riding over the winter is really weather-dependent. You should be a good community member and be aware not only of rainfall but the dreaded freeze-thaw (when it freezes overnight but goes above 32 early in the day, resulting in muddy conditions even if it didn’t rain or snow).

If you’re new to riding trails in the area, every different direction out of the city is an entirely different geological area, so the riding is really varied from easier, sandy trails that are doable on a cross bike to big rocky stuff that’s almost unrideable without significant suspension.

Finally, a word of caution: This is neither a fully comprehensive nor particularly objective guide—it’s just a list of my favorite trails, how to get there, and how to get a snack close by afterwards. Happy riding!

Long Island

Out east, on Long Island, trails are mostly sandy and the terrain is flat. The trail builders have done a great job of creating flowy trails that give you a fair amount of climbing by the end of the day, but it’s a constant up and down rather than having any sustained climbing. These are the easiest trails tech-wise, and can be ridden on a cross or gravel bike.

Stillwell

This is one of the closest trail systems to the city. It’s relatively small, and you can ride the full loop in under an hour, so plan to do laps if you want to ride longer than that. It’s fun and twisty, though, with a lot of tricky roots and constant small changes in elevation. This is a good place to go for a newer rider.

The green and most of the blue trails are rideable on a cross or gravel bike. The black trails, too, if you are confident enough.

Trailhead parking is in a lot for a public park. The lot is a little over 2 miles from the Syosset train station. Porta-johns available in the winter, indoor bathrooms in the summer.

After, head to the Woodbury Country Deli for an extremely large sandwich.

Glacier Ridge/Overton Preserve

This is one of the most extensive systems on Long Island and you can easily ride for 3 hours without hitting the same trail twice. Technically two different trail systems, they are across the street from each other, and there is a (relatively) well marked connector. Make sure to take the “extension” on Dark Side of the Moon to hit the connector. Overton is newer and ridden less, so it has a less worn-in feel. Both sides are very flowy, though. There are technical bits, but a newer rider should still have fun here.

This system is very rideable on a cross or gravel bike, though I would note that Glacier is a little more forgiving that Overton on a rigid bike.

Trailhead parking is in a lot for a municipal building. No bathrooms, stop at the McDonalds that is on your right after you get off the LIE. The Medford LIRR is about 3 miles away, though the ride is not wonderful.

After, there are a number of food options but my favorite is the Don Taco Mexican deli, one of the best tacos I’ve had in New York.

East Setauket/Laurel Hills

This system is a little far afield, but a secret favorite of mine. It’s very flowy, with an extensive network of trails. It uses small changes in elevation in wonderful ways, and several trails feel like riding a roller coaster. I love this system on a cross or gravel bike, and there aren’t too many roots and rocks. There is a lot of steep up and down, so depending on your gearing a CX/gravel bike might require some hike-a-bike. Newer riders should stick to the east side of the road.

Trailhead parking is along the side of N. Belle Mead Rd., which cuts through Laurel Ridge Nature Preserve. There are trails on either side of the road, but the east side has more trails and is more forgiving than the west side. The trailhead is about 3 miles from the Stony Brook LIRR.

Food options nearby are not great, but there’s a Trader Joe’s and a Whole Foods next to each other on your way back to the LIE.

Manorville

This is a great system for a cross or gravel bike. It’s black on trailforks, but really feels like an easy/intermediate ride to me. The main trail is one big loop (make sure to take a flat kit and some food, as the hike back to the car from the far end would be rough), and it connects to some other trails that branch further out beyond Manorville itself. The loop is not particularly long, so do two if you want to ride more than an hour. The biggest downside to Manorville is how far out on the island it is, but it’s directly off the LIE, so it doesn’t actually take significantly longer to drive there than to Glacier or East Setauket. It is, however, definitely an emphasis on the “ish” part of an hour-ish drive.

Trailhead parking is in a lot for Manorville Hills County Park. Riverhead is probably your best LIRR option, but it’s quite a long ride (both by train and by bike). If coming by train, use Trailforks to figure out how to hop on to the trails from the Riverhead side. I honestly don’t remember about bathrooms, but I lean no.

After, Better Burger is on your way back to the LIE.

New Jersey

The northern part of New Jersey has lots of rocks and is the closest to pure “East Coast tech” riding. You could happily have a good time on an enduro or trail bike, although a full-suspension XC bike is fine. Less suspension than that might be a rough ride. Lewis Morris is much less rocky, but still has a lot of climbing. Allaire, close to the shore, is sandy and more similar to the riding on Long Island.

Sterling

Ok this is technically like 7 feet over the line to New York, don’t @ me, it’s on the west side of the Hudson and you can ride to Ringwood from the Sterling trailhead, so it’s in the New Jersey group. Though it has less total trails than almost anything else on the list, this is my favorite place to ride a mountain bike in the area.

The 7 mile main loop is a perfectly designed trail. It’s a lollipop loop, with spurs to both the north and south trailheads. I like the counterclockwise direction , though you can go either way. It’s rocky and technical, but in a way that makes it feel challenging but doable, even for intermediate riders. It’s the kind of trail that most people can enjoy but only the most skilled riders are never going to have to get off their bikes for.

There is significant elevation change, and either way you should be prepared to climb for at least 20-30 minutes at a time either way you go on the trail. The new section, on the north side, is a machine-built enduro trail that is a flowy, fun little detour from the rocky tech of the main loop.

This is not cross bike-able, it’s just not, don’t try.

Trailhead parking is either on the north or the south side of the park, but the south side is closer coming from NYC, so I always park there. The Sloatsburg train station is about 4 miles away. There is a year-round porta-john. There is hunting here during the hunting season. You can still ride there at your own risk, but use caution and wear bright colors.

Sterling is in the middle of nowhere. I find that the Sunoco right after getting back on NJ-17 has a good selection of food. There’s also a fair amount of fast food along NJ-17, although if GWB traffic looks heavy, you should skip all of this and take 287 over to Tarrytown.

Ringwood

This is admittedly a more aspirational inclusion than any of the others. I’ve raced XC here but never done a casual ride. But it seems fun, and other members of the team seem to really like it, so I want to ride here more often. It’s rocky and much more extensive than the neighboring Sterling system. Make sure you have Trailforks or MTB Project downloaded on your phone or you could get lost. Don’t even think about bringing anything without suspension—and think twice about a hard tail.

Trailhead parking is in any of the various lots throughout the park, but I prefer the Shepard Lake lot. The Sloatsburg train station is about 3.5 miles away. I have not been here recently enough to have good bathroom insight. There is hunting here during the hunting season. You can still ride there at your own risk, but use caution and wear bright colors.

Ringwood is in the middle of nowhere but the same middle of nowhere as Stirling. The advice is the same as above.

Scout Camp

I like Scout Camp, and included it because it’s the closest to the city, but there is some tension between the owners of the land and the mountain bikers, so approach riding there with caution. The trails start at the top of the hill and head straight down. It can be fun, but the climbing here is long and steep. I tried this on a cross bike once and it lasted about 10 minutes and went poorly for me, so I don’t recommend it.

Trailhead parking is just off of 9W in Alpine, or you can ride there from the city. No bathrooms.

After, there’s always Kiku, and if you’re in a car, the Gateaux Bakery is not a far detour.

Lewis Morris

Lewis Morris not especially rocky or technical, but it’s hillier and the roots are trickier than the sandy stuff on Long Island and further south on the beach at Allaire. Lewis Morris is what I’d call pure XC riding. It’s appropriate for a beginner or intermediate mountain biker, but plenty challenging (especially on the lungs) for everyone. There aren’t a ton of trails, and they largely go up and then down a hill. If you want more than about 1:15 of riding, plan to do multiple laps. Even though it is not super technical, it is quite rooty and you would probably be unhappy on a cross or gravel bike.

Trailhead parking is deep into the park, follow signs for Sunrise Lake. The Sunrise Lake bathrooms are seasonal. You can take the train to Morristown, but it’s 5 miles to the park from there.

I’ve had bad luck trying to eat in Morristown. There are a fair amount of papusarias, but I haven’t found one that’s amazing yet (please email me if you have this info). I often just stop at Whole Foods on my way out of town, and it doubles as a place for a bathroom before you ride.

Allaire

Allaire is where we ride with our friends at Shark River Devo. It’s a bit far afield from the city (again puts the ish in hour-ish), but is a very extensive system that you can easily ride for 3-4 hours without hitting the same trails twice. We love this system on a cross or gravel bike, and in fact I’ve never actually been here on a proper mountain bike. However, there are plenty of lines I chose not to take on my CX bike that look like they would be really fun with a squishy fork and wider tires.

Trailhead parking is roadside along Squankum Allenwood Rd., near the Group Camp entrance to the park. It’s been a while, but I am pretty sure there are public bathrooms in the group camp area, even in the winter. There aren’t good public transit options that I know of, and the big downside of Allaire is that the tolls are killer. Make sure to carpool.

After, you’re in Wawa country.

Westchester

Westchester has a lot of Big Rocks. The kind you don’t roll over but ride fully on top of. It’s also quite hilly, and requires a fair amount of fitness to get more than a few miles in. This is my jam, but might not be for everyone. If you’re trying this kind of riding for the first time, start at Graham.

Sprain Ridge

Sprain is the smallest of the three trail systems and arguably the most technical (depending on which trails you choose at Blue), although the south end of the system one of the most fun flow trails in Westchester. This shouldn’t be anyone’s first mountain bike ride, but is a great place to test your skills if you are looking to improve. The smaller loop on the west side, which has a lot of windy off-camber turns and a sharp climb, is a fun short-track like effort to repeat (with less tech than the rest of the system) if that’s what you’re looking for. Like most of Westchester, there are too many big rocks here to make a cross or gravel bike an enjoyable (or rideable) experience.

Trailhead parking is in one of two lots in the park, one further up the hill than the other. They both connect to the trails, but the upper lot has you starting on slightly more mild trails so I prefer it. No bathrooms in the winter. You can ride up from NYC on the South County Trail if you want a lot of miles, or take the Metro North to Scarsdale and ride over (3 mi).

After, I tend to go to Whole Foods around the corner, but there’s also a Frank Pepe nearby.

Graham Hills

Graham is a great intro to Westchester. It’s a favorite of the endurobro type of rider (nonderogatory!) when lift-access isn’t available in the winter, but has plenty of trails that are friendly to intermediate riders who aren’t looking to get either tire off the ground. The park is basically one big hill, with trails winding up and down. They all meet at the top of the hill, which is a great meeting and snack spot. There’s a trail at the bottom that does a partial circle around the bottom of the hill connecting most of the trails down below (note that it doesn’t go all the way around, and you can only get back to the parking lot in one direction). Stick to Yellow and Tumbleweed if you’re newer, and hit Motorcycle and Red (both strongly suggested downhill only) if you’re looking for more tech, drops, and adventure. Not a cross or gravel bike kind of place regardless of which trails you hit. There’s also a jump park near the parking lot.

Trailhead parking is in a dedicated lot for the trails. There is a porta-john year-round. The Pleasantville Metro North is only a mile away.

After, if you’re in a hurry, there’s a good 7-Eleven. If you have more time I recommend the sandwiches and pastries at Jean-Jacques, or a slice at Sal’s (they have gf pizza too!).

Blue Mountain

Blue is probably my second favorite system on this list after Sterling. It is technical and rocky, but well thought out and challenging for a rider looking to progress on rocks. There are plenty of rock gardens, and some lung burning climbs (one’s actually called Ned’s Left Lung). Sticking to the blue trails, it’s plenty doable on a full suspension XC bike. It’s also a really big park, and you could easily do a 3 hour ride or more here without repeating much more than some of the fire road climbs connecting the singletrack. Although there are a fair amount of fire roads in the park, even they are rocky enough to make a cross or gravel bike a bad idea.

Trailhead parking is in one of the two lots within the park, though the upper lot (keep left) has porta-johns and a public bike tool station. In the summer months the city charges for parking, and if you don’t need amenities there is some roadside parking near the Washington St. trailhead. Metro North to Peekskill also works (a mile and a half away).

Note there isn’t hunting here but there is a gun range on one side of the park, so don’t be too alarmed if you hear shots.

After, get a sandwich at Benny’s.