Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

These questions are culled from those asked over the phone or by people who drop by the office.

1. Where can I go this weekend?
2. Is camping allowed in ________?
3. How do I get there by public transportation? or by car?
4. Where can I ride my bike?
5. I will be camping. Is there water nearby?
6. Where are good area to camp?
7. What's a good trail to bring children to?
8. Where can I bring my dog?
9. Where can I park?
10. Where can I get maps of __________?
11. I want to go on a singles hike, what group can I go with?
12. How can I volunteer?
13. How do I find the trailheads?
14. I've never hiked before, where should I go?
15. Where can I go within 1 hour of NYC?
16. What are the FAQs about Sterling Forest?
17. Is Storm King State Park open again yet?

1. Where can I go this weekend?
   One technique is to buy a copy of the New York and/or New Jersey Walk Book(s), pick a random page, and go there. Over 4,000 miles of trails are described in varying detail in these books. The Trail Walker occasionally runs articles on suggested areas based on the season, e.g. July/August 1998.
2. Is camping allowed in ________?
   Only the land manager knows for sure. Call! The Trail Conference has a brochure that may cover the area you are interested in.
3. How do I get there by public transportation? or by car?
   The Trail Conference has a brochure covering exactly the first question. The Walk Books cover public transportation to trailheads that are accessible and has detailed driving instructions. Also by car, look at the locator maps associated with the Trail Conference hiking maps to get you close and the maps themselves to find the trailhead.
4. Where can I ride my bike?
   The Trail Conference has a brochure covering exactly this question.
5. I will be camping. Is there water nearby?
   Public camp grounds generally have water, but call to make sure if you are depending on it. The Appalachian Trail in NY and NJ has much less readily available water than many other parts of the trail. The designated campsites and lean-tos generally have a water supply but late in the season or during dry periods the water may be scarce. Generally water from streams and ponds should not be trusted because of the high population density in the NY/NJ area. At the very least treat it heavily.
6. Where are good area to camp?
   The Trail Conference has a brochure covering exactly this question.
7. What's a good trail to bring children to?
   This of course depends highly on the age and motivation/capability of the child. Many smaller children like steep, rocky trails or ones along streams because there are more interesting things to explore in detail. Take your time and move at their pace. The Trail Conference sells two books specifically about hiking with children.
8. Where can I bring my dog?
   Many parks allow dogs on a leash, but call ahead to be sure. Many of the phone numbers you will need are in the New York and New Jersey Walk Books.
9. Where can I park?
   Parking areas are shown on the Trail Conference hiking maps. The Walk Books have explicit instructions on where parking is available. Unfortunately the parking availability changes faster than one might hope so have some alternate plans - a good idea anyway because the parking lot may be full when you get there.
10. Where can I get maps of __________?
    The Trail Conference sells hiking maps of many local areas. Many state and local parks have free/low cost maps at their office or near their main trailheads but do not count on their availability as they are sometimes out of stock. Trails Illustrated sells maps of many National Parks at a discount to Trail Conference members.
11. I want to go on a singles hike, what group can I go with?
    Look at the list of member clubs. Several clubs specialize in singles hikes. There are both young singles and older divorced/widowed groups.
12. How can I volunteer?
    Let me count the ways. No matter what your interests or occupation we can find you a volunteer position. Fill out our volunteer information form when you become a member and someone will call you. There are almost always openings for trail maintainers, not necessarily in any particular park, but you can start anywhere and move to a more preferred trail as it becomes available. Call the office, 201-512-9348, for specific requests. See also the web pages on Open Volunteer Positions.
13. How do I find the trailheads?
    Get a good trail map, then watch carefully as you drive along. Some of the trailheads are not well marked or inherently hard to find. The Walk Books have more explicit written instructions for finding most trails.
14. I've never hiked before, where should I go?
    Look at the list of member clubs. Hiking with a club is a good introduction to hiking as they have skilled leaders and many of them run hikes at least one day of almost every weekend. Buy one/some of the smaller guide books that are dedicated to the beginning hiker, e.g. the 50 hike series. These tend to cover the more popular hikes and you will likely find other people following the same guide you have. The Walk Books have a whole chapter on how to hike and a bibliography of other sources.
15. Where can I go within 1 hour of NYC?
    Look at the Overview Map of Area Served by the NY-NJ Trail Conference, then look at specific areas within the areas you can easily get to from where you are. You might want to consult our public transportation brochure. The New York Walk Book covers many hikes within the five boroughs.
16. What are the FAQs about Sterling Forest?
17. Yes all marked trails are open. Off trail usage will remain restricted.

V3 Last updated: October 30, 2003   Copyright © 1996-2005  New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Privacy Statement.