New 200-Mile Trail Linked Manhattan to Montauk
The project connects New York regions to improve pedestrian access to parks and downtown centers.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Hiking
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Beginning in 2018, The Trust for Public Land initiated the development of a 200-mile trail spanning from Manhattan to Montauk. The route is designed to provide residents across Long Island and New York City with new pedestrian and bicycle access to local parks and transit.
Why it matters
By creating a dedicated off-road network, the trail aims to improve public health through increased opportunities for physical activity. This infrastructure bridges gaps between urban centers and open spaces, offering a more accessible way for people to integrate movement into daily routines.
The project consists of 200 miles of trail infrastructure organized into five development sections. This route serves as a planned extension of the 750-mile Empire State Trail, though the full timeline for final connectivity remains under development.
The players
The Trust for Public Land
A national nonprofit organization that works to create parks and protect public land for community health.
The details
The project utilizes electric transmission rights-of-way to create off-road paths that safely separate cyclists and pedestrians from traffic. Developers collaborated with county officials and community groups to identify the most effective routes across Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau County, and Suffolk County. This collaborative approach allows the trail to physically link downtown areas and transit hubs to existing park systems.
Timeline
The project began in 2018 with initial route mapping and planning.
Health Landscape
The development represents a strategic expansion of the Empire State Trail into densely populated urban and suburban corridors. This reflects a broader trend of repurposing existing land utility corridors into active transit infrastructure to bolster population-level physical activity.
Residents can incorporate the new path into their physical activity routines to meet cardiovascular health guidelines through walking or cycling. Check local public land maps periodically to identify which sections of the five-stage development are open for public use in your area.
The takeaway
Large-scale trail projects like this provide long-term opportunities to increase daily movement in urban and suburban environments. You can track the progress of new outdoor infrastructure in your region by monitoring municipal announcements or local park department websites.
Further reading
For more information on finding local paths, visit the Hiking section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Suffolk Times.
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