Easy and Cool Outdoor Day Trips from New York City

Storm King is a huge outdoor museum located about an hour from Manhattan. You can spend hours getting lost here, exploring the 500-acres and observing the US’s largest collection of contemporary sculptures.

To get here, you just take the Metro-North train to Beacon and then a 20-minute taxi to Storm King

At the park, you can choose to walk or rent bikes. There are easily accessible paths that wind around ponds, through forests, and around the hills of the park. You’ll stumble across some enormous  sculptures that are hard to miss, but you’ll also see more subtle ones that blend into the beautiful landscapes of the Hudson Valley.

It’s probably best to go in the Spring or the Fall to experience the changes of the seasons in the park, but you can really come whenever.

Can’t miss Maya Lin’s Wakefield, Menasha Kadishman’s ‘Suspended’ or Zhang Huan’s, ‘Three Legged Buddha’.

You will find endless possibilities for photo opportunities here while you take a break from the intensity of city life while experiencing one of the coolest museums in the country.

for me and my friend was a super plan for the day 

Although you can take the Metro-North to some great spots in the Hudson Valley, going to Breakneck Ridge might be your best option. This is because this hiking spot actually has its own train stop where you are basically dropped off at the beginning of the hike. This is ideal for someone who wants to be in nature but does not want to deal with the complications of renting a car.

Hikes here can range from 2 to 8 hours, and the views of the Hudson River and the mountains are worth it. If you choose to go “The Breakneck Loop” which is about 3-4 hours long, you will actually end up in the town of Cold Springs for a nice lunch near the river, in addition to having the  opportunity to explore a quaint town of up state New York.

The Hudson Valley experiences the most beautiful autumns, so if you can get to the top of the hike during these months, it will be worth it. The views are so spectacular that you will not believe you are a mere hour from New York City.