Appalachian Trail - Hurd Corners

The Appalachian Trail section at Hurd Corners is completely different from what most people picture when they think of the AT. No mountains, no rocky scrambles, no grueling climbs. Instead you get rolling meadows, farmland views, and a boardwalk through a swamp. It's peaceful in a way that mountain hikes rarely are.

We parked at the small lot on County Route 20 near Hurd Corners and headed north on the AT. The trail immediately crosses into open meadows with tall grass on both sides. In summer and early fall, the wildflowers are everywhere. It feels more like walking through the English countryside than hiking in New York.

The first section passes through the Nuclear Lake area (yes, really - it was a former nuclear research site, now completely safe and actually a beautiful lake). You can detour to see the lake or stay on the main AT. We stayed on the trail and headed toward the boardwalk section.

The highlight is the Great Swamp boardwalk - a long elevated wooden walkway that takes you over a wetland area. It's flat, easy walking with birds everywhere. We saw herons, red-winged blackbirds, and what might have been a bittern hiding in the reeds. If you're a birder, this section alone is worth the trip.

Past the boardwalk, the trail rolls through more open fields and patches of forest. There are a few gentle rises but nothing that qualifies as a real climb. The elevation gain is minimal and spread over the whole distance. This is a walking hike, not a climbing hike.

We did an out-and-back covering about 5.4 miles total. You could go further in either direction since it's the AT - it just keeps going. But the Hurd Corners section gives you the meadows and boardwalk, which are the highlights.

This is our go-to when we want to hike but don't want to destroy ourselves. It's perfect for recovery days, easy weekday evening hikes (it stays light until 8pm in summer), or when we have friends visiting who aren't big hikers. Everyone can do this one and everyone enjoys it.

The only downside is that there's very little shade in the meadow sections. On hot summer days it can be brutal in full sun. Spring and fall are ideal.