5 Day Trips From NYC That Are Great For Kids And Dogs

We love Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture for their informative programming and delicious food (their café is a must-visit). Plus, they’re the perfect distance from the city to feel like a getaway without the work (it’s accessible via MTA– which you can take dogs on provided they’re in a carrier). While pets unfortunately aren’t welcome at Stone Barns events, you can walk them around and enjoy the bucolic scenery; the wholesome environment makes for a peaceful afternoon outing for all ages.

With its easy hikes and wide-open trails, Rockefeller State Park Preserve is a great place to take younger kids. The diversity of landscape (wetlands, woodlands, meadows) makes it an outdoor primer in environmental education. The park is connected to Stone Barns towards the Southeast, offering up a curious contrast of untamed nature and carefully-kept farmland.

Technically, Van Cortlandt Park isn’t outside New York City; it’s located in the Bronx. Still, Van Cortlandt is wooded and vast enough to feel remote once you’re there– like a slice of upstate that you can get to on the subway (just take the Uptown 1 train to its last stop). There’s a dedicated dog run on the West side of the park, otherwise you can keep your dog on a leash as you hike around.

Conference House State Park is about as far as you can get in New York City while still being in New York City. Located at the southern-most tip of Staten Island, Conference House has a little bit of everything: a playground for kids, beaches, bike paths, hiking, kayak launch point, and scenic vistas of Raritan Bay. The park also acts as an outdoor history lesson– Conference House was the site of a 1776 negotiation between members of the Continental Congress and the British, preserving a snapshot of colonial American life.

Across the river from Storm King, Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve is a mecca for outdoor activities: hiking, fishing, boating, and birding are all accessible within its virtually untouched 6,000 acres. Hiking ranges from easy to extremely difficult (Hudson Highlands is home to the famous Breakneck Ridge– which you’ll probably want to come back to without your pup).