New York City may seem like an impassible concrete jungle for runners and joggers, but there are plenty of fantastic opportunities to raise your heart rate while seeing some landmarks! From riverside runs and park paths to bridge-crossing icons spotting routes.
The Battery Park City Esplanade is a scenic route stretching from Manhattan’s southernmost point to Tribeca, providing breathtaking views of both Liberty Island and Manhattan’s skyline.
Liberty State Park
Liberty State Park may be best known for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, but it’s also a fantastic spot for running or jogging. As it covers an area three times larger than Central Park, this massive park makes for the ideal setting to experience Manhattan sunrise jogs with full, unobstructed views.
Park attractions at Central Park include the New Jersey Museum of Art, Liberty Science Center, and Twin Islands Preserve Trail – three world-renowned attractions located within its 115 acres. While open from dawn until dusk daily, it may be wise to arrive earlier in the day for quieter runs.
Hudson River Park provides some of the city’s best running paths. From Tribeca to Battery, this paved track stretches over 20 miles with stunning waterfront views that offer a welcome relief from city streets. Plus, The High Line (an elevated section of an out-of-commission railroad line built as a 1.45-mile linear park) adds extra beauty, but please beware, its popularity makes for some crowding during daytime runs!
Silver Lake Park in Staten Island is an underrated running spot. The 4.5-mile loop around its body of water makes for an enjoyable run while taking in some stunning NYC sights like Borough Hall and Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
Central Park is often the first place that comes to mind when people think of running in New York, and for good reason. This massive park offers various scenic routes – the 1.5-mile Central Park Reservoir loop being particularly scenic – along with full park loops of up to 6.1 miles each, or Breakneck Ridge or Bear Mountain for some additional challenge and steep elevation gain.
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
New York City may seem like an intimidating urban landscape, but for runners looking for exercise opportunities, it offers plenty of green spaces and fresh air to get their heart rate up and experience a little freedom. From its miles of parks and riverside paths to iconic bridge crossings – the Big Apple makes running-a-thons easy!
Central Park offers one of the iconic running routes in New York. Famous for its six-mile loop, this green space provides various terrain and difficulty levels – perfect for an enjoyable run without many other people! To experience it to its full potential, aim to arrive early before it becomes overrun with tourists and selfie-taking runners.
Prospect Park is an essential NYC running spot designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, offering tranquil lake views, open fields, botanical gardens, zoo exhibits, and trails that will help you meet your fitness goals. Plus, it is home to wintering waterfowl such as Lesser Scaups, Red-breasted Merganser, and Bufflehead!
Head north of the park for an exciting running adventure and follow Willow Lake’s trails. Once inaccessible to the public, recent restoration efforts have made this scenic wetland area much more runner-friendly – not only with gorgeous scenery but rare birds too, and an elevated boardwalk crossing across Willow Lake!
Staten Island’s Silver Lake Park provides an easy 3-4 mile loop for quick runs. Surrounded by famous attractions like Citi Field, Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Louis Armstrong Stadium, Silver Lake Park makes for an incredible running experience while offering scenic views of Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Borough Hall and St George Terminal and Ferry Terminal Viaduct during your run.
Although New York boasts many excellent running routes, finding one without traffic or obstacles may prove challenging. Hudson River Greenway may provide an option; however, try Manhattan Bridge instead for a less-crowded and scenic running experience.
Silver Lake Park
Though New York City can seem like a concrete jungle, there are numerous places where you can enjoy an enjoyable park run – riverside paths and parks offering spectacular views are two options for park runs in NYC.
The Battery Park Esplanade is one of those spots, offering stunning skyline views along its short waterfront path from Battery Park in southern Manhattan all the way north through Tribeca and not being too overrun with people, providing an opportunity to relax from life in New York City. It provides a relaxing break from its hectic streets!
Silver Lake Park in Staten Island offers another fantastic place for running. Boasting 209 acres of green space spanning a lake, trails, and an outdoor public track—rare among NYC parks! Silver Lake Park can easily be reached via subway for quick workout sessions.
If you’re up for something more strenuous, take on New York City’s bridges as your challenge! These scenic routes offer runners looking for an added challenge to run across both Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges from Brooklyn Heights or DUMBO and begin crossing them early if you want to avoid crowds.
Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx offers trail runners an oasis of shaded and wooded paths, accessible via car or the one train at Van Cortlandt Park-242nd Street Station. There are various trails in Van Cortlandt Park, including Putnam, John Muir, and Old Croton Aqueduct Aqueduct trails – perfect for trail running.
New York offers numerous locations for running, and some are more populated than others. While these popular routes may become overrun during busy hours, you might also discover hidden gems where you can enjoy solitude while getting in a great workout.
Manhattan Bridge
At times of peak popularity in NYC, runners can find running challenging. However, a few spots offer runners quiet spaces where they can put in some miles, such as Riverside Park, Rockaway Beach, and Hudson River Greenway. Also famous among runners is Riverside Park for running; Rockaway Beach provides another quiet space; Hudson River Greenway can help provide miles while Manhattan Bridge offers stunning views of the Statue of Liberty in Lower Manhattan – the best time for running is sunrise; Brooklyn Bridge can also be an option but be prepared to deal with lots of crowds so best try to do your running during weekdays versus weekends for best results.
Experience something truly remarkable by running along Manhattan’s High Line park – built along an elevated historic freight train track and serving as public space, nature, and art simultaneously! For runners of any experience level, this place should not be missed!
Silver Lake Park on Staten Island offers runners a more natural run experience in NYC. Not too well known, this Staten Island park provides plenty of fresh air while boasting a body of water perfect for running loops of all levels and scenic waterfront views.
Prospect Park in New York offers another fantastic spot for running enthusiasts to explore: it provides an idyllic running path over three miles long that runs alongside the Hudson River Greenway – making your run even easier and longer! Additionally, Prospect Park connects directly to the Brooklyn Bridge Greenway, so it is simple and seamless to extend it further if necessary.
The Manhattan Bridge is an ideal location if you enjoy running over bridges. Not only will you see various neighborhoods of Manhattan and Brooklyn while exercising, but starting in Lower Manhattan, you’ll cross over both Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges before returning to your starting point with breathtaking skyline views on your return trip!
