Even lifelong New Yorkers may not know this one: The splendors of the Appalachian Trail can be yours just an hour’s ride from Grand Central Station, for the princely sum of just $8.75.
Don’t expect to see the same crush of rush hour commuters you’d find in Manhattan; the Appalachian Trail stop on the Metro North rail system’s Harlem line is a small, serene platform in the isolated woods of New York’s Dutchess County. To be honest, it even looks like something out of old dusty trail lore: the platform is only 18 feet long and is bare except for a bench, a map and a bulletin board.
Built in 1990 for hikers, the stop puts visitors exactly where they can begin to traverse the 2,100 mile trail. But if you decide to go, it’s best to plan ahead on how you’ll get back: the train only stops there twice going north and twice going south on Saturdays and Sundays.