Adventures for Big Kids in New York

Blue Mountain Lake, NY

Blue Mountain Trail

Popular fire tower hike with panoramic views over Blue Mountain Lake. Free. Better for ages 6 and up. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

• Hiking
• Ages 6+
• ~4h
• Free

Buffalo, NY

Sail Buffalo Sailing School

A nonprofit sailing school on Buffalo's Outer Harbor running week-long Lake Erie camps for kids, sorted by ability. Paid. Ages 8 to 17.

• Sailing
• Ages 8+
• ~7h
• Paid

Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY

Storm King State Park

Rugged Highland trails with dramatic Hudson River panoramas. Free. Better for ages 7 and up. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

• Hiking
• Ages 7+
• ~4h
• Free

Fort Ann, NY

Sleeping Beauty Mountain

Moderate summit hike with one of the best Lake George panoramic views. Free. Better for ages 6 and up. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

• Hiking
• Ages 6+
• ~4h
• Free

Geneva, NY

Seneca Sailing Academy

A nonprofit school on Seneca Lake with Opti weeks for little kids and free public First Sail days off Geneva. Ages 7 and up.

• Sailing
• Ages 7+
• ~7h
• Paid

Gowanda, NY

Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area

Wild 600-foot gorge with old-growth forest and deep swimming holes. Free. Better for ages 8 and up. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

• Hiking
• Ages 8+
• ~4h
• Free

Indian Lake, NY

Snowy Mountain Trail

Challenging hike to the tallest peak in the southern Adirondacks with fire tower summit. Free. Better for ages 8 and up.

• Hiking
• Ages 8+
• ~6h
• Free

Ithaca, NY

Merrill Family Sailing Center

Cornell's public sailing center on Cayuga Lake, running youth camps, classes and family fleet access. Paid. Ages 8 to 17.

• Sailing
• Ages 8+
• ~7h
• Paid

Keene, NY

Cascade Mountain

The most popular Adirondack High Peak with stunning 360-degree summit views. Free. Better for ages 7 and up. Easily a full day.

• Hiking
• Ages 7+
• ~5h
• Free

Keene Valley, NY

Indian Head and Rainbow Falls Trail

Epic hike past a 150-foot waterfall to the iconic Ausable Lakes cliff-top view. Free. Better for ages 8 and up. Easily a full day.

• Hiking
• Ages 8+
• ~7h
• Free

Keeseville, NY

Poke-O-Moonshine Fire Tower Trail

Short steep hike to a fire tower with views of Lake Champlain and the High Peaks. Free. Better for ages 6 and up. A half-day trip.

• Hiking
• Ages 6+
• ~3h
• Free

Long Lake, NY

Forked Lake Campground

Mostly paddle-in shoreline campsites on a quiet Adirondack lake, a real step up from car camping for families who can paddle gear in

• Camping
• Ages 6+
• Overnight
• Paid

Niagara Falls, NY

Niagara Gorge Trail

Hike the bottom of Niagara Gorge with boulder scrambles and whirlpool rapids. Free. Better for ages 8 and up. A half-day trip.

• Hiking
• Ages 8+
• ~3h
• Free

Pilot Knob, NY

Buck Mountain Trail

Challenging summit hike with sweeping Lake George views from 2,334 feet. Free. Better for ages 7 and up. Easily a full day.

• Hiking
• Ages 7+
• ~5h
• Free

Rochester, NY

ROC City Sailing

A nonprofit on Irondequoit Bay where a whole family can go out on a Flying Scot with an instructor. Paid. Ages 8 and up.

• Sailing
• Ages 8+
• ~3h
• Paid

Saranac Lake, NY

Ampersand Mountain

Challenging hike to a bald summit with 360-degree Adirondack panorama. Free. Better for ages 8 and up. Easily a full day.

• Hiking
• Ages 8+
• ~5h
• Free

Saranac Lake, NY

SAIL Adirondacks

Learn-to-sail sessions and crewed cruises on an O'Day 23 out of Saranac Lake Marina, four passengers max. Published minimum age 6.

• Sailing
• Ages 6+
• ~2h
• Paid

Schroon Lake, NY

Pharaoh Lake Wilderness

Pristine wilderness lake with backcountry camping far from the crowds. Free. Better for ages 7 and up. Easily a full day.

• Hiking
• Ages 7+
• ~6h
• Free

Shandaken, NY

Giant Ledge Trail

Popular hike to dramatic cliff-top viewpoints in the Catskill Mountains. Free. Better for ages 6 and up. A half-day trip.

• Hiking
• Ages 6+
• ~3h
• Free

Shandaken, NY

Slide Mountain Trail

Hike the highest peak in the Catskills at 4,180 feet. Free. Better for ages 8 and up. Easily a full day. Dogs welcome. Moderate effort.

• Hiking
• Ages 8+
• ~5h
• Free

Woodstock, NY

Overlook Mountain Trail

Fire tower hike past ruins of an old mountain hotel near Woodstock. Free. Better for ages 6 and up. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

• Hiking
• Ages 6+
• ~3h
• Free