I recently had a reader reach out and ask if we could help her find some fun hikes that might be easier for people with not-so-great knees. I can commiserate because there are days when we are hiking, and even my knees want to call it a day (getting older is not for the faint of heart!)
So, I immediately set to work compiling a list of hikes that are flat or at least mostly flat and easy on the knees. Most of these are in Western and Central New York, but we will update the list as we continue to explore New York and discover new trails. (It is just the two of us, so we are getting there as fast as we can. Be sure to check back often.)
We will break this list down by region and then list the hiking destinations with a brief description and a link (if you want to explore more about that particular destination.) Please note: We will try to be as accurate as possible, and of course, not all of these trails will be completely flat, but they won’t have stairs or be very few at the very least, and if there are any hills, they will be gentle inclines.
Adirondack Region
Finding a flat hike in the Adirondacks is not easy, but it can be done. Here are a few that we have found.
Point Au Roche State Park
This is a beautiful state park set right on the shore of Lake Champlain. There are 14 miles of trail at Point Au Roche, and they are all, for the most part, fairly flat. Many of them run right along the water.
Buttermilk Falls
To call this a “hike” might be stretching it, but this trail takes you to a beautiful waterfall, and everyone loves a waterfall. The short trail is uneven, but the keyword here is short.
The Wild Center
This is actually a first-class museum, and you have to pay admission to hike the trails here, but this museum is too fantastic not to visit. The trails here will let you experience a sampling of the Adirondacks without having to hike up a mountain.
Shelving Rock Falls
I hesitated to add this waterfall to the list for several reasons. First, you have to scramble over a section at the very beginning of large rocks. It isn’t a long section, but it could prove difficult for some. Then once you get to the Falls, the trail to the base is anything but flat. However, I added it to the list because the trail to the top of the Falls, where you can get a nice look at them, is flat as a pancake, and I can’t tell you how unusual that is in the Adirondacks.
Allegany Region
Just like the Adirondack Region, finding a flat trail in this area can be challenging but not impossible.
Rattlesnake Hill State Wildlife Management Area
This is a stunning natural area that has numerous flat hiking trails. Since this is a little off the beaten path, the trails are not groomed and are often muddy. Yet, this is one of the few places where you can hike for hours and not see another soul.
Thunder Rocks at Allegany State Park
This one might be a little bit of a stretch, but as far as the “rock city” giant conglomerate rock destinations, this is as flat as it’s going to get. There is a bit of hill going into Thunder Rocks, nothing too strenuous, a slight incline, and then the trail weaves between the giant outcroppings. Other than having to step over rocks here and there this trail is fairly flat.
Buffalo/Niagara Region
Buttermilk Falls at Hobuck Flats
The hike to the falls isn’t very far at all, about a 1-mile round trip. Head over the bridge (Make sure you stop and enjoy the view, it is fantastic from here) and hike along the creek. Keep your eyes peeled for a small trail that leads off to the left, which will take you to the base of Buttermilk Falls.
Akron Falls
Take a quick walk down the path to this beautiful waterfall. It is not exactly a hike, but the falls are gorgeous and totally worth the visit.
Barcelona Falls
Take a nice long beach stroll on this lovely sandy beach to a waterfall that flows directly into Lake Erie. I know walking in sand isn’t always ideal for your knees, but in the late fall and early winter, the sand is fairly hard-packed and easy to walk on.
Eighteen Mile Creek
A large portion of the main trail here is amazingly flat and gives hikers numerous lookout points with great views of the creek below. However, once you reach the first waterfall, the trail begins to descend into the creek.
Golden Hill State Park
There are several trails through this state park that take guests to several habitats. This is a quiet park that doesn’t get a lot of hiking traffic. Thus making it a great place to go if you are looking to avoid people.
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
There is nothing but flat hiking trails within the 10,828 acres of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. This is not just a nice place to stretch your legs but a great opportunity to view wildlife and migratory birds.
Holley Canal Falls Park
In addition to a gorgeous waterfall, there are tons of trails, and they were just awesome. Most of the trails were paved or at least graveled. However, when you get away from the canal, there are trails that wander through the woods. The paths aren’t as well-manicured, but they are, for the most part, dry and flat. The forest is beautiful, particularly in the fall when we visited. The magic part was how isolated and far we felt from the modern world.
Emery Park
This park has many trails, many of them mostly flat. The crown jewels of the park are the four stunning waterfalls. To see them involves a bit of hiking, but they are easy trails with very little elevation change. Bonus: This park has a lot of stone structures and natural beauty that rival the waterfalls.
Central Region
Beaver Lake
This place is a little off the beaten path but well worth the drive. The Nature Center is made up of over 600 acres of diverse habitats. With 9 miles of trails, this is a wonderful place to hike and reconnect with nature.
Richard A Noyes Bird Sanctuary
This bird sanctuary comes with some spectacular views of Lake Ontario, but the best part is that the trails to reach these amazing views are, for the most part, flat. There is a small elevation change; it is barely noticeable. This is such a peaceful place with trails that wind through the woods and along the shoreline and bluff.
Bowman Lake
This place is known as camper’s paradise, so naturally, the trails here are rustic and beautiful. There are several truly lovely trails here that are not only as flat as can be but have stunning scenery.
Chenango Valley State Park
This State Park is a bit of a hidden gem, which shocks me because it’s completely awesome. Among its many attractive attributes are some splendid hiking trails that bring hikers back into nature. If you decide to visit, make a point to visit the bog. It sounds awful, but it is really quite amazing.
Green Lake State Park
The Green Lake Trail is a 1.9-mile trail that circles the turquoise-colored lake the park is named. This exquisite trail has lots of photo opportunities, fishing spots, and places to rest.
Labrador Hollow
There are two great flat trails at Labrador Hollow Unique Area, the boardwalk, which takes visitors through wetlands and a pine forest and gives visitors a fantastic view of Labrador Pond, and the other to Tinker Falls, one of the shining highlights of Labrador Hollow Unique Area. This hanging waterfall is beautiful and easy to get to with a short 1/2-mile hike.
Great Bear Recreation Area
Great Bear Recreation Area is a fantastic location for those who enjoy spending time in nature. This vast park covers an area of 476 acres and offers visitors the opportunity to participate in a variety of outdoor activities. The park has a total of 53 trails, covering 16 miles, and most of them are flat and easy to navigate. When you’re in this park, it feels like you’re completely isolated in the wilderness.
Finger Lakes Regions
Beechwood State Park
There are tons of easily hikable trails at this abandoned girl scout camp. There are a few small hills near the lake, but nothing too tough. For the most part, the trails here are level.
Bergen Swamp
Bergen Swamp was the first place to be recognized as a National Natural Landmark in New York State. It is also home to 2,392 species of plants that have been found within the swamp. The area is especially known for its 36 varieties of orchids.
Canadice Lake Trail
This is a lovely trail that follows the far shoreline of Canadice Lake. This trail is stunning all year round, but most especially when the leaves are changing in the Autumn. There are also a few trails that also lead into the wetland area.
Casey Park
Casey Park has some beautiful trails. The loop trail that follows along the canal (which is a water-filled ore bed) is wide and flat on the park side of the canal. The other side is steep and narrow in places and definitely not good on the knees. However, there is enough trail (and a few new offshoots have been added) to allow for a nice hike.
Catherine Creek WMA
This wildlife management area has miles of flat trails that follow the wetland canals at the end of Seneca Lake. We found this area not only pretty but relatively bug-free.
Channing Philbrick
The trails at Channing Philbrick Park run along the creek, and numerous small trails lead right to the water, providing incredible vistas, including a waterfall. Several elevated wooden boardwalks look out over the water. The trails here are, for the most part, flat and wide.
Charles Sexton Memorial Park
The 1-mile paved path that circles the park is used for walking, jogging, bicycling, and is a popular place to walk dogs. The path is also equipped with LifeTrail Fitness Stops at several points along the 1-mile circuit. This is a lovely place for a leisurely walk.
Conesus Lake Inlet
There are numerous short trails in this area. They are all flat but can be muddy after heavy rain or in the early spring. This is a great place to spot nesting Bald Eagles.
Corbett Glen
There are a total of 2.3 miles of trails throughout Corbett’s Glen. The trails traverse numerous habitats such as wetlands, pine forests, and meadows. The trail also follows the creek for a bit, and there are places to see some small waterfalls that, while not large, are quite wide and really lovely.
Cornwall Preserve
New Trails keep popping up at this preserve all the time. The trails bring visitors through many different and beautiful habitats. However, the real draw to this gorgeous preserve is the stunning views of Lake Ontario. This is a fantastic place to catch a lakeside sunrise or sunset. The beach is rocky, so that isn’t great for bad knees, but several lookout areas along the lakeside trail are available.
County Line Falls
Waterfalls are always amazing places to visit, but unfortunately, they usually come with hikes down endless amounts of stairs or down steep hills. Not County Line Falls, or at least for one of the two waterfalls. The path to the falls is wooded and pretty but be prepared for mud if you visit in the early spring. Also, this waterfall is very dependent on the water table and only flows heavily after a heavy rain or in the spring runoff.
Emerson Park
This is a large park perched on the north end of Owasco Lake. There are tons of paved walkways that lead visitors through gardens and along the water. This is a lovely place for a morning stroll and watching the sun come up over the lake.
Finger Lakes National Forest
Of course, New York’s only National Forest would have incredible hiking trails, and the good news is that most of the 30 miles of hiking trails here are fairly flat.
Ganargua Creek Meadow Preserve
Take a stroll through the beautiful meadow at this nature preserve. There is almost no elevation change at Ganargua Meadow as long as you enter the preserve at Wilkinson Rd trailhead.
Harriett Hollister
Unfortunately, most of the trails are not flat and easy on the knee; however, the main road into the park is flat and leads visitors to one of the most incredible vistas in all the Finger Lakes.
Harris Whalen
This is not a large trail system, but it is a beautiful one. The wooded trails are just breathtaking and tranquil.
Huckleberry Swamp
Huckleberry Swamp is a little-known hidden gem in the heart of Wayne County. The nature preserve covers approximately 79 acres of wetland. A wooden boardwalk provides safe, dry access to swampland that is normally inaccessible to most people.
Ithaca Falls
It is a bit of a stretch to call this a hike, but it is a lovely short walk to a beautiful waterfall. There are a short set of steps leading down from the street, but after that, it is a straight flat stretch to the falls.
Keuka Lake Outlet
The Keuka Lake Outlet Trail is a unique trail that runs from Keuka Lake for 7 miles along the water flowing from the lake. There are several rapids and two large waterfalls along the trail. Don’t think you have to hike the entire 7 miles to see the waterfalls. There are several parking lots along the trail where you can walk a short distance to see the waterfalls or break up your hike into sections.
Kraai Preserve
This is a lovely, short, flat hike that follows the creek through the woods. Fun Fact: Over 30 species of wildflowers grow in this preserve.
Montezuma Heritage Park & Richmond Aqueduct Ruins
This is a magnificent hidden gem. There are 11 trails within the 160 acres of the Montezuma Heritage Park, and these trails are just incredibly beautiful and have an untamed wildness about them. Many of them are hollows within the woods, with wildflowers growing on the sides of the trails. I particularly liked the Seneca River Barge Canal Trail and Locketenders Trail. The trails at Montezuma Heritage Park are, for the most part, flat and easy. We were able to enjoy hiking through this park without encountering another person the entire time we were there.
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
The numerous flat trails throughout Montezuma allow visitors to immerse themselves in the natural wonders of this National Wildlife Refuge. If you are a bird watcher, this destination is a must-visit.
Oatka Creek Park
There are nine different trails (totaling over 6 miles in length) throughout the 461-acre park, making this a great place to hike. These trails traverse numerous habitats, such as woodlands, meadows, groves, and of course, alongside the creek. These trails are all flat, so it is a great place for those people with tricky knees and joints.
Ontario Pathways
The Ontario Pathway is a large rail-to-trail network with 25 miles of trails in Ontario County. This is a flat trail that is stroller friendly and easy to walk. There are benches every so often for those who need to take a break. There are numerous trails across the county but the one that really stands out is the Phelps stretch of the Ontario Pathways, because of the waterfalls.
Otisco Shores Conservation Area
This lovely preserve has lots of flat, grass-covered trails that lead down to the Otisco Lakeshore. Not only is this hike easy on the knees, but it’s also easy on the lungs too. The trails are fairly short and you really don’t have to exert yourself to enjoy a beautiful view of the Lake and the rolling hills on the other side.
Owasco Flats
This is an easy hike on flat ground. Perfect for any skill level. The path is wide and grassy from the parking lot down to the water. From that point forward, it thins out considerably and twists and turns through the high grass. It follows the water all the way down to the lake. There are places along the trail where there is a boardwalk.
Palmyra Wetlands Nature Trail
This hike through the wetlands is beautiful! The main trail is a flat, wide gravel path that travels right between two of the wetland areas. This trail is less than a 1/2 mile and will take guests all the way to the Palmyra Aquaduct Park. The loop trail (off the main trail- also flat) takes visitors around the largest wetland area. This trail is quite narrow but surrounded by woods making it very peaceful and a great place to spot wildlife.
Rotary Park
There is a 1.4-mile trail at Rotary Park that follows Honeoye Creek. The trail is flat and well-groomed. There are plenty of places along the trail where the trees open up, and you get exquisite views of Honeoye Creek. This trail is really spectacular in the fall.
Sampson State Park
This park is a former military base that has been allowed to grow wild again. The paved roads have filled in with trees, creating hollows. This is a beautiful place to hike and enjoy nature. We visited in the middle of October and were shocked to find tons of wildflowers and astonishingly lilac bushes in bloom, mixed in with the beautiful fall colors.
Shadow Pines Property
This property was once a golf course that has now been allowed to grow wild. As this was previously a golf course, many of the paved cart paths still remain. Although, many of them are crumbling or just suddenly end. However, If you are looking for a nice, quiet place to stroll on (mostly) flat paths, the north side of the golf course fits the bill quite nicely. The paths weave through old trees and fields of wildflowers for a peaceful and idyllic setting for a walk.
Sterling Nature Center
More than 11 trails at the Sterling Nature Center will take you through lots of different habitats. It was unbelievable how much diversity lay within the borders of this preserve. The trails that lead to the lakeshore are steep; however, the others within the preserve are mostly flat and lead to some incredibly beautiful nature areas, such as the Blue Heron Rookery.
Taughannock Falls State Park
The main trail to the falls is completely flat and wide. It runs along the creek and leads right up to the base of the falls. It is spectacular no matter what time of year you visit.
Tinker Nature Park
Tinker Nature Park encompasses 68 acres and has over 2 miles of flat and easy trails to traverse, even for the littlest feet. These trails weave through the woods and wetlands as well as around the outer edge of the woods and in the meadow. What blew me away about this park was the vast amount of wildlife.
Thousand Acre Swamp
The Thousand Acre Swamp is a beautiful natural preserve of wetlands owned by The Nature Conservancy. We love to hike here when we want to take a short hike that only lasts a few hours. It also does not require a lot of stamina. The terrain is flat, and the trails are relatively short. It is a great hike for when you want to get out in nature but isn’t up for an all-out trek.
Vitale Park
This is a lovely park on Conesus Lake with flat paths that wander along the lakeside and through gardens.
Wolcott Falls
This waterfall can be seen from above at the parking area, but you need to hike down to it to really appreciate it. The trail is initially steep but levels off quickly. It is also extremely short.
Zurich Bog
Zurich Bog is so completely different than anywhere else that we have visited in New York State. We spent much of our time hiking here in a state of awe and kept commenting about how beautiful it was and how cool the habitats were. There are several different stunning habitats within this National Natural Landmark.
Thousand Islands
Black Pond
The drive back to the parking area at Black Pond is long and dusty. Black Pond WMA is 90% boardwalk through scenic woods and wetlands, making for an easy, flat hike. We visited in late spring and didn’t find this area to be particularly buggy.
El Dorado Beach Preserve
HIke through multiple habitats filled with wildlife to a sandy beach paradise. This is an incredible destination that will blow your mind. There are several habitats that hikers will experience before reaching the beach.
Kring Point
Morgan Island is a magnificent place connected to Kring Point by a pedestrian bridge. We have visited a few times, and each time we have had the pleasure of having the entire island to ourselves. A hiking trail runs the island’s length with little offshoots that take you down to the water and beautiful rocky shore. The island isn’t huge, but it really is peaceful and lovely.
Mexico Point
The only trail is on Spy Island. This is a pretty hike that is a little less than a mile, and it leads out to a small island at the river. The trail runs partially along the Little Salmon River and leads to the grave of a Revolutionary War hero.
Robert Wehle St Park
This is one of my favorite hikes in all of New York State. The trail that runs along the cliff over Lake Ontario is incredible, with multiple stunning vistas. While the trail might be long a one, it is absolutely flat and very easy. This is a cliffside trail; I wouldn’t advise bringing small children here.
Salmon River Falls
The trail along the rim of Salmon River Falls is so flat that it is wheelchair accessible. There are some great views of the river and the falls from this trail.
Scenic View
This really isn’t a hike, but it does let you stroll along the St. Lawerance River and enjoy amazing views of Boldt Castle. The park at the end of the boardwalk is also beautiful, with numerous gardens and places to enjoy watching the ships passing through.
Westcott Beach
Most of the hiking trails are located across the street(Route 3) from the park. There are approximately 3.2 miles of hiking trails in total, but you can also stroll along the beach, which is really beautiful.