Running in NYC: Hudson River Greenway to Inwood?

April 30, 2014 1:22 PM

Planning a trip to Manhattan soon. I'll be staying in the Meatpacking District, and am thinking about taking a long run one day up to the Inwood Hill Park along the Hudson River Greenway. My friend who runs that path regularly isn't sure whether it goes that far, so I'm wondering if anyone familiar with the area knows if you can go all the way to the northern tip of the island along that path. Also, any tips about water, bathrooms, or general "heads up" info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
posted by ChrisTN to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

Yes, you can do this, but you need to do some crazy things to get up there. After the George Washington Bridge (by the little red lighthouse) you need to go up the winding path and sort of backtrack a block or so before getting back on the path. It's a pretty steep and winding half mile or so back onto the path, but then after another few miles you'll get to Fort Tryon Park and ultimately Inwood Park.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:40 PM on April 30, 2014 [1 favorite]

It does go up just about that far. It ends basically at the intersection of Riverside Drive and the Henry Hudson Parkway in a weird little staircase.

I have used it to commute from the Bronx to the Battery and it is definitely bikeable and surely can be used to run as well. I biked it early, early in the morning and would not recommend running it alone in the early morning dark. Other than that, it is a really nice path. Stopping at the Harlem Fairway supermarket would be nice.
posted by sciencegeek at 1:41 PM on April 30, 2014 [1 favorite]

There is a mini-extension that's worth it if you really want to go from tip to tip.

Once you exit the greenway proper via the weird little staircase, you will be at the intersection of Riverside Dr. and Staff St. Go one block north on Staff St. (north is your only option) until you hit Dyckman. Turn left (go west) on Dyckman St., toward the river, until you hit a parking lot. http://goo.gl/maps/sTfFv Part of this area is a private bar. There's a public restroom in an old power station. Poke around a little to get to a public pier out on the river.

Then (better marked now than in the Google Maps shot) there is a beautiful flat path of about a mile, right along the river.

None of this is dangerous during the day.

While you are on the little path of about a mile, which is part of Inwood Hill Park, you will see a pedestrian bridge over some railroad tracks. Can't miss it. This bridge leads you into the wooded part of Inwood Hill Park. I personally (female) would only go there alone on a weekend day, when there are tons of runners. Everything up until this point is fine on weekdays, too.

Continue north on the path in the wooded section of the park. This will take you right under the Henry Hudson, within spitting distance, I hate to say, of Spuyten Duyvil. See the trail map here (PDF).

If you want, you can then easily proceed through Inwood Hill Park down to one of the exits near the Dyckman St. A.
posted by 8603 at 3:42 PM on April 30, 2014 [1 favorite]

One thing I wish I had known before running that path: There's about 40 blocks between 70th and 110th St. where you are locked in to the riverside path, with the Hudson on one side and the West Side Highway on the other. There's no way inland if you have an emergency. (This has only been an issue for me once, though.)
posted by greenland at 5:24 PM on April 30, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Excellent info. Thanks for your help, everyone!
posted by ChrisTN at 7:05 PM on April 30, 2014

Greenland is not exactly correct on the path access. The stretch is between 103 and 125th, where you can't get across the highway into Riverside Park proper. South of 103rd, there are regular crossings. I have lived in the area for 12 years and don't consider any of that part of the path sketchy.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:45 PM on April 30, 2014 [2 favorites]