Hempstead is a region in New York characterized by its diverse natural landscapes, offering a variety of outdoor activity opportunities. Its geography encompasses unique features such as the Hempstead Plains, a rare prairie ecosystem, alongside extensive parklands and wooded preserves. The area provides varied terrain, from tranquil freshwater lakes and coastal waterways to challenging trails in former sand mining areas, making it suitable for several sports like mountain biking, road cycling, hiking, touring cycling, and more. This combination of natural…
80
Routes
4.6
(77)
Average rating
786
People visited

4.0
(8)
35
hikers
4.41km
01:11
50m
50m
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(8)
49
hikers
14.6km
03:48
100m
100m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

38
hikers
3.77km
00:58
10m
10m
Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

4
hikers
12.4km
03:14
80m
80m
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
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4.3
(7)
13
riders
30.7km
02:16
280m
280m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.

4.7
(12)
35
riders
18.1km
01:17
190m
190m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Advanced riding skills necessary.

4.0
(4)
22
riders
14.5km
01:04
170m
170m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Advanced riding skills necessary.

5.0
(1)
9
riders
47.2km
02:45
310m
310m
Moderate mountain bike ride. Good fitness required. Suitable for all skill levels.
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50
riders
49.1km
02:08
400m
400m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

49
riders
59.2km
02:41
600m
600m
Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

4.7
(3)
34
riders
42.8km
01:49
280m
280m
Easy road ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

29
riders
19.2km
00:49
150m
150m
Easy road ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.
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5.0
(2)
26
riders
39.0km
02:17
250m
250m
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(1)
17
riders
25.2km
01:32
200m
200m
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

6
riders
14.7km
00:55
150m
150m
Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5.0
(2)
6
riders
44.8km
02:41
280m
280m
Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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5.0
(1)
20
runners
9.35km
01:07
70m
70m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

14
runners
6.09km
00:38
30m
30m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

9
runners
13.8km
01:38
100m
100m
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5
runners
Moderate run. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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5.0
(1)
6
riders
89.4km
05:32
380m
380m
Hard gravel ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

8
riders
6.45km
00:21
40m
40m
Easy gravel ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

2
riders
45.8km
03:03
230m
230m
Moderate gravel ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

5
riders
24.7km
01:31
100m
100m
Easy gravel ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
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Hempstead offers a variety of outdoor activities, including Mountain biking, Road cycling, Hiking, Touring cycling, Jogging, and Gravel biking. The region features diverse landscapes such as parks, preserves, and unique prairie remnants.
Mountain biking trails are available at Hempstead Lake State Park and Hempstead Harbor Woods. These locations offer trails with varying difficulty levels. More information can be found in the MTB Trails around Hempstead guide.
Hiking trails are found in Hempstead Lake State Park and Hempstead Harbor Woods. Hempstead Lake State Park features a scenic walking trail around its lake. For more details, consult the Hiking around Hempstead guide.
Yes, Hempstead provides dedicated cycling paths such as the Alley Pond Park Greenway and the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway Bike Path. Eisenhower Park also contributes to the cycling infrastructure. Guides like Road Cycling Routes around Hempstead and Cycling around Hempstead offer route information.
Hempstead Lake State Park offers several trails suitable for various skill levels, including West Single Track, East Single Track, Hempstead Lake Bridle Trail (Red), Purple Trail, and Wetland Blue Trail. Hempstead Harbor Woods also has green (easy) rated trails.
Hempstead Harbor Woods features trails ranging from blue square to black diamond and double black diamond, providing challenges for experienced riders. Trails like "Quail Loop," "Hexxus," and "Entrance Exam" are among the more difficult options.
Key locations include Hempstead Lake State Park with its 100-acre lake, Hempstead Harbor Woods, and the ecologically significant Hempstead Plains. The region also has numerous other parks, wetlands, and coastal waterways for outdoor leisure.
Hempstead's outdoor routes have attracted more than 21,000 visitors on komoot. The 7 available routes have an average rating of 4.66 out of 5 stars, based on over 1,800 ratings.
Komoot offers several guides for Hempstead, including MTB Trails around Hempstead, Road Cycling Routes around Hempstead, Hiking around Hempstead, and Gravel biking around Hempstead.
The official website for the Town of Hempstead is hempsteadny.gov. For general inquiries, the main phone number is 516-489-5000. The Office of Tourism can be reached at 516-812-3601.
Hempstead Lake State Park features bridle trails for horseback riding, biking, and hiking. Specific mountain bike trails include West Single Track, East Single Track, Hempstead Lake Bridle Trail (Red), Purple Trail, and Wetland Blue Trail. A scenic walking trail also encircles the lake.
The terrain in Hempstead Harbor Woods, a site of former sand mining operations, includes sandy sections and areas with pure clay. The clay sections can become slippery after rain. Trails vary in difficulty from green (easy) to double black diamond.
The Hempstead Plains is the only naturally occurring prairie east of the Allegheny Mountains. It is a significant ecological site, preserving native prairie habitat and supporting species like the federally endangered sandplain gerardia. The Hempstead Plains Interpretive Center offers educational programs.

