Palisades Interstate Park Trail — Attraction in Alpine

Palisades Park Hike – A Scenic and Fun Loop Trail Experience

We had a great time hiking at Palisades Park! The drive was smooth, and we found plenty of parking available near the entrance. Parking meters are located close to the café, and once you get your parking ticket, be sure to place it visibly inside your car.

The hiking trail is mostly well-marked and offers a fun and fairly easy loop, though it includes some adventurous terrain. The path starts off gently, leading down to the river, where you can enjoy a short scenic walk along the shoreline. Soon, you’ll come across a sign warning hikers about the upcoming boulder field, also known as the Giant Stairs. At this point, hikers can choose to either continue or return the way they came.

We chose to continue—and we’re glad we did! The Giant Stairs are essentially a boulder scramble, and they’re a lot of fun if you're up for the challenge. The climb begins with a short stretch of rocks, followed by a brief hike, and then another longer section of boulders.

🔹 Tip: During the second stretch, stay toward the upper side—this is where the trail markings are most visible. We mistakenly followed the river briefly and had to climb back up to find the correct path.

After completing the second boulder section, the trail continues smoothly and remains well-marked until you reach a large boulder, where the markings appear to end. Don't worry—keep following the path downhill, and it will lead you parallel to the river. Along the way, you’ll see a board facing the opposite direction, marking the start of the Giant Stairs for hikers coming the other way.

Continue past this board and soon you’ll reach the Blue Trail sign, which marks the final uphill stretch leading back to the parking lot. This trail forms a loop, with the descent taking you to the river and the climb bringing you back to where you began.

Final Thoughts

Duration: Moderate; allow 2–3 hours for the full loop depending on pace and stops.

Trail Type: Loop

Difficulty: Moderate, with a challenging boulder section in the middle

Best for: Hikers who enjoy varied terrain and a bit of scrambling

Essentials: Good shoes with grip, water, and a willingness to climb!

Highly recommend this trail if you're looking for a mix of river views, fun climbs, and a satisfying loop that brings you right back...

This our 3rd time here, the first time was we walked from Gov. Cuomo Bridge (more than 3 miles walk, just the bridge itself) to Palisades. We finished the bridge a lil late, and too tired. So we just decided to just go back next time. 2nd one, was we just stop over just for lookout coz we just saw it when we’re otw to Woodbury outlet. And 3rd, finally we able to hiked it!!!!

Best trail that’s near New York City. Its just less than an hour drive.

We finished the loop on Giant Stairs, it was a less than 3hrs hike. When we check it on AllTrails app it said that loop was a hard hike, and it is. Not recommended for kids (maybe on the other trail/s, BUT NOT on Giant Stairs. (We haven’t been on other trails tho, so not really sure). Also not recommended for pets, just leave them at home. I mean, I’ve seen a lot of people with dogs, but they ended up carrying them, even the bigger dogs. Coz if its hard for normal people, its harder for them coz its really rocky and a lil slippery. For real. Its kinda looks like Breakneck Ridge without the heights and nice views. 🥵😅

If you’re tired of boring foot trails and wants to try to be a lil adventurous, but don’t have the energy to drive upstate NY, this the best place for you!

PS: wear hiking...

This is absolutely the worst possible hiking experience I have ever had. The trail is very misguided and dangerous for the public. I had climbed the giant steps of rocks, continued up the steps to the point where I was no longer on any trail due to limited amount of signs (direction) and the parks misguidance. At that point I was involved in a rock slide while hanging from a tree that was on the side of the cliff. I was not able to look for assistance from anyone working at the establishment, because there is basically no one who works for the park. I honestly could’ve gotten very injured during that moment because of the park’s misguidance and inability to make the safety of the public a priority. I was basically lost for 4 hours and couldn’t find a way out. Later that day when I arrived home, I find out that someone had found human remains on the premises. I also looked through a few more articles involving the trail, and they included missing people, attacks, deaths, etc. I recommend this park getting shut down to the inability to prioritize the safety of the public by the city of palisades and the state...