New York · Hiking · Near New Windsor

Breakneck Bypass Trail (Red)

Breakneck Bypass Trail (Red)Photo: alecperkins, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
0.8 mi
round trip
944 ft
climb
1,178 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Apr–Oct
best months

Breakneck Bypass Trail (Red) is a moderate out-and-back hike in New York's Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, managed by State Park and Recreation. The trail is about 0.8 miles long, and the round trip climbs about 944 feet, with the steepest stretch at roughly 0.5 miles in, where the grade reaches 29%. The high point is 1,178 feet, and the route starts at about 413 feet. The climb is front-loaded, so the most intense part comes early. The trip takes about an hour, and the trail is a short, focused outing rather than a long day on foot. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at West Point put May highs around 72°F and September highs around 76°F, though that station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. Several other trails lie close by. Undercliff Trail is about 0.6 miles away, and Breakneck Ridge Trail (White) and Nimham Trail are each about 0.7 miles off. Storm King Mountain, a climbing area, is about 1.8 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Fahnestock Group Campsite 1 and 2

    Campground

    Campground · 5.9 mi from the trail

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)

More in New Windsor

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Oct

    Best time to visit Breakneck Bypass Trail (Red)

    Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      36° / 21°

      10 wet · 3 snow

    2. Feb

      39° / 22°

      8 wet · 3 snow

    3. Mar

      47° / 30°

      10 wet · 2 snow

    4. Apr

      60° / 41°

      10 wet

    5. May

      72° / 51°

      12 wet

    6. Jun

      80° / 60°

      11 wet

    7. Jul

      85° / 65°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      83° / 64°

      9 wet

    9. Sep

      76° / 57°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      63° / 46°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      51° / 36°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      41° / 27°

      10 wet · 2 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at West Point, NY, 4.4 mi away at 320 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Undercliff TrailPhoto: Jeffrey Pang from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Undercliff Trail

~1 min drive

Point-to-point cliff-base hike featuring dramatic rock formations.

Breakneck Ridge Trail (White)Photo: Jeffrey Pang from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Breakneck Ridge Trail (White)

~1 min drive

Steep point-to-point ridge hike with rocky scrambles and Hudson River views.

Bypass TrailPhoto: Rym, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bypass Trail

~3 min drive

A brief point-to-point trail under a mile in New York.

Nimham TrailPhoto: Jeffrey Pang from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Nimham Trail

~1 min drive

Nimham Trail is a 0.52-mile point-to-point trail in New York.

Stillman TrailPhoto: MonikaMurren, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Stillman Trail

~3 min drive

A scenic 2-mile point-to-point trail through New York woodland.

Cornish TrailPhoto: New York Public Library, No restrictions (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cornish Trail

~1 min drive

2.52-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 649 ft gain

Bluebird TrailPhoto: New York Public Library, No restrictions (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bluebird Trail

~3 min drive

0.60-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 548 ft gain.

Brook TrailPhoto: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Brook Trail

~2 min drive

0.63-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 324 ft gain

Highlands TrailPhoto: New York Public Library, No restrictions (via Wikimedia Commons)

Highlands Trail

~3 min drive

1.02-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 186 ft gain.

Notch Trail (Blue)Photo: alecperkins, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Notch Trail (Blue)

~2 min drive

2.11-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 610 ft gain

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors