New York · Hiking

Champlain Valley Trail (Peebles Island State Park to Halfmoon)

Champlain Valley Trail (Peebles Island State Park to Halfmoon)Photo: PunkToad, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
5.5 mi
one way
80 ft
climb
102 ft
high point
Point to point
route
Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct
best months

The Champlain Valley Trail from Peebles Island State Park to Halfmoon is a 5.5-mile point-to-point hike in New York, about half a mile from the town of Waterford. It is a moderate route with a total elevation gain of 80 feet, so it stays mostly flat, and the steepest stretch comes early, around 0.5 miles in, with a 7% grade. Bikes are allowed on this section, which makes it a good option for riders as well as hikers. The trail runs from Peebles Island State Park to Halfmoon, and it links easily with other parts of the Champlain Valley Trail network. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Troy show May highs around 73°F and September highs around 77°F, with July the warmest month at about 86°F. The Champlain Valley Trail (Albany to Waterford) lies about 2.4 miles away, and the Halfmoon to Schuylerville section is about 5.1 miles off. The Bird Watching Loop and Forts Ferry Loop are both within about 6 miles.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct

    Best time to visit Champlain Valley Trail (Peebles Island State Park to Halfmoon)

    Best months: April–June and August–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

      34° / 17°

      10 wet

    2. Feb

      37° / 18°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      46° / 26°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      60° / 38°

      11 wet

    5. May

      73° / 49°

      12 wet

    6. Jun

      81° / 59°

      11 wet

    7. Jul

      86° / 64°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      84° / 62°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      77° / 54°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      64° / 43°

      11 wet

    11. Nov

      51° / 33°

      11 wet

    12. Dec

      40° / 25°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Troy L&D, NY, 2.5 mi away at 15 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Bird Watching LoopPhoto: PunkToad, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Forts Ferry LoopPhoto: ke9tv, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Forts Ferry Loop

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Power Line TrailPhoto: Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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~15 min drive

0.64-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 61 ft gain

Blue TrailPhoto: Dougtone, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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~15 min drive

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors