Trust for Public Land Planned Long Island Trail
The 200-mile project aims to connect Manhattan to Montauk via new pedestrian and bicycle paths.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Hiking
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The Trust for Public Land initiated a 200-mile trail project in 2018 to link Manhattan to Montauk. This ambitious route traverses Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau County, and Suffolk County.
Why it matters
The project serves to increase pedestrian and bicycle access to local parks, downtown areas, and public transit systems. It also functions as a strategic expansion of the 750-mile Empire State Trail.
The proposed route spans nearly 200 miles across five development sections. This project utilizes existing electric transmission rights-of-way to create new off-road paths.
The players
The Trust for Public Land
This nonprofit organization focuses on creating parks and protecting land for public use across the United States.
The details
Developers collaborated with various county officials and local community groups to identify the specific route. The trail intends to repurpose infrastructure corridors to create safe transit and recreational connections.
Timeline
The project began in 2018 with initial route mapping.
Culture Shift
This project reflects a broader societal shift toward prioritizing sustainable infrastructure and active transportation in urban and suburban corridors. By integrating with the Empire State Trail, it expands a regional movement focused on connecting dense population hubs with recreational space.
Residents across Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk County will gain new, off-road access to parks and downtown centers. The trail provides commuters and families with a dedicated route for cycling and walking throughout Long Island.
The takeaway
Large-scale trail projects require significant collaboration between nonprofits, local governments, and community groups to repurpose existing land rights. Readers can track the progress of such local infrastructure projects to identify new recreational opportunities in their own regions.
Further reading
Find more information on local outdoor initiatives in the New York Hiking section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Suffolk Times.
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