We Out (Philipa) guided a 10 person group to Hudson Highlands State Park and summited Bull Hill…read morewith an elevation of 1,421 feet in Cold Spring NY. I don't know what kind of hiker I would consider myself as I regularly hike a few of the Delaware Gap Appalachian trails and recently completed Lemon Squeeze in NY. I know a good tour guide when I see one though. Philipa built a full experience for the group, from getting to the mountain (public transportation, GPS if driving), what to pack, how to dress, fitness level suggestions, snack/lunch suggestions and weather updates. Even though the weather for our trip would not qualify for a regular summer day in July I felt prepared and mentally I had a great attitude (which I contributed to the preparedness). At the mountain Philipa went through basic necessities (bathroom uses), pacing and safety precautions. She also gave us information about the mountain which is the only reason I know exactly where I hiked and how high I climbed. We stopped the amount of times the group needed to and she built connections to the mountain giving us some historical information. After the hike we stopped in town for some ice cream and snacks. Overall I feel as each activity would be different as each mountain/trail provides different experiences. But for review purposes what I want to leave you with is that Philipa will not lead the 1st timer astray, an expert will learn at least 1 new fact and she caters each experience to the area. You will not regret it!!! You will love your experience!

Took Metronorth to Cold Spring, NY where we hiked the Hudson Highlands State Park. Our guide…read morePhilippa was amazing. She was so knowledgeable and shared so much with us. It felt great to meet new people and share this experience with them all. The climb to the summited Bull Hill aka Mt. Taurus with an elevation of 1,421′ was awesome. We got a small shower but it was refreshing. The meditation at the top was icing on this delicious cake. Philippa even shared with us the land we travelled which belonged to the Munsee, Lenape & Wappinger native people. That was so interesting to know. Highly recommend We Out for your hiking experience. It's great for all level hikers. Definitely signing up for future hikes with We Out!!!!

Ruff Hikers is the absolute best thing you can do for your dog! I've never seen my pup Rudy jump up…read moreand down and lose his mind as much as he does when he sees Monika. She is so genuinely excited to care for your dogs and provide the best enrichment possible: being outside in nature. Monika runs with the pups through the woods and plays a ton of games with them. Rudy is not only physically tired but mentally wiped out when he gets home. I've brought Rudy to other daycares, etc. before and he never reacts the way he does when he sees Monika. Once he is with her there's no looking back -- he jumps right in her car with her! Which is crazy since he's attached to me. I can count on one hand the number of people I'm comfortable leaving Rudy with and Monika is at the top of the list. She makes you and your pup feel like you're the only ones in the world, pays attention to detail for their care and truly loves them and plays with them. A lot of dog care centers turn into a money grab but I know Monika truly cares for and loves all of the dogs she has. I've never experienced a better care for my pup. She is the BEST!!

From the owner: Ruff Hikers provides city canines with the outdoor experience their primitive desires call for. Our…read morehikes offer great physical exercise for dogs and help to boost their overall well-being. Your dog will come home happy and tired at the end of each hiking day!

The Pat Dolan Trail, also known as the Willow Lake Trail, seems to be unknown and unused. I am the…read morefirst reviewer here on Yelp. I added an entry separate from Flushing Meadows, because this is the swampy area to the south of the developed part. People coming here would be someplace very different than there, and vice versa of course. This is heavily wooded and runs across Willow Lake. The first time I tried to access this trail, when I moved to Queens, I was not able to find it. The foliage had grown up around the path. My phone map also did not offer the best directions. But somebody must have cleared out or trimmed back what was obscuring my view, and perhaps the phone has acquired more data. The directions were clear. At either entry point, there is a pedestrian bridge over the respective highway. Basically, if you don't know where you are headed, you will need your phone, these notes, or persistence. Now that I am familiar with it, I anticipate using this regularly. I could see hiking this for fun. I used it as a walker trying to make my way from Kew Gardens Hills, where I live, over to Forest Hills, where the subway, LIRR, and restaurants are. It took a good 40 minutes, but if you value the exercise and break, with an opportunity to be far enough into the wilderness you can neither see nor hear traffic, this is worthwhile. I saw one other person. The path was muddy from rain, but not impassable; you would not do this in nice clothes. There is another route for me from Kew Gardens Hills to Forest Hills (and the other way around), which is on Jewel. From where I work, that is closer. But from my home, it would be another half mile, and while I enjoy running, this is utilitarian, about commuting on foot. Jewel also has lots of traffic and two dangerous moments with highway on/off ramps. I'm also a biker. I believe you could bike this. It wouldn't be the best route. By bike, I'd still use Jewel. The last note concerns safety. When I got lost, I wandered around Willow Lake. There was evidence of a couple of encampments, probably in active use. So I am led to believe there may be a few people living in these environs. I also would assume if you were jumped, it would be a real problem given how isolated it is. So you should be aware of your surroundings, and if you are nervous then this is not for you.

First time on this trail. I stepped in a deep mud puddle at first and almost quit but I am so happy…read moreI didn't. Nice peaceful trail with tranquil lake views.

If parks were male or female this park is a Female. It is confusing!!!!!…read more Is huge and large across Queens, there are many different areas, the are MANY different Entrances. So, is more likely you need to walk it a lot to figure out which are the good spots. It is divided by the Jackie Robinson Parkway and other big streets that cross it. So while walking one section, We had to stop as we run into one of those huge streets and didn't want to cross over. The Air was fresh and Amazing as it should be, so I didn't want to drive out 2 hours for a park, this one did it, it gave me the right amount of fresh air for a day. There are many people walking and running, so one never feels alone in it. There is also a Golf area available.

Booked a group for my partner and I to explore Breakneck Ridge and we were not disappointed. Mike…read morewas standing there at the Metro-north train platform to greet all us adventurers, had us sign waivers, asked if we needed water, then led us to the trail. He was considerate in slowing down and waiting for some people who had difficulty going up the 'scramble' parts or down the steep dirt paths. He was nice to talk to and discussed a lot of other hikes that he did with his company and on his own for leisure. I felt safe with him and enjoyed the trip that I would definitely recommend this tour group company.

I have to say that a trip is only as good as the people that you travel with. My father and I were…read morelucky enough to have Mike with Grey Fox Guiding Company takes us camping this past weekend. From the start Mike worked with us to ascertain our comfort and skill level, what we wanted to do, and a timeline. We went to Echo lake near Woodstock and every step was worth the final payoff. Not only did Mike put together a phenomenal trip that will stand out for a long time, I know that I will be using Grey Fox Guiding company again in the future.

This place is huge!!!! Visit and buy a membership and go often! The staff is kind, dedicated and…read moreknowledgeable! Sign up for a program or hike today!

This is a wonderful place to bring the whole family. They have about 12 different trails, all…read moreseparated in different levels of difficulty. The trails are free to enter but they do request for volunteer donation for non members. Different tiers of annul membership available to purchase at main office that comes with some wonderful perks, such as free access to trails and special events. The main office also has some of the exhibition items like insect box and turtle box. Outside the office there's also bird and butterfly cages. We went to the center for our daughter to participate in butterfly feeding event. Upon arrival we found out we had to buy the tickets for one of the two scheduled events. Luckily there were slots available to the second event on the day. The ticket was reasonably cheap, only $8. It also came with an additional bird's exhibition that took place right in front of office deck. All the stuff members were very friendly, informative and interactive. We spent wonderful couple of hours here on beautiful warm summer day.

Have to thank Dave for a great time on the hiking and brewery trip! The outing was very well…read moreorganized, with Dave being the driver, tour guide, and lunch maker all in one. He is very knowledgeable about the area where we went (Delaware water gap) and knew the hiking trail well too. I like how the size of the group wasn't too big so it was easier to get to know more people. Everyone was really excited to get some nice fresh air and exercise and of course visit a brewery! The hike was a moderate trail with some bigger hills up and down and a lot of rocks to watch your footing on. After the hike we were all hungry and ready for some beer. We stopped at Jersey Girl brewing where we all had flights and got a little tour of the place where all the action happens! The only criticism I have is with the lunch. It was very simple: chips, pickles, and homemade sandwiches with meat and cheese. There were a few vegetarian options but it was very heavy on the bread overall. I would love to see some kind of healthier alternative like a quinoa or lentil dish, which I would be happy to help with!

I did the Halloween Hike and Brew and it was amazing! So much fun and Dave is such a great guide…read moreand conversationalist with everyone. Dave was very easy to find since he sent us an email letting us know exactly where he'll be. From there, he drove the whole group in a van with awesome coffee for everyone. Once we arrived, we all got sandwiches Dave packed for us all and was off to seriously such a great hike. Dave made sure nobody from the group was left behind. Once the whole hike was done, we drove over to the brewery and Dave got pizza for everyone. Such a great time and arrived back at the time we expected Definitely would recommend and can't wait to go on another adventure!!

Northeastern & mid-Atlantic US - my 200th review and the honor goes to an organization that's close…read moreto my heart, the Appalachian Mountain Club! I can't believe there aren't more reviews for the AMC, and I don't mean the movie theater. This is the BEST organization if you love the outdoors and live in the northeast! I belong to the NY-NJ chapter (https://amc-ny.org) but AMC has 11 local chapters also in CT, DE, MA, ME, NH, RI, and the Potomac region (DC, MA, VA). AMC is the oldest outdoor club in the United States, and works to support and promote outdoor recreation & education, and environmental stewardship. The organization is filled with wonderful and dedicated people. Its trained leaders and volunteers organize SO many hiking, camping, backpacking, paddling, biking, rock climbing, skiing, snowshoeing, sailing. etc. trips; as well as offer instructional & skills courses, wilderness first aid certification, and fun outdoor events accessible to everyone and at all levels of aptitude - and mostly for free or at low cost! They also offer incredible guided adventure travel and trekking all around the world to places like Patagonia, the Himalayas, Scotland, Switzerland, Canada, US national parks, Italy, Greece, southeast Asia, the Balkans, Africa, New Zealand, Fiji, etc. etc. You don't have to be a member to join most of the activities, events and trainings, but membership gets you a significant discount to paid events and trips, as well as 20% off lodging at their huts, cabins, and campsites, and on AMC books/maps & merch. We have a family membership and it's totally worth it. I've stayed in several of their lodgings but am particularly fond of the Harriman Outdoors Center here in Rockland County, NY - you can rough it or glamp, as it has excellent facilities, and FABULOUS food at their dining hall if you don't wish to give up your creature comforts while taking in some nature. Events can be searched on their website: https://www.outdoors.org/adventures/ (There's also a way to set up an activities digest email to get notified of new postings, but I leave that for the devoted to find. ;)) The NY-NJ leaders also post many of their hikes and other events on Meetup.com so you can look there for activities to join as well. There is also a young members group for under 40s. The groups are very active and often organize multiple events per week. All are welcome! By the way I don't work for AMC - I'm just a very passionate member and advocate and outdoor enthusiast, and think more people should know about them! (Even as I want to keep this best kept secret to myself lol.)

AMC is a great way to get active outdoors. Beyond the low membership fee, there are ways to…read morecontribute to the organizations conservation mission. www.outdoors.org

I had a really great time with Dynamic Outdoors when I went rock climbing on Oct 16, 2010…read more The day was brisk and apparently the best type of weather for climbing. We went to the "gunks" which was a short van ride from the city. I went with my bf and a friend and it was really nice. We got to explore around and take our time with the rocks. There were different instructors, some who explained more thoroughly what to do (i.e. where to put your feet/hands) while others let you explore. They included all equipment: helmets, shoes, ropes, harnesses, belay. glad they did because i smacked my head not once, but TWICE on my first climb. i heard the guy belaying me got a real kick outta that - TWICE. We got to climb the rocks at our leisure and as beginners I think we got a great variety of ones to choose from. The hike up to the rocks was a workout in itself. Overall we had a great time together and are in the process of finding another activity to do with DO because it's a deal for things we couldn't normally do. ice climbing anyone? :)

Have to share my experience after the rock climbing trip in the Gunks. I was right about being in…read moregood hands and tons of fun. I am still giddy about it!!! Igor and Alex were awesome. They were patient and encouraging and pushed me to challenge myself. So glad I did, Finished a 5.8 at the end with Jason belaying without using the cheater block or hanging on the rope and as clean as I could muster at the end of the day. Finger tips and toes are hurting a bit but I couldn't wipe the smile off my face the whole drive home! So now the question lies, do I go to the Labor Day Caving/Hike/Camp/Rock Climbing trips next, or do I go for the Level 5 White Water Rafting in Gaulie??? Arrrgghh, so wish I could go to both!