Organizations throughout the Northeast build new trails every year. Short segments create connections that never before existed. Larger projects provide new opportunities for multi-day hikes. Hundreds—or thousands—of hours of hard labor go into these projects.

Among the many impressive ongoing trail projects in the Northeast, a new stretch of the Appalachian Trail in New York stands out. Half a million people a year visit the peak of Bear Mountain in the Hudson Valley, just an hour outside of Manhattan. An estimated 200,000 hikers annually explore the 18 miles of AT that stretch through Bear Mountain and Harriman state parks—the first section of the AT completed, in 1923.

Heavy traffic and age have taken a toll, and the trails on the slopes of Bear Mountain have gradually eroded. For the past five years the massive Bear Mountain Trails Project has been underway. Several segments of old trail are being rehabilitated in addition to the construction of new trail segments. A re-routing of the AT up Bear Mountain has necessitated 800 granite steps, weighing 1,000 pounds each, each hewn and placed by hand. Another mile of trail is being supported by stone crib walls.

In constructing the new trail segments, special attention is being given to trail width (5 feet), grade (no greater than 10 percent, or else stone stairs are installed), erosion prevention, and the naturalization of old trails. More than 800 volunteers, under the supervision of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, have put in more than 30,000 hours of work thus far.

"The trail is designed to withstand foot traffic of 250,000 to 500,000 hikers a year for centuries," says Chris Ingui, manager of the project. Two years ago, Backpacker magazine deemed the effort the top trail-building project in the country.

A grand opening ceremony for the first section of completed trail—including 800 granite steps—will be held on National Trails Day, June 5, 2010. The project is now about half complete, with work expected to continue through 2013.

To see the newest stretch of AT, start at the trailhead at the eastern base of Bear Mountain. The new section of AT, including the 800 stone stairs, traces a path just north of the old route, and has been completed up to Perkins Memorial Drive. From there, connect to the old AT and continue up to the summit (the new AT is scheduled to reach the summit in 2012). To complete the loop, follow the Major Welch Trail back down to the parking area.

The Bear Mountain Trails Project also includes the creation of two ADA accessible trails. One will be connect to a parking area at the peak of Bear Mountain, while the other will link two new parking areas on the mountain's southern slope.

Distance: 4 miles

Info: www.nynjtc.org/bmp/bear-mountain-trails-project