Send Us A Message
Check our Frequently Asked Questions below. If you still need support, use the contact form and we’ll get back to you.
Our Mailing Address:
Shorewalkers
700 Columbus Avenue | Unit 20748
New York, NY 10025
Frequently Asked Questions
- Shorewalkers General
- Membership & Newsletter
- Finding and Joining Walks
- Great Saunter
- Great Saunter Fall Challenge
Learn about Shorewalkers on our website at About Us – Shorewalkers.
Join Shorewalkers: Members Only Group | Meetup to receive walk notifications – it’s free for members. Once you’ve joined, you can find our walk calendar, RSVP for walks, and receive announcements and reminders.
If you are not yet a member of Shorewalkers, find information on membership and a link to our walk calendar on our website at Membership Levels – Shorewalkers.
Our walk calendar is publicly viewable at Shorewalkers: Members Only Group Events (Meetup.com). Volunteer hike leaders post walks 2-3 weeks in advance; however, you can scroll the calendar for prior months to see the types of walks we offer year-round.
Our walks are open to members of Shorewalkers. Find information on membership and a link to our walk calendar at Membership Levels – Shorewalkers.
Each volunteer hike leader decides whether members can bring guests to the scheduled walk. Contact the hike leader directly to inquire if the guest information is not listed in the walk description.
The Great Saunter Fall Challenge will be held between Oct. 5 and Oct. 20, 2024 — a great time of year to be out walking no matter where you live.
The fee is $10 for one registrant, and you may register for up to four individuals. Shorewalkers will donate all registration fees to support Friends of Inwood Hill Park.
For the Great Saunter, everyone meets in NYC to walk the 32 miles together in one day. For the Great Saunter Fall Challenge, you walk the 32 miles wherever you are in the world over a 16-day period. You can complete the Challenge in one day or spread it over multiple days.
Registration is open from Aug. 9 through Oct. 20. Register up to four individuals; each can print a bib and finisher’s certificate from the link you receive.
Part of Shorewalkers’ mission is the preservation of New York City’s waterfront. Inwood Hill Park at the northern tip of Manhattan is a critical part of that waterfront as well as the midpoint lunch stop on the Great Saunter route. The park also has the last natural forest and salt march in Manhattan and is situated on the Shorakapok Preserve in Lenapehoking, the ancestral home of the Lenape.
We are proud to make our annual Great Saunter Fall Challenge donation to the Friends of Inwood Hill Park, who are stewards of this important land and work to unite members of the Inwood community. The funds will be earmarked for the maintenance of the park’s many trails.
Before the Challenge begins, we’ll email you a link for a printable walk bib that you can customize with a number or name. During the event, we’ll support you with email updates and encouragement. After you’ve completed your 32 miles, you can print out the finisher certificate to celebrate your participation.
As this is not a race, we abide by the honor system – you do not need to email proof that you completed the 32 miles. Tally your miles in whatever fashion is easiest for you – via an app or with pen & paper. You’ll receive emails with a link to download your finisher certificate. If you do not receive the emails, contact us at support@shorewalkers.org and we’ll send you the link.
We encourage participants to post their Great Saunter Fall Challenge hikes using the hashtag #saunterchallenge, tagging @Shorewalkers on Facebook, Shorewalkers_NY on Instagram, and @ShorewalkersNY on X and tell us where you walked.
None at all. You can fit the Great Saunter Fall Challenge into your schedule. If you want to split the 32-miles into two days, four days, or even 16 days, it’s completely up to you.
Registration for the Great Saunter opens in early February 2025, and fee information will be provided then. The fee for Individuals at Great Saunter 2024 was $30. We do not offer group registration.
The first Great Saunter was in 1985, and we have walked it every year except for a two-year hiatus during the COVID pandemic.
Typically, about 35 percent of participants come from outside the NY Metro area, many from outside the U.S.
Registrants receive a Great Saunter cap and commemorative map and button, as well as water and snacks along the route, all while supplies last.
The Great Saunter is open to everyone, including children under 18 accompanied by an adult who accepts full responsibility. Children do not have to register or wear a bib to walk. Exceptions are youth groups, such as students, scouts, and teams. The leaders of these groups should contact us at Support@shorewalkers.org.
We encourage participants to consider their own and their children’s fitness before joining, but of course there is no requirement to complete the walk. You can join and walk only as far as feels right for you.
Sure, as long as you’re comfortable with their ability to walk a long distance on crowded trails and sidewalks and you bring enough water and snacks to keep them well.
We no longer offer family and group registration. Each saunterer must register individually and sign a waiver and release at checkout.
By mail in the U.S. and Canada to the shipping address on file. If you are outside the U.S. or Canada, you will pick up your bib inside Fraunces Tavern on the morning of the event from 7 to 8 a.m. We don’t offer day of registration so be sure to pre-register to reserve your bib.
Officially, 32, but this varies slightly from year to year due to detours along the route.
We walk around the shoreline of Manhattan – up the west side and down the east side – staying as close to the waterfront as possible. This is an interactive map of the route, which you can use to navigate.
Here’s how to use the map:
● On your mobile phone, navigate to the Great Saunter page on the Shorewalkers website and click “View Mobile Map”; Bookmark the page in your browser for easy access while you’re walking the route.
● The map will show your location while you walk (as a blinking blue dot) if you enable location services on your internet browser and give permission for the page to access your location. Open the map and follow the instructions.
● We suggest bringing a portable battery pack to charge your mobile device during the walk.
You can also pick up a paper map on the day of the event.
Consult your physician if you have any concerns about completing a long-distance walk. To train, we recommend building your endurance by walking regularly, and increasing your distance over time. It may be helpful to find a training program (search “how to train for long-distance walking”).
Tracking your miles can also help, using whatever method you prefer, whether it’s your favorite app or just a notepad. Shorewalkers has a group on the Strava app and the free version is all you need to track your walks.
The Great Saunter is always held on the first Saturday in May. In 2025, the event will be on May 3, 2025.
The Great Saunter is almost entirely on paved trails and sidewalks.
Registration for the Great Saunter opens in early February 2025. To receive a reminder, sign up for our mailing list at the bottom of our home page at Shorewalkers.org.
Given the paved surfaces and the long distance (you may take more than 64,000 steps to complete the Saunter), lighter shoes, like running or trail shoes, may be better than hiking boots. We recommend that you test your shoes during your training and go with those that are most comfortable for you. We also suggest a change of socks at the halfway point to minimize blisters by keeping your feet dry.
The latest map route is available on the Shorewalkers website at Great Saunter – Shorewalkers.
Some snacks and water are provided along the route (while supplies last), but we recommend bringing your own snacks and lunch as well as a water bottle to refill at water fountains in parks and playgrounds.
Most walkers pack a lunch to eat at the park, but there are also delis and restaurants as well as a farmer’s market as you exit the park.
Yes, volunteers are essential for a successful Great Saunter. If you are interested, sign up here and a volunteer coordinator will contact you.
Usually about half of those who start walk the full course. Feel free to join and walk only as far as you feel comfortable.
