Shorewalkers has a rich history, going back to December 1982 when our founder, Cy A Adler, led his first hike around the island of Manhattan.
It was soon followed by 2 more – one in Brooklyn near Floyd Bennett Field, and another in Staten Island from St George to Richmond – and we’ve been going strong – and widening our boundaries – ever since.
Born in 1927, Cy was a trained mathematician and oceanographer who spent many years as an educator in New York City and was a prolific author of many books focused on ecology and hiking, including Ecological Fantasies: Death from Falling Watermelons; Walking the Hudson: Batt to Bear; Walking Manhattan’s Rim: The Great Saunter.
His passion for walking in general, and the preservation of parklands and shorelines of New York City in particular, led to the formation of the Shorewalkers organization and the creation of the ‘longest walk on the longest day of the year’, dubbed the Great Saunter.
He was prescient in his views, noting that “walking is the future in our growing metropolis. City-dwellers must walk to stay healthy and also to get where they must go, efficiently and economically, without a car. Our small planet won’t be able to sustain our current use of fossil-fuel based transportation much longer.”
Additionally, he pioneered and advocated for the development of a 330-mile walking path from the Battery in lower Manhattan up to Albany, New York and today that path is now a reality & then some, the 750-mile Empire State Trail.
Cy passed away in September 2018, though his legacy lives on in the dedicated team of hike leaders and board members who continue to advance his causes.
It was soon followed by 2 more – one in Brooklyn near Floyd Bennett Field, and another in Staten Island from St George to Richmond – and we’ve been going strong – and widening our boundaries – ever since!
Born in 1927, Cy was a trained mathematician and oceanographer who spent many years as an educator in New York City and was a prolific author of many books focused on ecology and hiking, including Ecological Fantasies: Death from Falling Watermelons; Walking the Hudson: Batt to Bear; Walking Manhattan’s Rim: The Great Saunter.
His passion for walking in general, and the preservation of parklands and shorelines of New York City in particular, led to the formation of the Shorewalkers organization and the creation of the ‘longest walk on the longest day of the year’, dubbed the Great Saunter.
He was prescient in his views, noting that “walking is the future in our growing metropolis. City-dwellers must walk to stay healthy and also to get where they must go, efficiently and economically, without a car. Our small planet won’t be able to sustain our current use of fossil-fuel based transportation much longer.”
Additionally, he pioneered and advocated for the development of a 330-mile walking path from the Battery in lower Manhattan up to Albany, New York and today that path is now a reality & then some, the 750 mile Empire State Trail!
Cy passed away in September 2018, though his legacy lives on in the dedicated team of hike leaders and board members who continue to advance his causes.
Shorewalking
Around the Globe
While Shorewalkers is based in New York City, we are truly a global walking community which comes together in May during our annual Great Saunter, and again in October for our Fall Challenge. Started in October 2020 in response to the pandemic, the event enables participants to walk anywhere in the world – in any number of segments – to complete the 32-mile Great Saunter distance over a 2-week period. To date, we have had walkers from 9 countries & 36 states participate.
