Out of the city by lunchtime, no car required.
Updated October 2026
Some of the best weekends are the ones where you take a train, walk around somewhere green, and are back in your own bed by night. For more ideas close to home, see our guide to queer activities in NYC.
Below: three Hudson Valley stops on Metro-North and two Long Island trips on the LIRR. Schedules, fares and seasons change, so check the official MTA schedule or the TrainTime app before you go.
Day trips are better shared. 10th Muses, a community for Queer & Lesbian Women, Trans & NB Folks, 30+, has WhatsApp groups for The Great Outdoors (hikes, adventures and escapes), Travel (weekend escapes to international adventures) and CT, Hudson Valley & Westchester. See the group guide to find travel company, or browse the events calendar.
Beacon is a stop on Metro-North's Hudson Line from Grand Central. Dia Beacon, a museum that opened in 2003 in a former Nabisco box-printing factory built in 1929, is close to the station; the MTA's Hudson Line guide describes it as right by the train station.
Main Street has coffee shops and small stores, and Big Gay Hudson Valley's local guides list LGBTQ+ owned and allied businesses across the region, which helps when you are choosing where to eat.
Cold Spring is also on the Hudson Line. Check the official schedule to be sure your train stops there before you board. The MTA's outdoors guide points hikers from the station toward nearby trails, including the Washburn Trail up Bull Hill.
Want company on the platform? Post your plan on the 10th Muses Pulse, the members' community feed, and invite other sapphic and nonbinary members along. Joining is free.
Poughkeepsie is the northern end of the Hudson Line. The Walkway Over the Hudson is a short walk from the station: the state parks site says to leave by the Water Street exit and walk north about five minutes to the elevator at Upper Landing Park. If the elevator is closed, it is about a 15-minute walk to the staircase at Washington Street, so check the park's status first.
Cherry Grove has a long history as an LGBTQ+ community. Its Community House and Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013 for its part in that history.
To get there, take the LIRR to Sayville, then the Sayville Ferry, which serves Cherry Grove, Fire Island Pines and other central Fire Island communities from River Road in Sayville. Fire Island's residential communities are car-free, so you arrive on foot. Ferry service changes with the season, so check the operator's current schedule and the LIRR timetable for your date, and leave time to get from the station to the terminal.
Greenport is the eastern end of the LIRR's Ronkonkoma Branch, and you may need to change trains at Ronkonkoma. Check the current Ronkonkoma Branch timetable, and choose your return train before you pick your outbound one.
Greenport has hosted North Fork Pride, a parade and festival organized by the LGBT Network, since 2023; check the organizer's site for the next date. It is a long ride, so it suits a full day rather than a quick escape.
Beacon, Cold Spring and Poughkeepsie are all on Metro-North's Hudson Line from Grand Central. Dia Beacon is close to Beacon station, and the Walkway Over the Hudson is a short walk from Poughkeepsie station. Check the official schedule or the TrainTime app for current times.
Take the LIRR to Sayville, then the Sayville Ferry to Cherry Grove. Fire Island's residential communities are car-free, and ferry schedules change with the season, so check the operator for current times.
Yes. Greenport is the eastern end of the LIRR's Ronkonkoma Branch, and you may need to change at Ronkonkoma. Check the current timetable and plan your return first.
Big Gay Hudson Valley's local guides list LGBTQ+ owned and allied businesses across the region, from food and drink to shopping and wellness.
Ask friends, or try a community: 10th Muses, for Queer & Lesbian Women, Trans & NB Folks, 30+, has Great Outdoors and Travel groups on WhatsApp where members plan getaways.
Queer Activities in NYC · All 10th Muses guides · Join 10th Muses
10th Muses — Social Club for Queer & Lesbian Women, Trans & NB Folks, 30+ in NYC. Founded in September 2025 by Andrea Himmel.