This a a fantastic area to camp in, there are SO MANY things you can do in the neighborhood…read more(Vanderbilt mansion, CIA, Roosevelt presidential library and museum, orchards and farms, walkway over the Hudson). In terms of the campground, the bathrooms and showers are great. The actual campsite are way too close together and there are these little seed pod things that get everywhere and are harmless, but kind of suck anyway.

Well well, Norrie State Park was the first discovery for me when I was on a field trip during my…read morehigh school career when we visited the Norrie Point Environmental Center. This review is going toward the hiking me and my friend experienced, and it was a good one. We parked at the closet entrance, which is on the left. We took the blue trail which is 4.59 miles to exist (making it the longest trail). Some of the markers along the way are not clearly marked as we ended up going the wrong way, making it confusing. One of the blue markers on a tree was facing at the wrong angle. We then figured it out later on thankfully, as we saw the marker up ahead. With me being good with maps and getting around, we ended up going off the path onto the main road to the Hudson River close up. There are a couple of spaces for parking. We got back on the blue trail as it did a big loop and got on the red trail for a bit, until reaching the main road and followed that to the parking lot where we parked. There are multiple trails along the way to take in, as the white trail, according to the map follows the river, which looks appealing. That will be for another visit. To keep life simple, there should be more maps provided along with updated signage for trail colors, which will then bring up my rating.

For awesome sounds of nature and views all around, this is a great trail to stop at. Hopeland…read moreTrails is part of Norrie State Park. Getting here is not difficult at all while it's not hard missing the exit. There's plenty of parking to fit cars. The word trails indicate there are 5 in this trail park that does a big loop with multiple of them within it. It's awesome to see the layout of it as its filled with mainly gravel and also some grassy areas in some places. Luckily it's not too fully over grown to make it challenging, but do check for ticks after the hick. One minor turn off on the walk I saw is, there is no sign showing the yellow trail for Songbird Lane, so I thought maybe we went off the path for a section until reaching the other connection. There's no sign showing the red trail at the split (see my map photo for a full explanation). An update on the map would be very helpful. The website has it updated. Plan a stop here at Hopeland.

6/26/26: Staatsburgh can give many of the Newport mansions a run for their money…read more On the drive up to the mansion, you'll see a beautiful sculpture of Diana the huntress. We made reservations online. Upon entry, you'll check in and pay at the gift shop in the rear of the estate. Lindsay was very helpful. Inside the gift shop, there's wonderful items for serving tea and historical books on area mansions. Our wonderful docent was Faith. She was so passionate and highly knowledgeable of all the estate decor and family history. Think Faith is one of the best docents ever! The tour group starts out in a very low-keyed way. During that time, you're learning about the history of the estate in a fun way. Out of nowhere, the Gilded Age Opulence appears. YOU'RE WOWED! Unfortunately, Staatsburgh doesn't receive the accolades like the other well known area mansions. If you're going to see one estate in the area, make it Staatsburgh!

The Staastsburgh Estate grounds are simply beautiful, expansive and extremely well maintained. The…read morelong canopied tree-lined paved driveway winds its way up to the mansion and down to and along the Hudson River. There is a smaller unpaved road that leads to the carriage house and around to several gardens and eventually up to the front entry way of the mansion. We didn't go inside as we had spent 40 minutes walking the grounds but plan to do so on a future visit.

Be prepared, the trail down to the falls is very long and while its quite easy going down ,getting…read moreback up is a definitely a treck. It's so worth it though. If however you decide not to go down to the bottom, there is a viewing platform . The waterfall pressure/flow can vary depending on when you visit. Heavy after rain or less during the summer months. Swimming is allowed in the basin , the water is cold . The fall and parking are free in designated parking lots. There was a porta potty in tje lot we parked in. Not sure if there's one in each parking lot though. Don't park anywhere along the roads as you will get ticketed and/or towed. Arrive early aa the parking lots fill up quickly, especially on weekends. Personally I wouldn't do this trail on a rainy day especially if you're a beginner. Lots of stepping stones that can be slippery when wet. Other than that it's one of the most beautiful trails I've been on.

One of the best water falls in NE! Mid-week late summer…read moreafternoon visit. There was a park(?) officer at the entrance sitting in the car waving as people left. There was also a table at the entrance to the trails with a person who didn't have much knowledge of the trails nor falls?? Spent 75 minutes and was able to hike upper, mid, lower falls and plenty of time to explorer. The trail to the viewpoint is very short and easy to find. The location provides an excellent long range mountain views, however, a mediocre view to the entire falls IMO. There was little water when I visited in mid- September and leaves hadn't changed colors yet. The trail to the falls is NOT marked very well after the initial 2 signs. I met a man with a cute dog who mountain biked but never found the falls! Many on the trail said they continued on stairs (straight) that didn't go to the falls! If you want to just hike without the Falls as the end goal, then this park works for you. Otherwise, download the trail map or access Alltrails prior to arriving. Lucky for me I received an advice from returning hikers who knew the park and advised me well :). The KF hikes are not long but are pretty steep... scrambling maybe required especially to get to the cove behind the upper falls. The KF trail split, to the bottom of the falls and to the mid- falls, is pretty close. So, the view to the entire falls was worth hiking down to. The trail near the bottom of the falls is red rock stairs and well maintained. Recommend water, sun protection and decent treaded shoes for gravel and roots. Bugs were minimal during my visit. There is no running water but a port-a-potty at Laurel House parking lot. Parking was a gravel lot and was about 2/3 full. Enjoy!

Fantastic local playground, situated down off Rhinecliff Rd and minutes from the center of town…read more Fenced in area with expansive playground area with plenty of open space for children 5-12 to run around. Benches surround the playground with an open pavilion nearby with picnic tables and a parking lot area.

This is a nice easy set of trails, flat or gentle hills. The forest and grassland areas are quite…read morenice. For the most part, the trails are well maintained, although I do think the trail markings/signage could be clearer. I started at the kiosk trail head and the first turnoff for the trail can be easy to miss(in fact, I did.) The initial part of the trail is nice dark gravel, but it veers into a field where the trail is just a mown path and the sign for the turnoff is an unassuming post with orange and green squares on it tucked back into the growth. Also at one point off the blue loop, I ended up in a strange area with farm equipment with a sign posted about private property. So I turned back to the loop. I never even saw how to get to the white or red trails. So what I saw was nice but I'd like to come back and try to find what I missed. Maybe I'm just hopelessly directionally challenged. I did take a picture of the map at the trailhead but still found parts confusing. I saw a fox following the paths several times, which was pretty exciting:) There was a pool, playground and community garden but I didn't really check those out.

This is an extremely good walk/hike. "Easy" in terms of difficulty, this trail starts off on an…read moreeasy 1/4-mile walk down a meandering crushed-gravel path to a wooden gazebo, then down some grassy hills to the Hudson River "lookout" point. From there, you can venture into the woods for a 3/4 to a mile "easy hike" surrounded by trees, trickling stream & a few furry animals, like squirrels & chipmunks, collecting acorns. Kid friendly, this is a great walk/hike for the whole family.

Dreamy any walk you choose to start on during any season. Beginner's level. Nice view of the Hudson.read more

Boats creeks and…read moreplaques T.R, Gallo Park was developed in 1984 and renovated and expanded in the years since then. Not a very large park but it is connected to a river walk so it's possible to walk for several miles along the water. The park is located on Roundout Creek and has nice views of the water and boats at the marina. You can even see a couple of very cool lighthouses if you really try. The park has a nice gazebo, picnic tables, benches and a memorial to all those brave souls that have been lost at sea. Lots of events are held at the park in the warm months and there is even a little place to launch kayaks and other small craft. Not a large park but one in a great location. A great use of the open space down by the marina and water.

When you factor in just the nearest park setting, this park tends to be a little small - with few…read morebenches. But when you factor in the expansive area just outside the park - this waterfront park can be huge. It's centerpiece is it's monument dedicated to kingston members of the armed forces who've risked their lives and died - found at the corner nearest the waterfront bathrooms near the Rip Van Winkle boat. I myself have found the ability to feed the birds and ducks that go by here often. It can be so serene and these poultry know it. You can often find electric fish coming up from the water below to catch food floating on the water's surface. Then you add in the few benches that exist, and you will get a park. It's gotten worse over the years. Many years ago, there used to be live bands playing on the stages, but it seems like they've all be told to find other gigs elsewhere. A person who sits on the benches, will sometimes hear the soundtrack from what's inuse at Mariners Harbor nearby, but this isn't even the best. There's little - if any - parking existing for this park that is free. You either have to pay for sidewalk-like parking, or you can go into the lot (which often is full of cars from the Landing added to the cars from the nearby businesses), or if you see a non-handicap spot nearest the Rip Van Winkle boat (isn't often), you can take one there. Your best bet is to park somewhere else in Kingston and Uber-down to the park (or Uber to Mariners Harbor and walk). I don't come down here that often, if it isn't for some peace and quiet in busy times, but it can be a necessary place at times.

Went here for the first time and it was gorgeous! Parking is $10 flat fee, I went on a week day so…read moreit wasn't busy at all. The hiking trail was a bit tricky to find because they don't have any signs telling you where to go, but once I figured that out then it was easy! The hiking trail itself was nice, amazing views once you're up top and waterfalls were gorgeous! Great place for a picnic or to spend time with family!

What a stunning beautiful park , so clean with plenty of parking , picnic table and a beautiful…read morewaterfall-river . It's an amazing place to spend the day on a romantic date or with the family .

A peaceful, pristine, little bit of paradise on a hot summer's day. The water is so crisp and cool…read more Parking is limited and the walk down can be a bit for some, .20 miles down a rocky incline, but once you get here it's worth it. This is a take in/take out facility-please take your trash with you. No public facilities so plan accordingly. This is NATURE, enjoy

Whether it's a full swim, wet our toes or be near water (even in winter), hubs is forever finding…read moreany body of water to explore. I had read about Big Deep- but we never found it in all the years we've visited Woodstock, NY until the Summer of '22. Big Deep reminded me of the movie, 'The Beach'. Wait up though- this is a much smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller and rugged version of the movie and a farrrrrrrrrr stretch from that lush and tropical beach setting. So paradise, is not. At its best, Big Deep is only (and I mean only) a patch of some water (a lot of it has receded), lots of trees blocking the Sun and a bunch of rocks. Get some legit water sandals to avoid walking bare feet on rocks, scraping your skin- otherwise, pray you don't break a toe. Don't drive too fast or you'll miss it. Big Deep has designated paved drivable entrance and exit paths. After you're parked, it's a trek on more paved paths to get to 'the beach', lake or whatever you wanna call it. I'm not glorifying Big Deep- but it is secluded in its own bizarre way. Some blogs have mentioned this may be/will be closed off. If you feel like you want to put up with this scene, by all means. It's $0 to get in (from the last time we were here).

Since my wife and I became parents, I feel like we've both become playground connoisseurs. We've…read moremade quite a list of good playgrounds in the tri-state area, but one of our absolute favorites is Julie's Jungle in Hopewell Junction, New York. Inceptioned in 2012, the playground was named after Julie Keating. Young Julie was afflicted with both physical and cognitive disabilities and was often unable to join in on the fun at her local park. She tragically passed away in 2007 at the age of 15. Her younger sister Natalie later wrote a letter to the East Fishkill recreation committee asking them to build a handicapped-accessible playground. The town accepted the proposal. Phase I of the playground opened in 2016 and Phase II was completed in 2018. Julie's Jungle was the first fully accessible playground built in Dutchess County. It was built for children of all abilities to play and learn together. It's equipped with accessible routes and paths throughout, ramps, spacious decks, short stair heights, Braille play panels, and even a sensory garden. Whenever my family and I are passing through the area, we always make a point to stop at Julie's Jungle. Both of my sons love playing here. They have so much fun that our visits seem to end in the blink of an eye. We wish that more playgrounds were like this. FUN FACT: For those parents like me who enjoy good craft beer and wood-fired pizza, Sloop Brewing Company is just a three-minute drive away!

An amazing playground with something for everyone! My 2,3 and 4 year old grandchildren were…read morethrilled. The only hard part is getting them to leave!