Came here to watch the sunset on the river and it was amazing. The park is clean and spacious…read more Great place to relax and listen to the waves, occasionally you'll get sounds from the train as it's near the station, but it's not egregious.

Great little park with large covered picnic tables. Beautiful clean area to eat your lunch or just…read morehang out with a large group.

I discovered this park a couple of years back from one of my friends, and it's a wonderful stop…read morelocated right behind Marist College (making it hidden), which is also used by the students and staff mainly for the boating club. Coming in isn't tough, until approaching an underground bridge, which is the Amtrak line, which only provides one lane with a stoplight. There's plenty of parking with the driveway continuing down until reaching the turnaround, and beyond that is another property. There is a walkway that parallels the Hudson River close up with a little dock, with a nice view all around. A gazebo is located on the top near the parking lot, which isn't hard to miss. Most of the time, it will be breezy which doesn't come as a surprise but adds fun in some way. I can't imagine anyone enjoying this lovely park. For a new discovery in the Hudson Valley, make this your stop.

It doesn't get better than finding a park right next to a body of water, which is the Hudson River…read more There is a small parking lot as you enter just past a building, which use to be an old train station back in the day. Now it's used for other uses. The train track that runs along the park is the CSX line which carries a lot of freight cars that seem to never end. In the park, there is a walkway bridge that pretty much parallels the Hudson River providing a nice view onto the east side. It feels breezy for the most part as it comes as no surprise, so a coat or light jacket will come in handy. There is also a boating dock for anyone who wants to bring a boat onto the river, which includes a ramp access where the car can back down to detach and reattach it. For a nice relaxing and unique feel, Bob Shepard Highland Landing is a great place to check out.

New Paltz / Gardiner, NY - I have hiked and biked through the Mohonk Preserve many a times over the…read moreyears, in all seasons, and it is one of my favorite wild places! Some of the trails I love the most are the Bonticrou Crag & Table Rocks (breathtaking views; the rock scramble is fun and challenging but there is an easier way up via the Bonticou ascent path), Labyrinth & Lemon Squeeze, and Sky Top Trail by the Mohonk Mountain House. On weekends and in the warmer seasons/good weather especially, the parking lots fill up early (like by 8:30-9am). There are 5 main trailheads, and the day use fee is at current writing $15 for hikers or $20 for cyclists/climbers/horseback riders (children 15 & under are free). At the heart of the preserve lies the Mohonk Mountain House, which is actually a private property. The area around the mountain house is amazing but unfortunately it is rather arduous to visit for many due to the parking lot distance, as it's a bit of a hike in from the preserve's trailheads (pleasant & easy, but about 4.5 miles in so that's ~9 miles roundtrip), unless you're a paying guest at this all-inclusive resort property and are allowed to park in the on-site lot. I've done it both the hard & easy ways, so to avoid sweat if not tears, I'll let my Yelp community in on some hacks of less strenuous ways to see the mountain house and its surroundings (short of paying $1Kpp as an overnight guest)... 1. $ - You can buy a $35 hiking day pass, to park at the "closer" parking lot at the Gatehouse, which is still 2.1 miles out from the mountain house (4.2 miles roundtrip, but better than 9 miles). 2. $$$ - Be a day guest and book a dining or spa experience at the property, and you can park on site. 3. $ - Visit during their special annual events like the gingerbread house competition in December or the tulip festival in April-May, passes for which are a much more affordable $15-$35 (2025 rates). This allows you to park at the mountain house and not have to hike in. So there! Mohonk Preserve is one of the most beautiful places in the Hudson Valley, with so much incredible scenery (including fall foliage!) and things to do - hiking, biking, rock climbing, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, row boating, and even a via ferrata though that's only for hotel guests - and is a dream for outdoor lovers!

ETA: I have since learned that the $35 is to park at the mountain house which is apparently more…read moreexpensive than parking at the preserve. :)

I was thrilled to make this stop, even though I didn't get to explore the whole park. There are two…read moreentrances, located on Route 32, also, Gardnertown Road, and Powder Mill Road. The majority of the park includes multiple trails, including an Observation Tower, highlighting the wonderful view across the Hudson River, including south and north. The trees are in a way that limits a great view looking west. I enjoyed the view, and it was well worth it. The driveway I took is one lane, so do take caution while driving and pass carefully when necessary. Cronomer is on my checklist.

This park is a wonderful choice in Pawling, considering there's quite a bit to do here. There is a…read moreroad/pathway that's called Holiday Hills Ln, only accessed by authorized vehicles, which follows alongside Green Mountain Lake, and additional trails along it. There are even abandoned barns and buildings along the way, highlighting that. Towards the main parking lot, there is a bathroom house, a mini beach, a tennis court, and even a playground as an alternative. Definitely a must-stop while in Pawling.

Even in the middle of a pandemic and extremely brisk temperatures in Nov, this was the perfect spot…read morefor me to elope! I got married by the sand overlooking the water on a Sunday afternoon, with 5 of our closest friends, and its was spectacular!! This park is beautiful, great place to just go for a walk, or have a wedding

Really cute park with lots of easy hiking trails at a former apple orchard…read more The views are really pretty especially for sunset time and it's located at the highest point in Poughkeepsie. I love that throughout the trail you have little signs explaining fun facts about the animals you find there and insects such as frogs and fireflies. Really cool to learn while you walk. Came here in November for some photos but there wasn't too much foliage. Can't imagine how beautiful the park must be during spring with their apple blossoms and being able to Apple pick too! The cool thing is this park is run by a nonprofit, The Friends of Peach Hill and they're always looking for volunteers to help maintain this beautiful place. Porta potties available and beware of ticks. Signs are posted everywhere when you first walk in and I took my very first one home from just walking around and being in low cut grass area. That's the only downfall and main thing I can't evennnnnn deal with in the north east. Other than that, cute park with lots of picnic tables and areas where you can enjoy creation.

Beautifully maintained local treasure! 5 options for hiking…read more Easy to moderate difficulty for this almost 70 yo F. Great views, plenty of foraging for berries, apples and other edibles: know your plants of course!! Lots of rest stops along the way, picnic tables, benches- and it's dog friendly!! Perfect for a day time hike with a friend.

I visited Hudson Highlands State Park for the first time to hike the Blue Trail, also known as the…read moreCornish Trail. It was only my third time hiking, and that's when I realized how much I love hiking. I definitely plan to hike more often. The Blue Trail is considered beginner-friendly, I found parts of it a bit challenging because of the incline. Still, the effort was worth it, the view of South Beacon Mountain was absolutely beautiful. The hike itself was a great experience, especially with friends. Near the train station, there are small shops where you can grab food, drinks, or any last-minute supplies. There are also restrooms by the station and portable toilet near the trail areas. I would definitely come back to hike there again, maybe do the red trail.

One of the best hikes that I have gone on this year! Initially, we were going to do the Bull Hill…read moreFull Loop which is an estimated 3-4 hours. This is definitely a moderate trail. If you go in the winter, take caution with the ice when climbing to the top. After about an hour into the trail, you will see a sign to continue on the Full Loop or the Short Loop. When we reached that point, we switched to the Bull Hill Short Loop. It took around 3 hours to complete. The trails have beautiful views! You will see other hikers, but everyone keeps a safe distance. Take time to stop and enjoy the surrounding. There are portable toilets at the beginning of the trail with hand sanitizers if you need to use a bathroom.