BLUF: Beautiful, timeless garden; use restrooms elsewhere…read more Innisfree Garden is open to the public between late April and mid-November every year. We visited in late October last year, and more than ten years ago before that. The garden has a timeless beauty, and many of the details looked identical or nearly the same as in our prior visit. The visit experience is essentially a counter-clockwise loop around Tyrrel Lake that can be slowly walked in about 60 to 90 minutes. Per Innisfree Garden's website, the garden is divided into miniature "cup gardens" -- sets of different features / "focal points" that all connect to the lake and the path around it. For both for our visits, I think we were most attentive for about the first 60% of the path, as "feature fatigue" started to set in just past the bridge over the lake. We quickly walked through / past the wood cabin during of our visits. Logistics: The Garden is about 90 minutes from New York City by car. Do consider bathroom breaks before or after visiting the Garden, as the restrooms here consist only of porta-potties. Cellular coverage at the Garden is weak, so it may be difficult to retrieve digital tickets from your phone if you haven't already downloaded them. Fortunately, one workaround is to tell them your name, if you are the person who booked the tickets in advance. Bring your own food and water as necessary, as these are not sold in the Garden. Wear sturdy shoes with grip and ankle support, as there are some steep angles along the initial part of the path and by some features.

185 acre park which encompasses a 40 acre lake (Tyrrel Lake). The garden park borrows from Chinese,…read moreJapanese, Modern, and ecological principles. I think the majority of reviews have hit the nail on the head. This place is a not so hidden gem of the Hudson Valley. It's so beautiful, it's a challenge to take a bad image because it is so picturesque. There are undulating scenes which can be framed in your mind's eye and pops of interesting subjects (a sculpture, rock formation, hills, etc.) to see. It's a splendor visually and changes with the seasons. It's not as manicured as a Japanese garden...it's more expansive. I think the beauty of this place can haunt you. General admission is $10. Membership also starts at $50/season.

Beautiful place to find peace and tranquility. No matter what time you visit Dover stone Churchread more

Beautiful, short and easy hike to an incredible natural wonder. It tends to be crowded in Spring,…read moreSummer and early Fall. It's icy in the Winter, but you will avoid the crowds during this season.

The Cary Institute was a discovery I discovered a while back, which I finally checked out. This…read morereview covers the trail I experienced, even though it's an environmental science business. There are two entrances to get access to the path from 44, one located at the main building, and the other, at a small building (which is empty most of the time). Plenty of parking to fit many vehicles, and easy to get in and out. The paths are fairly easy to follow, even though some signage may be off and the connector trails are not marked, which is a problem. Other than that, the trails are marked with the appropriate color. Another problem that sticks out (maybe I missed it), is they should provide a map with the trails on the information board. I don't get why parks screw up with this? The East Branch Wappinger Creek is the highlight of the journey, and also the field with both having a decent view, which I personally enjoyed. Some improvements would up my rating for sure. The link to the map: https://www.caryinstitute.org/sites/default/files/public/downloads/campus_trailsinsert_legend_map.pdf

An excellent place to take a leisurely hike. They have a really nice trail system; great for…read morewatching wildlife or spotting wildflowers. It's never overcrowded, and there are tables for picnicing. Paved internal roadways are also nice for biking with the family -- away from the dangers of busy roads. A great local resource.

In the whole Hudson Valley, this trail is definitely unknown to many, and it was a nice pick. The…read moreonly dreadful part is the parking lot, extremely tiny and only fits probably two I'd say. Also, paving while arriving and leaving should be addressed - three stars. The chances of it being full are very unlikely, due to the area that it's in, but still. Pretty simple, a map is provided on the sheet, with three trails, yellow (main, doing a loop), orange, and green. I'd say, this is the best signage I've seen in any park I've been to, and applause for that. The scenery is pretty decent, nothing too special, except some high views looking down. The green trail toward the south end isn't the prettiest, in terms of overgrown grass, and even a little "hideout building." Can't think of the name. There is a private property in that section, which explains probably the built structure, who knows? The north end also comes out to the road, but no parking lot. A map is provided as well. I wouldn't mind making this stop again, hoping it won't be packed in the lot. 3.5/5

I truly enjoy Whitlock Preserve because it was easy to find, and looked maintained. The map was…read moreprovided at the entrance, in pinpointing where the trails go. Two separate trails (orange and blue, which were in fact signed well) go through various hills, with some muddy spots along the way. A minor improvement would be to add signage (blue) in the clockwise direction. Sadly, no viewpoints at this location. Each of the trails has a turnoff which does a loop and reconnects at the same spot. Beware, I experienced a lot of gnats flying around. Extremely peaceful and enjoyable.

Woah what an experience. The trees were dead and the field was stunning . The water was super cool…read moreand totally worth the trip. I attached some photos of my experience.

Woah, a big open field with very few woods, this is it. The other noteworthy thing that sticks out…read moreis a bench viewing Wappingers Creek. There are four trails while two run the perimeter and one in the middle in the midst of the tall grass (see photos), with also a connector trail. It is well maintained, looking clean and spotless all around, even though there are a number of bugs found. Not too big of a park making the journey go by quickly. This is great for a quick experience along with the paths being easy, in terms of difficulty. With that in mind, enjoy the scenery all around!