Did the tours of the three historic sites in the Hyde Park area. We were lucky as it was Fee Free…read moreday so we were able to visit the Presidential library as a bonus. The house holds so much history and covers Franklin Roosevelt's life from childhood to his older years. He is buried on the grounds. The Rangers give a detailed history and answer questions concerning the estate.

First time visiting a presidental library and opted to tour the FDR home because we have the…read morelifetime park pass. Yes, sometimes I'm cheap . While we waited for the tour, we walked the grounds which includes a working vegetable garden and rose garden that was being re-done. FDR and his wife are buried there. The house is very cool because it takes you back in time and the guide was very knowledgeable. It's a nice historical stop on a great piece of land. Beautiful in fact! Parking is free, nice visitor center with a cafe and short movie that runs every half hour. Enjoy!

5/21/21 This hot and…read moremoggy day brought us to this trail, with an endless amount of shade along the way. We started on the 9G end and walked toward Route 9. There are not a lot of views in the distance you'll get along the way but will notice turns and hills with endless views of the woods. The main trail is on a gravel path followed by two additional dirt trails indicating yellow and red. Both of these trails end up back at the gravel trail if you choose to go that way. We had a great experience going round trip enjoying the scenery. The name of the main trail is called the Hyde Park Trail which connects with other trails along the way, which a matter of fact connects with River Front Park (see my other review). Please, I strongly encourage you to bring bug spray because we screwed up. It's very bad along the whole journey. Also, check for ticks.

We really enjoyed our afternoon hike at Roosevelt Farm Lane Trail. This park came to my attention…read morewhen I was doing a search for local parks with carriage roads. Not only are the roads here in good condition, but most of the road has great shade from the trees, so even if it is hot out you are not suffering too much. I am not a tree expert or anything, but I think there are a lot of pine trees in these woods because the smell of pine was strong throughout our hike, which was really nice. Located in a few places on the trial were information plaques with QR Codes, so make sure you have a QR reader app installed on your phone before you visit so you can scan the code and listen to the guided tour on your phone.

Hit all three National Historic Sites in the Hyde Park area if you have a chance. We wrapped up our…read moretour with the Vanderbilt Mansion. Definitely need to visit and experience the "Gilded Age" restored/maintained as it is the best visual of what that time period represented. The House beautifully displays decadence and is a shining example of how the top tier of society flaunted thier wealth while draining the riches that the predecessors accumulated before them. The Rangers give an excellent tour of the Mansion sharing the history and stories of and about the Family.

Nice grounds to walk around and picnic as well as gardens and a mansion from the gilded age…read more Arriving on a Saturday afternoon, parking was a a breeze and grounds were open. We just missed the 3 pm Mansion tour (free with national park pass) so waited an hour for the next one. We walked over to the garden area and saw some roses and other flowers, all 5,000 varieties planted by volunteers and staying true to the types back in time. Two friendly volunteers were stationed there, readEra, chat and provide information. The mansion tour was informative and interesting, largely due to the ranger tour guide. If you like history or that era, you'll likely enjoy the tidbits shared. There aren't many places to sit inside the house and even I had a hard time standing for so long after a long day. They did have elevator access for those who have trouble with mobility. The info center doesn't have a store anymore but has a few artifacts.

This is a review of the park as a day-use hiker, we did not camp when we were here…read more This is a charming, park, with really pretty views of the Hudson River, and a lot of cool old buildings. It also has a slightly spooky atmosphere - when we first got here, we heard owls hooting in the middle of the day. The trails here are mostly pretty easy carriage roads, and they are well maintained and blazed with metal signs. There were a couple of cases where the blaze color didn't match the trails, but it was still easy to navigate the park. I enjoyed it enough in the winter that I think I would like coming back up here to camp!

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.

Does everyone know that you can catch the Walkway Tram at any point on the Walkway?…read more Flag down the Friends of the Walkway volunteers and hitch a ride to the other side or one of the Tram pick up spots (marked with an A frame.) The ride over is such a fun way to experience the views of the city and the river. Signed, The Mocktail Madam

This was my first time attending the "Walkway at Night," and I have to say it was a nice evening…read morefor $5 per person. Dim lighting, soft conversations, friendly laughter, families, and their pet dogs all in costumes. Can't forget the dogs in baby strollers!! Love to see the cuteness!! Nice night to have a hot cocoa in hand and stroll the bridge with your honey, too!! The view is really pretty during the day and even more so at night. If you enjoy photography, I highly recommend bringing your camera. The staff was friendly and welcoming when we arrived and when we left. They have food trucks, outdoor seating, and restrooms are right across. Everything was clean, but be cautious when approaching the railings. Be watchful of little hands, as there were lots of cobwebs with spiders waiting for a yummy treat! They did look pretty, though. It gave that special Halloween ambiance. The bridge path had lighting but some spots weren't fully lit and made some spots hard to see. I would also really like to see more bench seating between the bridge entry and the center of the bridge for people with disabilities. Word of Advice: If you visit next year, wear a hoodie, but bring a coat just in case. Many wore coats, hats, and gloves, and I agree that I should've done the same. BRRRR, it's mighty chilly in the Hudson Valley lately!!

We enjoyed the peacefulness of the grounds and the walk to the house from the parking lot. The…read morebirds swooping over the pond in search of bugs was a nice backdrop to all the nature around us. The Rangers were friendly and our tour of the house was amazing. The Ranger was very knowledgeable of Eleanor's life and her contributions to society. She made it so interesting with personal stories, my favorite was her private talk with JFK prior to offering her endorsement. The furniture and photos really took you back in time.

Ranger Deborah was awesome!! Such a welcoming and knowledgeable tour guide that made our tour at…read moreVal Kill, the home of Eleanor Roosevelt, amazing. It was really interesting to learn more about Eleanor, who was truly a fascinating and hard working individual. There are all sorts of personal touches around the house that made it feel very homey and welcoming. There is a memorial to the 75th anniversary of the passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an effort which Eleanor led, in the gardens too. The grounds are pretty and welcoming, and the community is allowed to just stop by and play on her tennis court whenever it is open. The home itself requires tour tickets with a ranger, which you can get at the small cottage that serves as a visitor's space, featuring an exhibit, film, and maps/stamps/etc. Restrooms are in a third building on the property and were clean and well-kept.

This was my first time going to a distillery, it was very friendly the tour of the facility was…read moretruly educational and informal. I felt like a valued guest. The tour guide was amazing with his knowledge of the facility and history. A must do..

We were the only ones on the tour so it felt very intimate and we learned so much. The staff was…read moreamazing and the grounds are incredible. Most of all quality, quality, quality whiskey and drinks.

Interesting historical site to learn about FDR that includes the museum, house, clean visitor…read morecenter with shop and grounds. We were fortunate to come on a day they had a Revcon event, a reenactment and activities to celebrate our 250th birthday. They had a schedule for the day with oxen, butter making, historical games and information, a reenactment with musket, etc. Additionally we did a self-guided tour (45 minutes) of the house because it was the weekend; I think a guided tour would have been nice to get more tid bits. Unless you have a national park pass, there's a cost for the house and the museum. If you only want to do one, I'd personally choose the museum. The museum was very well done and interesting to walk through. It's a good size and you go through his life, presidency and Eleanor too. Stop into Hyde Park for a bite too.

I've never been to a presidential library before, so I didn't know what to expect, and I also…read moredidn't know that much about FDR. I think the combination of these two things made for a great visit, because I felt like I learned a lot which made my experience more enjoyable. The museum is extensive, and even had a small section devoted to his little dog. There is rather sizable section for Eleanor as well, and a lovely statue of them both sitting on a park bench on the grounds. It was an excellent way to spend a rainy afternoon in the area!