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!

Lots of kids, all playing nicely. Park is clean and cheerful! Perfect for toddlers and…read morepreschoolers.

Shaded area for kids to play Large enough for them to run…read morearound Open field with a little soccer goal available Playground itself isn't huge and can be a little boring And I don't like the wood chips on the ground mixed with sand but it's in a nice quiet neighborhood surrounded by trees

I've been coming here for more than 20 years to get my walking exercise in. I walk every day I can,…read morebringing a stick with me that I can use to flick downed branches off the trail as I walk. It's 4.3 miles around the lake with some spur trails that go into the woods on the west side of the lake. There is a lot of flat terrain on the east side, more hilly on the north and west sides. When the trail becomes impassible due to deep snow in the winter, there is an indoor track that is .1 miles per lap in the newly constructed recreation center. It can get a bit crowded and many of the people don't understand track etiquette so it can be a little frustrating if you're looking to get a real workout on it but it's still there in a pinch if you need it. You will frequently see rabbits on the east side of the trail in particular and the occasional snapping turtle in the springtime. Also in the spring you will see turtles sitting on logs in the shallow end of the water on the southwest corner. I have not seen them myself but I understand that bald eagles frequent this lake in the winter months and every spring a new family of swans is born as well as geese. There is also a blue heron who likes to spend time here. I see a lot of people fishing here and you can rent boats if that's your thing and you can also rent a pavilion if you have an event of some sort. And they run an amazing youth sports program as well as a summer camp. It is a real treasure to have this in our town.

Yearly membership REQUIRED for admission, veterans and disabled veterans get a discount or free…read morepass depending on disability rating. I Love, Love coming to the lake! Easy hikes, beautiful picture ready areas, peaceful, gorgeous grounds, multiple trails, plenty of seating areas, kids play ground, boat rentals, fishing, multiple covered areas of various sizes for parties and now they are building a very large facility and so much more. It is a must visit to enjoy the outdoors in Newburgh.

An awesome zone with kids playground with several things to keep kids of all ages engaged. Soccer…read morefields, baseball fields and basketball courts in the same area

Normally I only come out here to go jogging, 4th of July or memorial Day parade type stuff…read more However, it was a pretty nice day over the weekend and we went out there to sit by the pond which was actually full and not bug. Infested. Algonquin Park itself has a bunch of nice trails and it's so peaceful out there when the wind is blowing and you have a slice of pizza and some drinks from the place across the street. It's very family friendly and well kept. Don't remember any Canadian geese being out there actually, which was quite a surprise. Happy that the parks department for the town Newburgh takes care of this place.

This is a huge sprawling neoghbourhood park that has all the things we typically expect and want in…read moresuch a park - a variety of trails, a year-round stream, a bridge, remnants of historical structures, shaded pocnic spots, restrooms, a (very large) children's playground, and ample free parking. The water levels for the stream apparently can vary quiet a bit, as we've seen them swell up to a river early spring versus the typical babbling brook. I hope efforts continue to maintain and preserve this natural space for all to enjoy.

I love Grrmonds. I swim about 4 days a week when it is open. The water this season was amazing…read more wish it stayed open though September.

So nice. The pool is clean and the lifeguards are alert which makes me happy and also feel safe.read more

There is a lot to take in if this is your first time here. This facility is used for all sports…read more(mainly used for school teams), also providing a playground, skating park, beach volleyball, and a trail for the alternatives. A bathroom also provided as a plus. The trail was our main focus. It all starts in the lower lot toward Fishkill Creek. Going to the left, you'll find a sign indicating keeping your dog on a leash, making it the starting point. You'll see signs on the tree marking the color of the trail you're on. A very nice walk to follow along the creek, making it the highlight. It's mainly a flat trail with a very little up and down hills, but nothing too complicating. The ending is a bit strange, coming out to a football field. This is a great place to have get-togethers, along with having many physical activities to make it even more entertaining.

This is a review of just the skatepark…read more The ramps are metal but the surfaces are ok and the transitions aren't so bad. The quarter pipes are little too far apart to get a half-pipe rhythm going but they're fine as quarter pipes. It's a DIY vibe. To whoever got it built - thanks. The pavement is that coarse pebbly stuff the parks department uses all over NY, so you can't do flat ground stuff. Most likely this was here before the skaters. It is what it is. There isn't a lot to skate around here, so I'll probably go back eventually.

Wow what a beautiful place to take the family. This zoo is very well hidden and was near empty when…read morewe visited. You would never know it's there unless you purposely look for it. Free entry but pay to park certain times of the year.

Pros: 1) Great add-on activity pre/post-hike…read more 2) Lots of cute animals that are pretty close-up. 3) Low cost for admission (it's donation based) 4) You can see the staff feeding the animals, if you time it right. Cons: 1) Quite a few of the animal enclosures were closed. 2) The amenities in the zoo and museum look so dated. (Some don't even work) My wife and I gave our donation upon arrival. However, I noticed many, many, many people walk right past the donation box without even care in the world. I get it, money is tight nowadays. However, if we want these sites to look nice we really should pitch in. Just leave a dollar per person, and it will add up. I really enjoyed my time there, and the workers were really friendly. Pro tip: 1) Don't take your pets into the zoo. We saw a lot of these people. 2) Don't blast music on your bluetooth speaker while walking in the park. That's why we invented headphones, papi.

FDR park is a spacious 960 acre park. This open park has nice trails for long walks, jogging, and…read morebicycling. There are basketball courts, fields for playing soccer or softball, and a children's playground. I could not believe the many areas for barbecuing with plenty of picnic tables, charcoal grills, and some areas even had volleyball nets,. Perfect for cookouts, and nice pavilions for events. There is also a beautiful scenic lake where you can rent row boats, and fish. It is also home to the largest pool of all New York State parks that can accommodate 3,500 people.

Came here for the pool, really nice when it's not crowded. Clean and friendly staff! Entrance fee…read moreis $3 per person and you can spend a whole day here!

Excellent free park on then town of Kingston, New York. We were looking for a halfway point on our…read moretrip back to Long Island from Lake George. Once we decided to come here, we began to search for things to do for a few hours and settled on this great zoo next to a great park by the same Forsyth name. Although it is not an all-day excursion, it's a nice way to spend an hour or two looking at the various animals and flowers. Food kibble is available to purchase for a quarter and the kids will love feeding goats and peacocks and pheasant and all other manner of animals. Fish and turtles and birds and an iguana share space with an alpaca and a pair of pigs and rabbits. Most everything appears to be funded by private charity and well-kept by a crew that cuts the grass and maintains to flowers and the animal quarters. Some shade trees do an excellent job at beating the hot sun and various benches or tables allow you to take a load off your feet and relax. There is a lending library in a weather-proof box that is sure to be a hit with the local kids. When in the area, please make sure to stop in and enjoy this zoo and adjacent park.

Small but great, free to enter park / mini zoo to bring kids to! They had ducks, birds, alpacas,…read moreturtles, pigs, etc and it was a nice activity to walk around and do with our 15 month old daughter for about 30 min. Plenty of parking.