Very cool visitor's center with a lot of info and taxidermied animals. If you are hiking,…read moredefinitely bring waterproof shoes or crocs in sport mode because the path to the waterfall crosses a stream. Unfortunately, there's no man made bridge over it on the way. I'd recommend wearing long pants even in the summer because there's a lot of bushes that may scratch your legs on the way. Seems like the paths through the woods are pretty narrow. Maybe I'll come another time when it's blueberry season. Amazing views, just don't fall off!

Boyfriend and I wanted to come here for over a year now. Last year we went to a different spot of…read morethe Minnewaska, and the view did not disappoint. Since the parking lot isn't big (more or less 60 cars), you need to make a reservation to get in. And they are strict about this. We wanted to come in one time and they made us turn around. I am not sure if you need a reservation if you are visiting during the week, but you definitely need one for the weekend visit. Making a reservation is relatively easy. You go to the park's website (newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com) and just find or enter the park, or google this park and the top link should get you there directly. The reservation is $10 per car (plus tax/ optional donation). You can choose either 9am-2pm or 2pm-evening slot. My boyfriend is not an early riser, so I booked us the 2pm slot. I don't know how fast the reservations sell out, but I booked our slot 6 days in advance just in case. When you get there, you need show your reservation to the employees. I think it is until a certain hour, because when we were back from our hike and leaving around 430-5pm the employees guarding the entrance were gone. There is a building where you can get a free map and brochures, a little gift shop (pins for pin collectors and stickers), bathrooms, water refill area, and a big room full of facts about the area and a table with a topographic 3D map of the hikes. There is over 15miles of trails to hike available. The map is interactional, you press a button with a hike you're interested in and the map lights up with the path. Pretty cool! My boyfriend isn't an experienced hiker or does not like to hike all day as I.... so we choose the 3miles loop. The path wasn't paved, but it was smooth enough for strollers to go on. We started from the direction of Sam's point and continued by the water and cell phone towers back. Once you come in you are walking up (not very steep) path in a forrest. about half a mile I think you see the rock formation where people go on to see the view. We found some rocks below that formation and took some photos there. We were all alone, so it wasn't embarrassing to set up a tripod and take as many photos and as funny ones as we wanted. About another .2miles you go up to the official "Sam's Point" overview. It was semi crowded, so we were grateful we found a non populated spot a little below. Same view. Continuing you walk through the path and on both sides you have not so tall (maybe 8-12 feet) trees and other greenery. Everything has a placket, which labels the type of tree/ plant that grows nearby. There is an area with dead trees, which combined with some dark clouds that passed up at the same time - looked pretty eerie! Like from a spooky movie. Then you pass a body of water. We saw mama and baby ducks swimming past us. Then you just walk through other various sights, like forrest with a some ferns, forrest without them, passing by what is left of Berry Picker Cabins, and the cell phone towers, until you reach the exit. I am definitely coming back! My boyfriend and I been here for 2 years in a row, so we are probably going to make this our new annual trip. The view of the mountains is truly incredible, especially for someone living in the middle of NYC haha. It is always a great joy to get out and see something this amazing that nature formed. Loved every minute of it!

Such a beautiful trail with a great view! I completed the labyrinth course of a rock scramble…read more There is a walking trail for those who are looking for a calmer hike to the top. One of the best rock scrambles I have done! Bring bug spray!!!!

Beautiful park with plenty of open space, clean paths, and peaceful surroundings. Great spot to…read morerelax, walk, or enjoy time with family. Well-maintained and perfect for a quiet escape outdoors.

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 like Stewart forest for both walking and GeoCaching as there are A LOT of caches in this forest…read more A word of caution I will say please be sure to check postings at parking lot if you visit during winter months because while the property is not chained/closed the forest is closed certain times of year in the winter for hunting. While you might find people still walking into the forest during hunting season they do so at their own risk. Hunters do sit out there at appropriate (legal) times of the year waiting for their prey. I warn because I didn't realize this and had a hunter warn me sternly that I was unintentionally putting myself at risk when the forest was off limits to hiking, walking & biking. The hunting warning aside the forest really is massive in size but I wouldn't call it difficult at all to walk. I could say it's a great beginner hiking spot since the elevation gain throughout the forest is well below 1K. I've hit some decent points but nothing like hiking an actual mountain. The forest I believe has something like over 20 miles of trails for foot, hiking and even horse back riding traffic. Some portions are swampy areas so be cautious where you step if you venture off the beaten path. There is no official NY/NJ trail map that I could find but NYS does provide a free map you can print out in advance. Stay safe and have fun! Info & Maps: https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/50095.html

Great park with lots of trails for hiking and biking. They built a couple of boardwalks in the…read moreswamp that are very nice. Saw a pheasant and some birds and some beautiful fall foliage. 18 miles of trails!

Beautiful waterfall trail! The only thing I wish the state could do better is have a map of the…read moretrailhead- my friends and I were confused on which direction the waterfall trail was as there weren't any clear signs like there at other trails. We had to ask others on the trail who have been there before. It is a moderate trail, and can be slippery if it rained the day before. The fall foliage is beautiful and would highly recommend to anyone who likes hiking!

As many have mentioned, the rules are the rules and they are enforced…read more A mid-week camp out, and the place was very quiet. People were kayaking, the beach was open, and it was genuinely a pleasant experience. The camp does NOT sell firewood anymore, but just down the road is Davidson's. (that place sells everything you may have forgotten, even some local beers)

Beautiful spot. 2nd trip there this summer. Wish they didn't close so early because it would be…read morenice fall destination.

This is a beautiful park with lots of clearly marked trails. The lake views are wonderful and the…read moretrails we chose to take with our pup were a good level for her. There was lots of wildlife- deer tracks everywhere, a few raccoon prints and we even saw a woodpecker! There isn't too much parking so I suggest showing up early :). All in all highly highly recommend. If we come back we may even consider ice fishing!

This is an awesome park with all levels of hiking trails. A few trails top out with amazing lookout…read morepoints with views of the hudson river. Another less challenging hike goes around a nice pond and the most challenging has an offshoot to a waterfall. The trails are well kept and well signed and there is a nice map in the parking area. Plenty of parking at both upper and lower lot. Lots of wildlife and dog friendly. So lucky to have this nearby!

There are a few trails here that circle around the marshland. We took the yellow trail, which was…read morean easy shaded walk. My family loved that this was a different experience from our typical hikes in the woods, as we were able to take in the beauty of the Marshlands.

This is a brand new trail that opened on June 5th. I don't know if it's still a secret or if it was…read moretoo hot but there weren't many people for a Sunday morning. There is currently an Enchanted Forest art installation along the main trail which is very cool. The red, green, and yellow trails are well marked with frequent flares and give amazing views of the otherworldly beauty of the marshland. Most of the 1.5 miles of trails are easy, gentle, and well shaded by forest. Parking is along the road or driveway. I imagine it could be a challenge if crowded. The yellow trail head is to your right from the parking area. The red trail is the main one which turns into the green loop. Overall, I'm impressed and it was worth the drive. This is exactly what a new trail should be like.