Hiking New York's Lower Hudson Valley

by Randi Minetor, Nic Minetor (Photographer)

Overview

From the High Line on Manhattan's West Side to the historic Copake Iron Works in Taconic State Park, Hiking New York's Lower Hudson Valley features the best hiking routes between New York City and Albany, including several in the Catskills and western Connecticut. Whether you're looking for an unforgettable outdoor experience in the sloping hills around one of America's most beautiful and beloved waterways, or just wanting to escape the city for a few hours, veteran hikers Randi and Nic Minetor provide all the information you'll need to make it happen.

Now powered with National Geographic's TOPO! Maps, Hiking New York's Lower Hudson Valley is your complete guide to getting out of the city, into the outdoors, and onto your next great adventure!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493029891
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/01/2018
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	1,082,799
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Wife and husband team Randi and Nic Minetor have collaborated on more than twenty books on hiking, historic cities, America’s national parks, birds, and nature. Their popular books on outdoor activities in New York State include books in FalconGuides’ Best Easy Day Hikes series on Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, and the Hudson River Valley, as well as the popular Hiking Waterfalls in New York and Scenic Routes and Byways New York. Avid birders and seasoned road trippers, the Minetors also collaborated on the best-selling Backyard Birding: A Guide to Attracting and Identifying Birds for Lyons Press.

When not in the car or on the trail, Randi is a freelance writer for corporations, executives, and nonprofit organizations, and Nic is the resident lighting designer for several theatre and opera companies in upstate New York, and for the PBS series Second Opinion. The Minetors live in Rochester, New York.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments viii

Meet Your Guides x

Map and Icon Legends xi

Trail Finder xii

Top Five Hikes xiv

Before You Hit the Trail 1

Hudson Valley Overview 1

Weather 4

Flora and Fauna 5

Winderness Regulations 10

The Hikes

New York City and the Palisades

1 High Line Park 15

2 Fort Lee Historic Park: Shore Trail-Long Path Loop 20

3 Croton Gorge Park 27

4 Old Croton Aqueduct Trail: Scarborough to Sleepy Hollow 33

5 Teatown Lake Reservation 39

6 Piermont Marsh and Pier 44

7 Anthony's Nose 49

Putnam and Orange Counties

8 Little Stony Point 56

9 Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve: Cornish Estate-Undercliff Trail Loop 62

10 Breakneck Ridge 69

11 Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park: Three Lakes Trail 74

12 Bear Mountain State Park: Appalachian Trail to the Summit 80

13 Storm King Mountain and Butter Hill 85

14 Harriman State Park: Pine Swamp Mountain 91

15 Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary 97

Dutches County

16 Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area 104

17 Mount Beacon Park 109

18 Thompson Pond 114

19 Dover Stone Church 120

20 Locust Grove 125

21 Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park and Loop Trail 130

22 Peach Hill Park 135

23 Hyde Park Trail: Roosevelt and Vanderbilt National Historic Sites 140

24 Top Cottage and Eleanor Roosevelt Estate 148

25 Falling Waters Preserve 153

26 Winnakee Nature Preserve 159

27 Mount Egbert via the Appalachian Trail 164

Ulster County

28 Minnewaska State Park Preserve: Minnewaska Lake Carriage Road 171

29 Minnewaska State Park Preserve, Sam's Point Area: Loop Road to the Ice Caves 176

30 Black Creek Preserve 181

31 Shaupeneak Ridge: Ridge Trail 187

32 Walkill Valley Rail Trail: New Paltz to Rosendale 192

33 Upper Vernooy Kill Falls Trail 198

Columbia and Greene Counties

34 Taconic State Park: Copake Falls Mine Area and Bash Bish Falls 205

35 Beebe Hill Fire Tower 210

36 North-South Lake Park: Catskill Escarpment Loop 216

37 Kaaterskill and Bastion Falls 222

Western Connecticut

38 The Audubon Center in Greenwich 228

39 Lion's Head 234

40 Steep Rock Preserve: Steep Rock Loop 239

Bonus Hikes 244

Local Interest Trail Finder 253

Index 255

About the Author and Photographer 256