Easy trails. Well circulated with other people. Relaxing views. A great place to paint outdoors,…read morehave lunch under the pavilion or/and explore.

Doing some research online, I came across this park. It's nice to see what the Hudson Valley offers…read morefor its park! Parking can be limited at times, so the best time to go is early in the day. There are multiple paths that anyone can take, but for our convenience, we did the red and yellow path (those are the main ones). Other paths are found along the trails. Some of the markings can be unclear along the way, so keep an eye out on that. It's best to follow the dirt path at all times. Be aware, most of it is windy. The fire tower wasn't what we expected. As we approached near the top, there were a lot of bees on the railing. The view is excellent from where we stopped, but not enough to fulfill a hiker. Another thing is to watch out for is bugs. There is a lot of shady spots on each path, therefore, I strongly recommend bringing bug spy. Something I learned too. As long as you look at the map, there won't be any problems.

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.

We love Bowdoin Park for so many reasons. The park is so spacious with so many nooks and crannies…read morethat there's something for everyone. Multi use sports fields, swing sets, toddler play areas, great spaces for picnicking, and for my purpose, Dog exploring. My black lab mix has to sniff frequently to feel gratification. So our trips to Bowden Park happened roughly once a week so he can read all the "Social PEEdia.". Regardless of what time or day it is, you'll always find people enjoying the trail, walk, quiet, picnic, entertaining children, or using one of the several permanent gazebo structures to host a celebration. I think it's still possible to rent out the lodge for overnight stays and private parties. I would defer to them to confirm that There's a little chapel on site and I've never been inside, but it looks absolutely adorable. This could be a great place for a casual country wedding celebration and picnic in place of those high priced extravagant weddings. This is our third visit this month and I have failed to report in two other times. If you have a dog, this is a great place to visit but make sure you bring your 6 foot leash. It is mandatory Like all parks in the county, the park closes at dusk. Be respectful and carry your trash out with you if you can't find a receptacle of which there are many. And by all means, clean up after your pet and your children. Keep the Park beautiful for everyone. The location of Bowden Park is on the edges of the Hudson River. You can't see the river from everywhere but you know it's there parallel to the train path to New York City and up to Poughkeepsie

Bowdoin Park is one of those parks where "I wish I discovered this place many years back." Driving…read morein leads to many things to do, a playground for the kids, and two big fields with one providing a baseball and soccer field. Picnic tables are scattered throughout the park along with pavilions. The pavilions are in great shape and in use. Bathrooms are provided in the main building. Also, be on the lookout for upcoming mini concerts, which are performed on the hilly field just as you enter. There are a total of six trails that are assigned a color, starting at one point and ending at a different location (with some reconnecting with the same path), except the blue trail, which does a loop, and also the Wappingers Greenway Trail, which passes through. I've enjoyed exploring, with decent views and scenery. The intersections of different paths need to be marked clearly, and instead, the sign is further in. Reading the map is key to not getting lost, which Bowdoin Park provides. There's a lot to offer for all ages, and it's a destination anyone won't regret along the Hudson River with a touch of nature.

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!

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!

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.

Brought my new square drop trailer here for an overnight to iron the wrinkles out of the new type…read moreof camping. Being mid-week, this place was quiet!!! The sites, being first-come, first-served, we open enough and many offered just the right amount of privacy. I can see where a busy weekend might alter people's views of this, but mid week July? Perfect. The restrooms / showers were clean. The sites were also very clean. I believe the staff comes by everyday and cleans the fire pits from the sites that are empty. A great local gem. And yes, o wil be back.

Favorite park in the county. Very peaceful. Very clean. Been coming here for over 25 years.read more

A park that is well hidden can be a mystery until it is unwrapped. The unwrapping part is the…read moreanswer - a wonderful trail to explore while enjoying. Most of its journey parallels the Wappinger Creek once you're far in from the entrance. In the beginning, the surround includes a lot of trees and hills to the mix before approaching the creek. There are a couple of bridges along the way which require caution, as it is a bit wiggly. The trail then leads to a big field, which is somewhat unmarked, but noticing the dirt will help a bit. Eventually, at the end of the trail, there is a lookout with a bench that overlooks the creek along with a nice view of viewing the Overlook Golf Course. Overall, it's 1.25 miles one way. After that, walk the opposite way while enjoying different scenery. Also, there is one branch at the beginning that follows the creek in the north direction that follows for a bit which ends at a loop, with the branch trail lasting less than a mile. Parking on the other hand is what's bringing me down 1 star since there's not a lot of space to work out with. It's a hit and miss, in the long run, so the time of day is undetermined since it varies day by day, except at early dusk. Two cars may fit on the grass if lucky, depending on the size of the car. With that, it's a wonderful park to take in, with the nice water sound and a lot to look around.