Bower Park I'd say is one of those parks where it's not visible from the main road, and located on…read morea small road making it unkown. Going down the access road leads to a parking lot with a playground and two soccer fields providing a walking track. Past the playground is a trail up the hill which is named the Quarry Trails providing five paths, indicated by colors red, yellow, turquoise, blue, and green. The trails does a big loop expect the green, leading to the Wappingers Creek. For history geeks, the red trail approximates an old railroad line called the Poughkeepsie & Eastern Railroad going from Poughkeepsie to Millerton. I really like the trails, as it's peaceful and easy to follow. The trails are not to difficult, but beware of bugs and ticks being out and about.

My kids and I have been going to Peach since they were little -we love it ! Great place to walk the…read moredogs ,get a vigorous walk in if you so choose or have a picnic. They have done an amazing job maintaining the trails and creating positive changes throughout the years. We get to see wildlife, birds and flowers and the view at sunset is incredible! Ive never seen trash on the ground or stepped in anything unpleasant-and the people I've encountered are generally friendly. The only thing to take into consideration is the bugs / ticks but hey we do live in the hudson valley . Thanks to those who work tirelessly to keep Peach going for us ,its part of our family history!

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.

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.

Beautiful place to clear your mind and just breathe. Alone…read moretime is my favorite but it is absolutely suitable for families

This is an extremely good walk/hike. "Easy" in terms of difficulty, this trail starts off on an…read moreeasy 1/4-mile walk down a meandering crushed-gravel path to a wooden gazebo, then down some grassy hills to the Hudson River "lookout" point. From there, you can venture into the woods for a 3/4 to a mile "easy hike" surrounded by trees, trickling stream & a few furry animals, like squirrels & chipmunks, collecting acorns. Kid friendly, this is a great walk/hike for the whole family.

Dreamy any walk you choose to start on during any season. Beginner's level. Nice view of the Hudson.read more

I think this may be my favorite state park within a short driving distance from my home. There are…read moreso many hiking trails of different levels, and carriage road trails too! And the views are amazing, plus there are a bunch of waterfalls! While it does get crowded, especially in the parking lots, I find the hiking trails to be a little less crowded than the parks that are a little closer to NYC. Even though I am not a rock climber I do also enjoy seeing the climbers out there doing their thing.

This is my eighth review of MSPP, and each one has been 5 stars. Today was no different. Came by w…read morebest friend, Pots & Pans AKA, The Missing Ink. We had designs on hiking to Lake Awosting and swimming, but today was very hot and humid w the only breeze coming from fluttering butterfly wings. Plus LA is over an 8-mile round-trip. So, discretion being the better part of valor, we looped around Lake Minnewaska (about 2 miles), and rewarded ourselves w a very refreshing dip in that lake. Beautiful scenery as well. Please remember to leave no trace (carry out what you carry in). Also, good idea to bring bug spray as this is black fly season. Sunscreen as well. 5 scenic, refreshing stars

BLUF: Beautiful, timeless garden; use restrooms elsewhere…read more Innisfree Garden is open to the public between late April and mid-November every year. We visited in late October last year, and more than ten years ago before that. The garden has a timeless beauty, and many of the details looked identical or nearly the same as in our prior visit. The visit experience is essentially a counter-clockwise loop around Tyrrel Lake that can be slowly walked in about 60 to 90 minutes. Per Innisfree Garden's website, the garden is divided into miniature "cup gardens" -- sets of different features / "focal points" that all connect to the lake and the path around it. For both for our visits, I think we were most attentive for about the first 60% of the path, as "feature fatigue" started to set in just past the bridge over the lake. We quickly walked through / past the wood cabin during of our visits. Logistics: The Garden is about 90 minutes from New York City by car. Do consider bathroom breaks before or after visiting the Garden, as the restrooms here consist only of porta-potties. Cellular coverage at the Garden is weak, so it may be difficult to retrieve digital tickets from your phone if you haven't already downloaded them. Fortunately, one workaround is to tell them your name, if you are the person who booked the tickets in advance. Bring your own food and water as necessary, as these are not sold in the Garden. Wear sturdy shoes with grip and ankle support, as there are some steep angles along the initial part of the path and by some features.

185 acre park which encompasses a 40 acre lake (Tyrrel Lake). The garden park borrows from Chinese,…read moreJapanese, Modern, and ecological principles. I think the majority of reviews have hit the nail on the head. This place is a not so hidden gem of the Hudson Valley. It's so beautiful, it's a challenge to take a bad image because it is so picturesque. There are undulating scenes which can be framed in your mind's eye and pops of interesting subjects (a sculpture, rock formation, hills, etc.) to see. It's a splendor visually and changes with the seasons. It's not as manicured as a Japanese garden...it's more expansive. I think the beauty of this place can haunt you. General admission is $10. Membership also starts at $50/season.

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!

Tymor is one of the greatest parks I'd say in the eastern Dutchess County area, with a large…read moreproperty with a lot to do. Getting directions to Tymor is no issue, with a small parking lot on Tymor Park Road. There is a huge field that is not hard to miss with a baseball field along with tennis and a soccer field. There is a pavilion and also another building that has a bathroom. A playground is provided for a lot to do. Since the property is big, there are also trails to explore, which are very scenic in the woods for the most part, and a nice view of the pond called Furnace Pond. This section is very enjoyable and a pleasure to look at. Definitely got to check out the other trails. Worth the visit in the 845 and Hudson Valley, trust me.

Beautiful park to see the foliage!…read more Our family visited Berean Park on October 19, 2024. It's a great park to enjoy gorgeous Fall foliage palette! I only wish we had more time to hike big loop trails. We definitely recommend Berean Park for moderate hiking with beautiful foliage views!

4/8/2021 Out of the…read morecenter of Highland, you'll come across Berean Park located off Route 44/55. There is plenty of parking to find, but it expects to be fairly packed during spring/summertime. There is a lake just as you leave along with a playground. Going toward the woods, you'll come across a trail that is marked red. Some of the signatures are not clear as we happened to go off the trail for a bit, but we managed to get back on. Walking further, the lake is still visible until crossing to another trail that is called the white trail. There are a lot of hills on this part, which eventually leads to another trail. I'll have more info about it in my update.

Lake Waramaug State Park has so much to offer, whether it be camping, fishing, swimming, renting a…read morekayak, boating, having a picnic, or just to take in the beautiful views. I came here for kayaking. This beautiful, scenic lake is clean, and circling the lake is an enjoyable 9-mile paddle. From the water, you can take in the scenic hills that surround the lake, or view some of the waterfront gorgeous homes. This state park is well worth checking out.

It's an okay stay over place, large spaces, no privacy, but pleasant enough. What totally ruined…read morethe experience were the extremely loud campers across the way who's nonstop shouting and swearing went well into the quiet hours with no one to contact for assistance since staff leaves at 10:00 (the start of quiet hours!)