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.

Amazing easy/moderate hike in. No idea it existed and not that far away from Troy/Albany…read more Surprisingly big waterfalls and rock formations. Was told cause of all the rain it was not normally as high. Really peaceful. Thankfully no trash or other distractions from people. Will be back many times I'm sure.

I almost don't want to write a review for this conservation area because then it could become…read moreinundated with people. Simply put, you don't have to walk very far for some incredible views. We visited right after a heavy summer rainstorm so the trail right down to the falls was a bit hard to traverse (high water, slippery rocks, etc) but it was worth the treachery. But you don't have to hitch yourself down to get the full magic of these falls, you can also go for a slightly longer walk to see them at eye level. If you're visiting close to the Hudson area, a visit to the High Falls Conservation Area should be on your list! Then grab a drink in town.

Excellent place to hike…read more 1) We did a two car -- end to end hike. 2) We did the Windham High Peak, then went to the Burnt Knob and Acra Point. 3) The views were unbelievable.

The Burnt Knob Loop leads to the summit of Windham High Peak with a gorgeous view, roughly ~7 miles…read moreof hike with beautiful scenery all around. The loop is a bit of a misnomer since the hiking trail itself connects two separate trail heads via two parking lots. One side of the trail shares a parking lot with the trail to Blackhead mountain summit and the two trails goes in separate directions at about 1 mile into the hike. The connection between the two hikes allows one to extend either trail further. We didn't go to the blackhead trail, since it was marked to be difficult to very difficult. The burnt knob loop was a moderate hike, we parked our car at the parking lot shared with blackhead trail and the roundtrip to and from the summit (~3.5 mile) took about 4.5 hours with breaks for lunch on top of the Peak. The trail itself was well designed and very enjoyable, offering numerous view points with spectacular views of mountains and the grassland below. The trail markers are very clearly defined from one to the other, and instead of having continuous steep elevation, it interchanges between longer periods of flat trails and short intervals of arduous elevated trails. It was almost like interval training! This really modulates the pace of the hike, after heart pounding climbs, there are enough time to recover with a period of easy going trails. There are many view points along this trail leading up to the summit, which offers very different and beautiful views. At the summit, the shadows of the clouds on the fields and the beautiful flat grasslands with side views of mountains are absolutely stunning, we spent a lot time lazying around here before heading back down. Highly recommended to all nature lovers looking for some great hike with beautiful views!

For awesome sounds of nature and views all around, this is a great trail to stop at. Hopeland…read moreTrails is part of Norrie State Park. Getting here is not difficult at all while it's not hard missing the exit. There's plenty of parking to fit cars. The word trails indicate there are 5 in this trail park that does a big loop with multiple of them within it. It's awesome to see the layout of it as its filled with mainly gravel and also some grassy areas in some places. Luckily it's not too fully over grown to make it challenging, but do check for ticks after the hick. One minor turn off on the walk I saw is, there is no sign showing the yellow trail for Songbird Lane, so I thought maybe we went off the path for a section until reaching the other connection. There's no sign showing the red trail at the split (see my map photo for a full explanation). An update on the map would be very helpful. The website has it updated. Plan a stop here at Hopeland.

This arboretum is free to enter. It has several walking trails with distinct trees in each section…read more The East Meadow takes you through pine alley and was sunny and grassy. The Hemlock Trail was dense with trees and most of the trail was covered in roots. It led to the Hidden Marsh, which had a nice little boardwalk to walk out into the bright, vast marsh. We also checked out Woodlands Walk, which was a short set of loops, with fun little signs that told a cute children's story along the way. There were a few signs on the trails, but there wasn't quite as much information about the trees and plants as I would have expected. Still, it was great for a stroll and some sections felt like easy hiking, so it's a very pleasant place to wander for a few hours.

Mhew! This place is ok if you want to kill time and take a stroll in the woods. While I do…read moreunderstand the term "arboretum" means various trees and plants, I hoped to see some flowers in the mix. I've been to other arboretums in NYS and they have flowers that add to the appeal of visiting these places. I stopped in to kill time since I was early for checking into my camp site nearby. This arboretum had a few miles of trails with various facts about the trees and plants they care for. If you visit be sure to donate to help the staff maintain the property. While it didn't blow me away I do understand and appreciate the hard work that goes into maintaining places like this.

Just camped here again and was extremely impressed with the cleanliness of this campground. The…read morebathrooms and showers were meticulous, and every campsite in loop 4 was flat and well-maintained, perfect for any tent. While we were here, we saw staff removing tree roots that were impeding the campsite next to ours. I also appreciate that the DEC drives around and ensures that campers are abiding by the fire and bear safety rules and wish that other NYS parks did the same. There was SO much wildlife we saw just on the grounds - friendly deer, baby turkeys, and baby ducks. We were fortunate to have a few nights here without any neighbors and it was so serene and beautiful even in intense rain and fog. There are boat and canoe rentals on South Beach, and so many hiking trails that lead to breaktaking views. I really can't say enough good things about this campground and am already looking forward to our next trip here!

My friend loved camping here and invited me for a day trip which was nice. It was $10 a car. If you…read morewant to have a gathering, you have to get in super early to get picnic tables because they are first come first serve. We went to the north lake, and there are bathrooms and changing rooms near the lake for convenience. There are grills for your cooking needs. If it's a hot day where the lake is a nice temperature, that is a great way for the family to spend their day. There is also kayak rentals and hiking trails if you want to capitalize on the outdoors activities. It's a nice way to spend a day if you plan ahead with snacks, water, and sunscreen.

Nice trail mostly steep down to the Hudson. Only saw 2 other hikers. Be sure to grab pizza lunch…read morefrom Tosco's around d the corner. Delish!

I had no idea this Preserve was here, and my husband and friend stumbled on one of the "not…read moreofficial" trail heads. The trails aren't very well marked, and not very easy to see, but it's a nice little preserve. It's not an "easy" walk, kind of steep at times, but decent for not knowing it even existed! Not much parking, dogs are allowed in some areas, no bikes allowed.

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.