Pine Plains, New York

This loop is a great option to avoid crowds on the west side of the Washburn trail.  Start at the same trailhead for the Washburn Trail.  The Cornish Trail is on the left and there is an obvious sign at the trail split a few feet from the parking area.  The Cornish Trail is an old road from about...

Mt. Taurus (or Bull Hill) is a short, family and dog friendly, hike just outside the town of Cold Spring, easily accessible by car or taking the train into town. It snakes along the edge of an old quarry that is just now being retaken by nature and provides lookouts towards the Hudson, other near...

Timeline: Weekend, though can easily be done as an overnight trip or just a day hike Summary: Day 1: Hike to camp (0.7 miles, 340' elevation gain) Day 2: Hike to Balsam Mountain and back to camp (4 miles round-trip) Day 3: Relax & hike back to car (0.7 miles) Details: Park the car at McKinle...

This loop hike starts at the northern trailhead of the park where the Stillman Trail begins.  The parking area has enough space for only 6 or 7 cars.  Start off on a wide maintained carriage road.  After about a half mile, the Stillman Trail (yellow markers) breaks of to the left.  However, stay ...

Located in Sam's Point Preserve, this hike has three major attractions – panoramic views from Sam's Point, mysterious and chilly Ice Caves, and a knee-weakening perch atop Verkeerderkill Falls. Pay attention to seasonal conditions before making this trip. Spring and early summer are best for see...

Sam's Point Overlook to Ice Cave Trail is an out-and-back trail with scenic views near Lake Maratanza located near Ellenville, New York. This trail is dog friendly on-leash. 

This is about as short a walk and as little effort as you can put in for a beautiful waterfall. You can barely call it a hike, but I'll list it as such since you do walk through the woods for 5 minutes. The trail is extremely well built, and is pretty easily accessible through the winter.The trai...

This is an easy, yet very rewarding hike with a lot of viewpoints on the way up. Technically you scale up two mountains, Butter Hill and Storm King, but most people just describe it as Storm King Mountain. This is a great hike for families with younger kids, those who don't have much time but wan...

There is three different trailheads to access the North Point Loop.  I chose the trailhead that would give me the longest hike.  That would be the Butter Hill parking area on Route 9W north.  From the parking lot, start on the connector trail designated with white markers.  Follow this for about ...

Middle Mountain to Thomas Mountain Loop is a 3.7 mile loop hike that takes you past great forest setting located near Danbury, Connecticut.

There are several trailheads for Hemlock Hills But the least crowded is at the intersection of Ned's Mountain road and Bogus Road.  I took my 3 year old black lab. There are ton's of little ponds for your dog to jump in and do dog things.  For the most part the hike is flat but at some parts it c...

Schunnemunk Mountain State Park is one of my favorite parks.  It offers many trails and possibilities for different loops.  The attraction of Schunnemunk Mountain is the long double ridges running parallel to each other and amazing views in all directions.This hike starts at the Taylor Road parki...

The Heublien Tower Trail, located just inside the Talcott Mountain State Park entrance off of Route 185 in Simsbury CT, is a short 1.25 miles. While the hike isn't long, the first 1/3 of a mile is a steep incline that will get your heart pumping. The trail itself it very well kept, and although ...

The historic preserve is operated by the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, so trails are clearly marked and extremely well maintained. There are features of the original farm that the land was used for from the 18th Century, including hand-thrown stone walls and an old logging road that cuts throug...

The Osborn Loop trail itself is not a loop.  It connects to a 2.5 mile section of the Appalachian Trail.  Hiking these together creates the loop.  Start at the trail head for the Appalachian Trail on South Mountain Pass Road.  There is parking for two or three cars.  Walk up the road a short dist...

The hike to view Crescent Lake is peaceful. You can either walk through the woods where you will be blessed with natures finest birds and wildlife or you can take the trail along the lake edge. Both are similar distances and lead to the same hill at the end! Once you get to the top take a left on...