Abby Girl Hiking Trails: The Review
We will review the hiking trails we have wandered here by difficulty and scenery! Please remember that everyone’s views of hikes are different and different people can handle different levels of activity.
NOTICE
We are still social Distancing thanks to pandemic. Feel free to read this LESSON LEARNED SOCIAL DISTANCING ON TRAILS IF YOU DO FIND YOURSELF ON A TRAIL DURING THIS TIME. THANK YOU.
East of the Hudson-
Appalachian Trail-
Love the AT! It can be easy or difficult as you want it to be! Read the on our section hike!
For Super easy and stroller friendly, I recommend the Great Swamp section in Pawling NY
Nuclear Lake is nice from rt 55 entrance. Moderate hike. If you go in from the r side, you might hear guns from the nearby range. There is a small scramble.
Depot Hill on AT- Nice Views at top. Some rock scrambles. I have done it with and without a carrier.
Cat Rocks- Go hug the old Dover Oak and then go to the left up the Appalachian Trail. We have gone from 55 all the way through and down Cat Rocks. Then across the street to the Great Swamp. We also scrambled northbound and then just went back the way we came. It’s good cardio. Moderate hike. Nice Views at Summit
Great views at the top! Scrambles if you take the Appalachian Trail (white markers) up to blue. It goes to the left. Then retrace steps back. It can also take the longer approach from Camp Smith. Moderate hike.
Arden Point/Glenclyff, Garrison-
We have only completed the Arden Point side of things. Arden point itself is nice and right over the train tracks to the right. However, from here, we ended up on a bushwhack again. No clue what GPS was thinking. Never completed the full read loop. If you go left after bridge, there is a nice little cove to relax on the water. Mainly easy.
Blackberry Pond Loop-
worst trail markers. moderate not easy. no views but nice pond. The lack of direction on trail that needs focus and one big climb on sliding dirt give it a moderate. I have also heard rumors of Sasquatch sightings in here. There are also a lot of bear. We lost the trail and had to stick our poles out and search the ground and walk until we hit the trail again. We do this because we don’t want to step on a rattlesnake. 4.3 miles.
Bowdoin Park-
-Easy hiking trails. Populated. Diverse trails.
-It has an awesome playground and splash pad on Memorial Day! Mama approved. Though I’m not sure about this year, last year I stopped going because of bees. They were aggressive. Was stung. Am allergic. Not cool.
Bower Park, Pleasant Valley NY-
Becomes overgrown in summer. Old quarry. Goes to the river. Lot’s of trails to weave through. Very flat. Playground.
Bull Hill Via Nelsonville-
Moderate. This is the loop you can take after seeing Cornish Estates! 5.5 miles. Rocks.
Burger Hill, Rhinebeck NY-
-Short hike! Your legs will burn. Not stroller friendly.
-Beautiful view at the top.
Carrie Institute, Millbrook NY-
The boardwalk is so much fun. Could probably do a stroller. Go to the other side and meander through lots of different trails. We even saw a wild turkey. Easier hike. It can really vary distance too.
Catfish Loop Trail Via Appalachian Trail-
Moderate. Nice challenging spots. About 4.5 miles.
Cornish Estates-
Love Cornish Estates! Lot’s of old ruins. Not a difficult hike. However, you can hike on to do Breakneck ridge which is difficult and not recommended for children. You can also do a loop making it a moderate hike up and over the mountain. Good workout. Several miles!
Dennings Point-
Can bring a stroller. However, if you want to go down to the Hudson Stroller won’t work. This section is moderate. Rest is easy
Dover Stone Church, Dover NY-
Easy hike to waterfalls. Watch your footing on rocks. Can make this a moderate hike by also going to the simmit. However, not much of a view from the top. 1 mile to falls. Add a couple more if you do summit.
Farm Lane, Hyde Park NY-
The main path is stroller friendly. We often take side paths that are still on the easier side just to get into the woods more. Lot’s of bugs in warm months
Ferncliff Forest, Rhinebeck NY-
On the easier side. Can make it a long hike or a short hike. Pond. Can get a good workout going to fire tower (which you can climb). Lots of fun little obstacles to do. We did get a spooky ghost-like feeling here once and phone went on fritz and drained. My kid kept insisting there was a ghost by the shelters. Just FYI. The rich history here is awesome for history buffs.
Franklin Roosevelt-Hyde Park NY
Lovely somewhat easy hike. Nice wide trails. We often do the mile loop around. Can bring a stroller around the grounds.
Franny Reese State Park, Highland NY-
Cool ruins. Easy to moderate hike. Can actually travel all the way down to Hudson or up. Nice wide trail. Populated.
Freedom Park, Lagrange NY-
Cute mile loop. It has lots of different areas for children to interact with such as climbing in the woods, pirate ship, and fairy village.
Hopeland Trails, Staatsburg, NY–
-nice and peaceful. Smaller trail system. However, a lot of varying scenery. Lots of benches/picnic benches to sit or have a picnic! Here is a blog post about the red loop trail! Coverall.
Iron Mine Pond Loop, Millerton NY-
It is several miles if you go around the lake. We found an open spot by the lake and just stayed. Beautiful lake.
James Baird State Park, Pleasant Valley-
Mostly easy. Some uphills. Great playground for the littles and there is a trail right behind it. Also, a walking path goes around the playground for strollers.
Little Stony Point, Cold Spring NY-
Easy hike. It has a small cave. Watch out for glass and trash in the cave. Very peaceful walking along Hudson. Loops. There is a more challenging summit to. You will see the trail shoot straight in front of you when you start the loop.
Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie NY–
-Recommend a carrier or walking legs. You could probably use an all-terrain stroller, but I wouldn’t want to do that. The map is great. Some trails definitely require carrier only. Marked on map. for difficulty (easy peasy). My child is also convinced the woods are haunted and supposedly there are werewolves. She randomly pulled a map out and was talking about the big rocks at home one night. Yep, the graveyard.
-Water features, view of Hudson
Long Dock-Beacon NY
Easy hike. It can be stroller friendly. Surrounded by Hudson. Pollution.
-Very easy hike as long as you stay on the main trails.
-Varying scenery makes for an interesting hike.
New Hubbard Loop Trail–
This one seriously escapes me. If anyone has done it, please jog my memory. We did this a few years ago. Must not have been memorable …
Norrie Point-Staatsburg
It depends on what trail you go on how easy to easy-moderate it gets. We often follow the trail along the river. That is very rocky. Tip-go at low tide
Monastery of the Incarnation, Beacon NY
Easy. Took us less than a half hour to do. There appears to be another trail. However, I was warned that in Mid May, there was an active bees nest on a trail in here directly off main road. It was one that dips down from road. Be advised.
Murrow/Lakeside Trail-
Not sure what happened here or actual length as GPS stopped working. We followed a gets your heart going up hill behind the softball fields. Then just followed the trail. There were a lot off dirt bikes on the trail. So be careful. We saw the Blair Witch Sign as well as a skull in the tree. We eventually came to the old red barn that looked more like the Zombie uprising was about to happen. We tried to follow the trail back and gave up going down a hill that dumped us at a park. We asked for directions to the road and road walked back. No views.
Mt. Beacon-
for the level of difficulty. It’s a lot of uphill. I have done it solo. Abby completed the summit to peak at 2.5 and then the second peak to fire tower. She recently winter climbed to the first peak too. Check out our winter hiking with children article to learn more!
-The fire tower gets an angry face
-Very unstable. A child could easily fall through sides on way up and I’m very afraid of heights. Abby was already partway up and I had to chase her. Talk about thinking happy thoughts. She wanted to see the top so I made her cling to my front like a spider monkey. I don’t recommend it with tiny children. I also had help securing my pack to the base. It was very windy.
Peach Hill Park, Poughkeepsie NY-
Love this place. It has a small summit with views of the Catskills. Lovely place for a picnic. Kids can climb the old apple trees. Lots of seasonal mud play. Varying ecosystems.
Pelton Pond Fahnstock NY-
Easy short hike. Nice pond to go around. Rocky. Picnic area. Bathrooms. 1 mile.
Pinewoods Park, Hyde Park–
Easy. There are a playground and a skate park. I have been advised that sometimes it is really packed with teenagers
Poet’s Walk, Rhinebeck-
I will leave it at that if you want a place that has people but is also serene, then go here. You can also loop around and go through the woods. Beautiful sweeping views. Gazebos. Dancing meadows. Love. Easy to somewhat easy. Some uphills.
Rudd Pond, Millerton NY-
Moderate hike. Bears. Lots of challenging. Nice view to relax at the summit. If you take the trail, not in the camp, it’s very overgrown and I was covered in ticks.
Easy trails. They meander through fields (both athletic and corn). Small woodland trail Upper gravel trails good for the off-road stroller. Lot’s nature sounds. Room to run.
Stony Kill Foundation-
Go on the weekend and visit the animals. They also have a lot of programs and leave a book take a book by the trailhead. Most of the trail is easy and then winds up and around.
Stissing Mountain, Pine Plains NY-
DIFFICULT. We went the “easier” way around and came down on the steep. Abby slipped and so did I coming down. There is a fire tower to climb at the top.
Stissing Pond, Pine Plains NY-
Easy path. wide. Nice woodland views. Can loop around. Leashed dogs welcome. We found an old secret trail. It is rated as moderated and not well marked. We advise staying on the trail. Tge loop isn’t bad either. Just pay attention as we originally missed our turnoff.
Stringham Park, Lagrange NY-
stroller friendly. Nice playground. Geese Poop.
Taconic Hereford Multi-Use Area-Pleasant Valley-
lot’s to see. Many trails to explore. Easy to moderate terrain. Not crowded.
Tivoli Bays-Tivoli NY-
We haven’t had much luck here. We’ve been lost twice. I think I startled a large animal. Recently waded tge marsh at high tide to continue on. Crossed tracks and found another trail. Wouldn’t recommend for small kids. Ticked off snapping turtle.
Quiet Cove, Poughkeepsie NY-
Not much hiking here. At low tide, you can stroll along part of the Hudson River
UTC Father’s Trail, Barrytown NY
Easy. Trails are part of the greenway trail system. Some minor hill, ocergrowth and crossings. Don’t go in water, appears polluted. Just under two miles. From parking lot, take the trail that leads through the field to the left. Eventually, you come to an exit sign. Keep going straight. It will follow along the Train Tracks and Hudson before goung into woods again. Eventually you will be on a road. Just follow that back. Around where the monument is, I saw a ghost and shortly after, a black cat. Just FYI.
Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park-
Again, it’s not that difficult of the walk. Stay around grounds if you want to bring a stroller. Most trails are wide and easy. Some uphill/downhill. Nothing Crazy
Vassar Farms, Poughkeepsie NY-
Lot’s of trails. Many easy trails and then some more challenging that goes up through the woods. Lot’s of ecosystems to explore. A great educational place for kids. Interactive sections where there are plaques and signs to learn about nature in the area and what grows here.
West Point Foundry, Cold Spring NY-
Easy and lots of history. Most stroller friendly
White Pond, Carmel NY-
We trail ran most of this in the rain. There are some rocky and swampy areas. Moderate because of footing. Fun trail that isn’t too long.
Wilcox Park, Pine Plains
Great spot for a BBQ. Around the main area is easy. We went up and around to the summit. This was a moderate hike.
-Easy, quiet hike.
-Bugs lots of bugs and yes, I wore bug spray as stated in the blog.
Wonder Lake, Patterson NY-
Moderate. We hiked for miles. Awesome lake at the Good workout!
West of the River-
Bear Mountain, Bear Mountain NY-
Around the pond is stroller friendly. Toward Doodletown is moderate. Cool ruins. Watch out for snakes. Heard there are a lot of rattlers.
Black Creek Preserve-Esopus NY
Easy hike if just going over the bridge. Be careful of bees. I got stung going off trail a bit as my child had a bathroom emergency. If you head up, then it becomes more moderate. Eventually can go to the Hudson.
Cohotate Preserve-
It’s a moderate loop. Not too exciting. If you take the off shoot trail to the left down the hill at the bottom right before heading back up, there is a nice spot on the Hudson. The only access point, I saw a person playing on the tree and told my child to make sure she social distances herself. When we got down there, the person had vanished. Just FYI. At the top is a nice pond loop and observation deck.
Diamond Lake Loop, Montgomery NY-
Located inside Winding Hills Park. Easy/moderate hike as long as you stay on the trail. We ended up getting thrown off the trail and bushwhacked along the lake. One good hill we dirt surfed down. If you went right when you started, then you would avoid dirt surfing and have to climb it inside. This might be easier. Geese. No huge “wow” factor. Nice for kids to have fun and explore. As with most trails, watch for poison ivy.
Esopus Meadows, Esopus NY-
Love the interactive trail through the woods that explains what different trees and shrubs are. Easy if you stay along Hudson. However, I recommend going into the woods down into the cove.
Falling Waters Preserve-
Riverfront. Waterfall. Populated. Nice easy hike.
Illinios Mountain, Highland-
Moderate workout up the mountain. No views. Playground. Not impressed.
Joppenbergh Mountain, Rosendale NY-
Moderate hike. Great view of tressle bridge an Rosendale. Rocky in spots.
Saugerties Lighthouse-
Easy. Nice walk. Go at low tide. Nice views
Shaupeaneak Ridge-
At the lower lot, it’s flat for a while. You can hike to a waterfall. Then it goes up, up, up. The scenery is so so. Cross the street to Louisa Pond. Rocky. Several trail systems. Some go into the woods. There is also an upper parking lot. Seasonal Road. Lousia Pond is moderately easy. Very tranquil.
Shawangunk Wildlife Rescue-
Beautiful bird sanctuary. Fields.
Slabsides, Esopus-
Again you can pretty pick your distance. We ended up doing the stair climb, ladder drop and tiny scramble. It is mainly a woods walk. However, there is a lot to entertain you while in there. Easy/easy-moderate. Lake.
Storm King Mountain Loop-
Cornwall on Hudson. Around four miles. Moderate/difficult. If you start by going to the left first after parking lot, you will immediately be thrown into a scramble. Goes over several view points. Nice summit view at Storm King. A serious workout.
Turkey Point, Saugerties NY-
A lot of traffic. Trails throughout are nice. Features a waterfall.
Connecticut-
Cobble Mountain, Macedonia SP-
The Trail that I ripped my pants. I would strongly suggest completing the scramble up Cobble first. NOT FOR SMALL KIDS unless a lot of experience. I saw a girl about middle school age stuck on side and her family had to pull her off. Even mine needed some help as the boulders were way too big.
Great Hollow Preserve, Haviland/CT Border
Nice trails. Moderate at times. Varying scenery. Watch out for bears!
Pine Knob Loop Via Appalachian Trail-
Don’t listen to reviews online. There is a scramble. A decent one. Views are alright. Lot’s of varying terrain. Moderate to difficult.
Caleb Peak Via Fuller Pond (3 miles)-
Completed in late winter. So good uphills. No scrambles. Some of it runs along the Appalachian Trail. Pond is pretty. Cabin overlooking pond is creepy. A lot more trails to explore in this area. Easy to get to. Download your map as service is hit or miss.
Deer Pond Farm/CT Audubon Society/Sherman CT-
Great fun for whole family. Full description here.
Upstate NY-
Kaaterskill Falls-Catskills-
Beautiful! Not too far into the falls from the parking lot. Moderate. The stairs to falls will definitely get the heart pumping
Love, love, love. No cell services. Ruins as you enter. Primitive walk-in camping. Crystal clear lake.
Onteora Lake-
Easy Trail. Very populated. Trash. Small parking lot at bottom. Otherwise, park at top and walk down the road. Be careful to be squashed by a car. We only went a short way in before looping into woods and making it more of a loop trail than out and back.
Pecoy Notch to Twin Mountain/Catskills-
Out and back this is around a 5.5 mile trek. Do not rely on the GPS. Our Alltrails bounced up the mileage. To Pecoy Notch is a solid moderate hike. Though the view is amazing and all the cool chairs made from rocks, makes just going to this point awesome. However, if that isn’t enough press-on. We got to the sign that says Twin one way and another summit to the right. We went left up Twin. NOT RECOMMENDED for newby hikers or children who do not have strong listening skills, experience, strength, coordination. If you and only you feel your child can do this, make them wear a rock climbing helmet. Going down is honestly the worst. We have a video on Youtube!
Nice and easy. We did a hike in the winter.
Tanbark Loop Trail-
Fairly populated. Challenging from the start. We took the loop to the right. 2.1 miles altogether. Moderate/moderate-difficult. If you are the mom filming your kids in the wrong shoes on your Ipad going up the scramble, just don’t. Use common sense. So-So view.
Other East Coast Hikes-
Mount Frissel, NY
Go counter clockwise and get the scrambles done first. Hard hike. Long. Never made it to Brace. Last section is uneventful walking down an old waterbed and the road walking. But, the views are awesome. Bragging rights that you went through three states. CT, MA and NY. Also highest point in CT. Not recommended for smaller children unless they have a lot of experience.
Finally Thoughts
We have currently bagged almost every trail in the Hudson Valley and are attempting a detailed list to come. If you need a suggestion on where to hike in the Hudson Valley, feel free to use our contact page and reach out to us. With over four hundred miles on our feet, it isn’t easy maintaining this page while continuing our adventures! We have completed a few hikes in the Harlem Valley area, the Catskills, Saratoga Area, Western Vermont, a lot of New York Appalachian Trail. Our last big hike was featured on our HV Parent Blog and we discussed Anthony’s Nose.
FYI if you want to see distances and other pictures of the trail we walked, go to this trail PDF. It was updated in March 2020. We have since hiked an additional over 300 more miles. We are a tad behind in our update. Stay tuned.
Contact us if you need directions or use Alltrails!