change of scenery full of fresh scents to whiff and a nice long walk with you is your pup’s idea of absolute bliss. Many of our Hudson Valley and Catskills trails welcome dogs on leashes, so we’ve put together a season’s worth of cool options for merry roving, most of them the less-traveled choices, all but one of them free. Check out this list of wildly varied possibilities and get out there and have some adventures together!
View from Millbrook Ridge Trail. Photo by Samuel Bedouet.
Shaupeneak Ridge Trail. Photo by Hannah Cave.
ULSTER COUNTY
MILLBROOK RIDGE TRAIL, GARDINER
A moderately challenging 7.4-mile loop rewards your scrambling with a walk atop those glorious white cliff faces you can see looking south from New Paltz; there you’ll find some of the best views of the Gunks and the Hudson Valley in the whole of the Mohonk Preserve, which is to say the best views from anywhere on the planet. Carriage roads offer ample side-quest possibilities.
Getting there:
Park at the Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center (3197 State Route 55, Gardiner, NY) or West Trapps parking lot (3142 Route 44, Gardiner, NY). Parking Fee: $15.
SHAUPENEAK RIDGE, ESOPUS
This superb preserve offers almost 1,000 acres to explore, with multiple trails ranging from easy strollin’ to challenging, amid a cornucopia of beauty—wildflower filled grasslands, woods, a waterfall and pond, stunning rock formations,and an abundance of wildlife, including beaver, deer, coyotes, and turkeys—plenty of amazing scent trails to get Rover’s pulse pounding.
Getting there:
From Highland, drive 8 miles north on 9W and make a left onto County Route 16 (Old Post Road). Skip the first parking lot you see—you want the upper lot. Continue almost 2 miles and go straight when the road splits, following Popletown Road for less than a mile to the upper lot, which will be on your left.
View from Trout Pond Loop. Photo by Mike Powers.
usten Mountain Trail. Photo by Susan Bondy.
SULLIVAN COUNTY
TROUT POND LOOP, ROSCOE
The Trout Pond Loop is a fairly easy 4.87-mile excursion that takes you to Trout Pond, Mud Pond, and the picturesque Russell Brook Falls. There’s a small but lovely beach, and there are primitive campsites and lean-tos, should you and Rover want to spend the night.
Getting there:
From Route 206 in Roscoe, turn left onto Morton Hill Road. Russell Brook Road will be 3.1 miles in; take a left and drive half a mile to the lower lot.
TUSTEN MOUNTAIN TRAIL, NARROWSBURG
A moderately difficult 3-mile loop trail that will take you through a forest of mixed hardwood trees and the historic remains of the Tusten Settlement. At the summit, enjoy a magnificent view of the Upper Delaware River Valley. This is the only public trail partially managed by the Ten Mile River Scout Camp, and hikers are asked to stay on the trail and respect private property.
Getting there:
From Route 97, take Crawford Road, park at Ten Mile River Access, and follow Ten Mile River Road on foot to the yellow-blazoned Tusten Mountain Trail on the right.
Tivoli Bays. Photo by Jennirose Miller.
Pawling Appalachian Trail. Photo by Jeremy Peterson.
DUTCHESS COUNTY
TIVOLI BAYS STATE PARK, RED HOOK
Tivoli Bays has over 9 miles of trails in all, through a uniquely lovely stretch of estuarine shoreline with interactive informational kiosks to fill you in on the territory. The popular Overlook Trail is an easy 2.7-mile loop with scenic river views.
Getting there:
You’ll find parking and a trailhead off Route 9G just south of the Village of Tivoli.
PAWLING APPALACHIAN TRAIL, PAWLING
The Pawling Appalachian Trail has a new 1,600-foot-long scenic boardwalk across the lovely Great Swamp. The boardwalk provides several sitting areas and a 34-foot bridge that offers easy access to and from the Metro North AT train station. The trail is an out-and-back 7.2-mile ramble with terrific views at Cat Rocks.
Getting there:
From Route 22, take East Main Street north and turn onto Memorial Avenue. The Metro-North signage makes this an easy one to find. Of course, you (and Rover, on his best behavior) can also just hop on the Metro-North Harlem Line at Grand Central.
View from Utsayantha Lake Loop. Photo by Nik Tom.
Catskill Scenic Trail. Photo by Jan Peter Brajer.
DELAWARE COUNTY
UTSAYANTHA LAKE LOOP, STAMFORD
This is a moderately challenging 2.2-mile loop of unpaved road around a serene, pretty little reservoir. It’s usually quiet, and there are even sections where you can let Rover take a break from the leash life. Highlights include a granite marker for the alleged burial location of local Indian woman Utsayantha and some splendid views of the Adirondacks to the north.
Getting there:
Take NY-23 east from Stamford and look for the right turn onto steep Mountain Avenue. On your left at the peak is Tower Road, with a sign for the park.
CATSKILL SCENIC TRAIL—BLOOMVILLE TO ROXBURY
This 26-mile stretch of the former Ulster and Delaware Railroad is a wide, hardpacked pathway weaving through farmlands, along the banks of the Delaware River, and past small Catskill towns. There’s a slight grade. Multiple trailheads allow you and Rover to choose your own adventure.
Getting there:
Parking areas are located east of Bloomville on Route 10, in Stamford at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and South Street, and just south of Grand Gorge, where Route 30 meets Ferris Hill Road. You can also park along Route 30 at the base of Hardscrabble Road, just north of Roxbury
