We love our Mama Earth with a passion. This is, after all, the region that birthed the Hudson River School artistic movement, a romantic one at that. We cherish the flow, the craggy rocks, the lush curves, the trees, and the critters.
So naturally (so to speak) there’s a focus on protection. Between New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation and a long list of nonprofit land trusts, hundreds of thousands of acres are legally forever wild; much of that is laced with trails and waterways that beg to be explored. C’mon out and play. You could roam these parts for a lifetime of summers and never run out of fresh adventure.
Here are some great starting points for favorite summertime activities: a sampling of the possibilities, just to get you started. Checking out these places will often lead you to camping, fishing, and swimming opportunities too. Go prepared, have a blast, leave no trace…and welcome to our wonderland.
Hundreds of thousands of acres are legally forever wild; much of that is laced with trails and waterways that beg to be explored.
BIKING AND HIKING
RAIL TRAILS
The Hudson Valley’s network of rail trails is a triumph of adaptive reuse: wide, hard-surfaced pathways whose moderate grades and gentle curves lead through forests, meadows, and urban centers. Every few miles, you’ll find yourself within easy walking or riding distance of a town or village; that’s to say, some good food and a cold mug of craft brew.
O&W Rail Trail:
27 miles, Kingston to Ellenville Riding the Rondout Valley means great views of the Shawangunks and the Catskills and a dose of canal-era history. theoandwrailtrail.org
Wallkill Valley Rail Trail:
22 miles, Gardiner to Kingston Incredible Shawangunk Ridge views, the Water Street Market in New Paltz, and the 940-foot Rosendale Trestle high above the Rondout Creek. wallkillvalleylt.org
River to Ridge Trail, New Paltz. Photo by Greg Miller.
You could roam these parts for a lifetime of summers and never run out of fresh adventure.
William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail:
13.4 miles, Hopewell Junction to Poughkeepsie East end: Fascinating exhibits at the restored 1870s Hopewell Depot Museum and plenty of food options just a five-minute ride away. West end: Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, truly bodacious views, and an elevator to Poughkeepsie.
dutchessny.gov/Departments/Parks/Dutchess-Rail-Trail hopewelldepotmuseum.org walkway.org
Ashokan Rail Trail:
11.5 miles, West Hurley-Boiceville Glorious lake and mountain views, and a full-service bike shop at the Ashokan Station trailhead.
ashokanrailtrail.com
Hudson Valley Rail Trail:
9 miles, Highland to New Paltz Seven miles of pretty trail followed by two miles of on-road riding gets you from the Walkway to the Village of New Paltz.
empiretrail.ny.gov/poughkeepsie-albany/lloyd-new-paltz
Catskill Scenic Trail:
26 miles, Bloomville to Stamford Weaves through some of the Western Catskills’ most glorious country. through farm fields, along the Delaware River, and into quirky, artsy Catskill towns like Hobart (the Book Village), Stamford, and Roxbury.
catskillscenictrail.org
Ashokan Rail Trail
RIVERSIDE ROAMING
Sojourner Truth State Park in Kingston reclaims formerly industrial land for humans to play on; right beside the mighty Hudson you’ll find splendid biking and walking paths amid a mix of woods and riverfront history, plus a new pavilion on the water that’s a lovely spot for a picnic.
sojournertruthstatepark.info
Checking out these places will often lead you to camping, fishing, and swimming opportunities too.
View from Sojourner Truth State Park. Photo by Robert Rodriguez Jr. 
CARRIAGE TRAILS
These Shawangunk specialties will gain you a lot more altitude than the rail trails, but they’re still generally bicycle-friendly and fine for less trail-hardened hikers; you won’t end up outright rock-climbing. Mohonk Preserve maintains an 80-mile network of carriage roads that links to others maintained by Minnewaska State Park and Mohonk Mountain House. Their Visitor Center on Rt. 44/55 is a great starting point for exploration.
mohonkpreserve.org
parks.ny.gov/parks/minnewaska
Bonticou Crag at Mohonk Preserve. Photo by Kate Schoonmaker.
CATSKILLS TRAILS
The Catskill Mountain Club maintains a half-dozen choice trails throughout the Western Cats and High Peaks. catskillmountainclub.org/cmc-trails-all The Maurice D. Hinchey Catskills Visitor Center maintains a database of every trail in the region.
catskillvisitorcenter.org
Sullivan County Hiker maintains a list of all the trails in their part of the Cats, complete with maps, coordinates, and difficulty ratings.
sullivancountyhiker.org
EAST OF THE HUDSON HIKING
Dutchess County has a glorious variety of trails, from gentle riverside rambles to climbing the aptly named Breakneck Ridge. There’s a full directory online with loads of outdoor recreation information.
dutchessny.gov/parks-and-trails/
BOATING
CRUISES
Hudson River Cruises, based in Kingston on the Rondout, offers 90-minute sightseeing and sunset cruises aboard the Rip Van Winkle.
hudsonrivercruises.com
845-409-0205
Hudson River Maritime Museum, on the Kingston waterfront, offers lighthouse tours and sightseeing cruises onboard its solar-powered Solaris.
hrmm.org/cruise-schedule
845-338-0071
Tivoli Sailing Company, based in Saugerties, offers an Adventure Sailing School, charter sailboats, and private champagne sunset cruises just for two, complete with music and crab cakes.
tivolisailing.com
845-901-2697
The Pride of the Hudson offers two-hour sightseeing tours of the Hudson Highlands, departing from Pride’s Landing in Newburgh.
prideofthehudson.com
845-220-2120
Hudson River Cruises
HRMM Solaris on the river.
PADDLING: GEAR, GUIDES, AND INSTRUCTORS
A Day Away Kayak Rentals based in Kingston, offers rentals of single and double kayaks, standup paddleboards, and canoes with complimentary lifejackets and tutorials.
adayawaykayakrentals.com
845-750-6538
Atlantic Kayak Tours based in Saugerties, offers over 75 different kayak tours and instructional programs, and offers canoe rentals for those who like to bring it back old-school.
atlantickayaktours.com
845-246-2187
Canoe and Kayak Rentals in Portlandville offers gear and instruction for kayaking, paddleboarding, and canoeing the Susquehanna River. canoeandkayakrentals.com 607-286-7349 City of Kingston Parks and Recreation Department offers guided kayaking tours between Memorial Day and Columbus Day: Kayaking 101, Good Morning Paddle, and Friday & Monday Night Paddles include a 1 hour and 45-minute guided educational tour of the Hudson River or Rondout Creek, use of kayaks and safety equipment, and basic instruction.
kingstonparksandrec.org
845-481-7336.
Hudson River Expeditions, based in Beacon at Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park, offers kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals, tours, and instruction for all skill levels. They’ve also got locations in Peekskill and Cold Spring.
hudsonriverexpeditions.com
845-809-5935
North-South Lake. Photo by Mark Fickett
Kittatinny, based in Barryville, has been offering raft, canoe, and kayak adventures on the Delaware River for 80 years.
kittatinny.com
845-682-3539
Storm King Adventure Tours, based in Cornwall, offers guided tours of the spectacular Hudson Highlands, including a tour of Bannerman’s Island.
stormkingadventuretours.com
845-534-7800
The River Connection in Hyde Park offers the latest in equipment and gear, expert guided tours, and instructional programs and information.
the-river-connection.com
845-229-0595
PADDLING: PLACES
For those with some experience and their own gear, here are more spots worth exploring:
Chodikee Lake/Black Creek, Town of Lloyd
dec.ny.gov/places/chodikee-lake
North-South Lake, Hunter
dec.ny.gov/places/north-south-lake-campground-and-day-use-area
Alpine Endeavors
Tivoli Bays, Red Hook
hrnerr.org/visit/tivoli-bays/
The Great Swamp, Wingdale/Patterson/Brewster
frogs-ny.org
ROCK CLIMBING: GUIDES & OUTFITTERS
The legendary cliffs of the Shawangunks are managed by Mohonk Preserve.
Alpine Endeavors Based in Rosendale, offers instruction and guides for all skill levels.
alpineendeavors.com
877-486-5769
High Xposure Adventures Based in New Paltz, offers a wide variety of clinics and instruction.
high-xposure.com
800-777-2546
Rail Explorers.
RAILBIKING
Rail Explorers, in Phoenicia, offers an entirely different take on the Catskills rail trail experience. Glide through the hills alongside the Esopus Creek on a pedal-powered railbike.
railexplorers.net/tours/catskills-ny
877-833-8588
Mountain Wings.
HANG GLIDING
Mountain Wings, located in Ellenville (aka the Hang Gliding Capital of the Northeast) will teach you what you need to know to take to the spectacular skies above the Rondout Valley.
mtnwings.com
845-532-5525
