Nestled Along New York's Hudson River Is A Quiet State Park Beloved For Rugged Beauty And Trails

You don't have to travel all the way to Norway to see gorgeous fjords carved by the slow movement of glaciers long, long ago — we have them right here in New York. In the Hudson Highlands, rolling green mountains rise up out of the steely waves of the winding Hudson River. Just 60 miles from the hustle and bustle of New York City, thousands of acres of undeveloped land put the natural beauty of the region on display at the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve.

When you visit this preserve, you'll have the opportunity to see a unique ecosystem, including a rocky shoreline, verdant forests stretching up over the mountains, and even the ruins of a stone castle on an island in the water. The trails and the little Hudson Valley villages nearby can get crowded in the summer and fall when you can take in New York's captivating spread of fall foliage hues from a cruise on the water.

As beautiful as the mountains are from the ground, the most incredible views of the landscape may be from the forested mountaintops and rocky cliffs throughout the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve. If you're willing to hike, climb, or scramble to higher vantage points like Bull Hill or Breakneck Ridge, you'll be rewarded with sweeping views of the entire Hudson River Valley spread out below you. If just seeing the incredible view isn't enough to entice you to the trails, the wildlife might convince you to make the journey.

Depending on the time of year that you visit, along the way, you will certainly see squirrels scurrying up and down the trees, butterflies flitting from flower to flower, and, as the deer community recovers from an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease in 2020, a doe or two munching on the foliage. You also might spot a rattlesnake sunning itself on a rock, and on rainy spring nights, you're guaranteed to hear frogs singing from the trees. To see the most life in the preserve, however, you may want to look up. There are many opportunities to spot herons and warblers throughout the region. Most exciting of all, in the wintertime, it's not uncommon to see bald eagles swooping over the river. For more viewing possibilities, check out the best parks for birdwatching.

The most famous hike in the preserve is certainly Breakneck Ridge. As its ominous name implies, this is far from an easy stroll through the woods, and hikers are required to be more like climbers, doing some dangerous scrambles to reach the top. people can get injured and require rescue from this trail, so make sure you familiarize yourself with safety tips to know before your first solo hike. However, it's not the only route in the preserve. The nearby climb up Bull Hill may be slightly easier, but it still shouldn't be underestimated. If you're just looking to appreciate the woods, mountains, and shoreline, you're better off doing the 1-mile loop trail around Little Stony Point, which offers beautiful views of the river while still being safe for kids and pets.

To keep this wild land beautiful, it's absolutely vital that hikers stay on the trails. There are incredible views to be had from the path without harming the local ecosystem. Make sure not to leave any trash behind or take anything out of the preserve home with you — you can always take a picture of the wildflowers you see in the forest or the interesting rocks you find on the beach. If you fall in love with this preserve and want to protect it, consider volunteering with the Hudson Highlands Land Trust or joining the Backcountry Trail Crew.