Day Hikes in the Lower Hudson Valley

No, it's not your imagination, summer is more than half over and August has arrived just in time to drive the point home. Really... go have a look at your calendar. Anyway, despite the fact that it seems summer is doing its best to slip past without you noticing, there's still plenty of fun too be had, and one of our favorite activities is hiking in the lower Hudson Valley. Sure, there are plenty of family-friendly activities like a day at the pool or the beach, but we always find that hiking is not only a fun way to change up the routine, but is also a chance to experience a side of nature that needs to be seen to be truly appreciated. The following are a couple of our favorite hikes, the first of which was new to us this summer.

1: The Lake Loop at Sterling Lake Forest State Park.

The Lake Loop is a moderate to easy hike of four miles that circles the titular lake at the heart of the park. Before you begin, pay a visit to the Frank R. Lautenberg Visitor Center where you will find a number of exhibits that illustrate the history of the park's iron-mining industry as well as an excellent selection of maps and a very helpful staff of park rangers. (Be sure to ask if park guide and historian Doc Bayne is around; not only is he a great resource, but he often leads 'history' hikes into areas of the park that are normally inaccessible to the general public)

Begin the Lake Loop by finding the marked blue trail that passes by the front of the visitor's center. We prefer starting the trail by going north which briefly winds behind an academic center and then climbs at a fairly steep rate for roughly half to three quarters of a mile. The trail then follows the ridgeline just north of the lake and begins a very gentle descent until the mid-point of the hike where you will find a small beach at the west end of the lake which is a perfect spot to stop and have a snack or just enjoy the view. The second half of the hike continues along the shoreline until it meets a section of road next to which you will find some remnants of the mines and iron works that dot the area. The trail then winds its way back into the woods and crosses a picturesque waterfall before finding its way back to the visitor center. In all, the loop is approximately four miles and shouldn't take much more than two hours if you take your time.

The visitor's center is open daily during daylight hours, has restrooms and is handicapped accessible. Parking is free.

2: The Long Path at Hook Mountain State Park.

Free parking is available here as well at the end of Landing Road, but it's limited so make sure to come early. Once here, there are actually three directions from which to choose, but as often as not we opt for heading north. (In fact the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference notes that "Three connecting paths to the Long Path - one each at the north, south, and middle points of the magnificent facade of the Hook - allow for circular hikes of varying lengths. The full loop of the Long Path and bike path is 12 miles.")

That said, we usually take the Long Path heading north (marked green) which rises steadily for roughly half a mile on what were the grounds of a nineteenth century estate, the only remains of which are partial foundations and the countless bits of ornate china that are scattered just off the trail. The trail also skirts a small family cemetery here as well, which is yet another reminder of the long, rich history of Rockland County.

Within another quarter mile you'll see openings in the trees that expose the ridge of the Palisades on your right, and from here the trail winds its way along the top of the cliffs which offer some of the most spectacular views in the entire Hudson Valley. Now it's really just a matter of how far you're in the mood to go. As the Trail Conference noted, you may choose to make your way as far as Haverstraw and then come back south on the bike path, but we usually choose to do an about-face after a couple of miles and head back the way we came.

Either way, just remember that this area is rich with well maintained trails and state parks and that these two outings are just a tiny sample of the opportunities for hiking at all skill levels.

Sources:
The New York - New Jersey Trail conference (www.nynjtc.org)
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (http://nysparks.state.ny.us)