Lace-Up Your Hiking Shoes at These Local Cortlandt, NY Parks

It’s that time of year. The weather is perfect for a day of hiking and exploring near Cortlandt. Whether you stay at a local park for a short hike or venture out of town for a more extended, more rigorous adventure, there are plenty of places to go. So, lace up your hiking shoes and get out to these local Cortlandt parks and beyond.

Blue Mountain Reservation

Blue Mountain Reservation in Westchester Co., New York, has 23 miles of trails to explore. This park features boulder-strewn terrain with two mountains, a hardwood forest, and several ponds and streams.

There are several trails to explore, including:

• Blue Mountain Twin Summits Trail.
• Blue Mountain Resveration Summit and Ned’s Long Trails.
• Blue Mountain Summit Loop.
• Blue Mountain via Dickey Brook and Limbo Trails.

If you’re looking for a long hike, the On Your Back, Boundary Trail, Blue Mountain Summit Loop, is the longest trail in the area. If you take this route, it goes for over six miles and will take you about two and a half hours to complete. This trail is a popular spot for hikers, mountain bikers, and trail runners, but if you go during the quieter times of the day, you can have most of the trail to yourself.

Hudson Highlands Gateway Park

New York City Landscapes – Van Cortlandt Park by Steven Pisano is licensed with CC By 2.0

Spend your day at Hudson Highlands Gateway Park, and you’ll find five miles of trails to explore. The park has streams, steep slopes to test your endurance, meadows, and exposed rock. The Hudson Highlands Gateway Park Loop takes you through the park and up two different viewpoints. These high points were once used for signaling during the Revolutionary War.

Once you park, head to the blue trail that starts at a kiosk. You can look at the trail map to get an idea of the hike and read about the area’s history. If you follow the blue trail, you’ll take the park loop, but there are other trails to explore along the way if you want to make your hike longer. The red-blaze Annsville Creek Trail is an out-and-back trail that runs for less than a mile. You can take this to extend your hike and then continue on the blue trail loop.

The Hudson Highlands Upland Trail is another route in this park. It’s a quick 1.9 miles loop trail that will take most hikers less than an hour. Dogs are welcome on this trail but must be kept on a leash. It’s a relatively easy trail, but some steep parts can get slippery when covered with wet leaves.

Turkey Mountain Nature Preserve

The Turkey Mountain Nature Preserve in Yorktown, New York, covers 125 acres. It has a summit view at 831 feet with views of the Croton Reservoir and dam to the Hudson River. The hike up Turkey Mountain is perfect for when you want to get outside but don’t have much time. It’s steep enough to work up a sweat, and the view is worth it from the top.

The best route is up the Blue trail and down the White trail if you’re looking for something quick, but there are lots of other trails to explore. If you take the Blue trail, it runs for about two miles if you take it both ways.

The trails at Turkey Mountain Nature Preserve are well maintained. Wood footbridges help get you over wet areas, and everything is well-marked for easy navigation.

Croton Arboretum

The Jane E. Lytle Arboretum in Croton-on-Hudson is a variety of walking trails to explore. The trails run through 22 acres of woods and wetlands, and there’s even a handicap-accessible trail. Visitors can access the walking trails from dawn to dusk, and the Arboretum is also an excellent place for bird-watching and accessing more challenging hiking trails.

Anthony’s Nose

Anthony’s Nose is part of the Appalachian Trail that runs from Route 9D towards an overlook. The trail is almost like a well-maintained outdoor staircase that brings you to one of the most excellent views in the Hudson Valley. The top has a large clearing covered in large rocks with plenty of places to sit and relax while enjoying the view.

The first part of the hike is very steep, but the rest of the .75 miles to the overlook is a relatively flat old road. Expect to see several other hikers on the same path as you if you go on a nice day. It’s a popular spot.

If you want different views along the way to the summit, take the Camp Smith trail to the top. From the parking lot, choose the blue trail. It will take you on a 2.5-mile hike to the top. You’ll know you’re in the right spot to start your hike when you see the historic Toll House.

Croton Gorge Park

Croton Gorge Park is a fun place to spend the day exploring. You can see the falls and a large field at the dam’s base. A trail also leads you to the top of the dam and across the bridge. Since the bridge doesn’t allow motorized vehicles, you’ll have plenty of space to explore.

Croton Gorge Park also has trails that run along the river.

• The Croton Gorge Trail is a 1/2-mile trail that follows the Croton River ravine. You can access it from the Silver Lake Parking lot or the end of Cleveland Drive. 
• The Highland Trail is a wooded trail that goes around the Hudson National Golf Course and takes you to one of the highest points in Croton. You’ll get to enjoy panoramic views of the Hudson River. From here, you can access trails at the Brinton Brook Sanctuary.
• The Crossing is a one-mile paved trail that takes you across the Croton River.

These are some of our favorite hiking areas near Cortlandt. If you know of some we missed, stop by Bill Volz Westchester and let us know so we can check them out. While you are here, you can look at our new and used vehicles. We have a large inventory ready to take you and your friends to these parks for your next hike.

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