Park Overview:

Inspiring and contemplative landscape set on the Hudson River.

Park Description:

Park offers beautiful landscape design originally conceived in 1849 and now encompassing rustic benches, ornamental pavilions and sweeping Hudson River views. Although the park is small, it is surrounded by 800 acres of conservation easements to preserve the visual integrity of the land.

• From Scenic Hudson’s web site, compellingly told (see Contact Information): “In 1849 members of the Astor and Delano families, who lived on adjacent estates, commissioned German-born landscape architect Hans Jacob Ehlers to make improvements on these grounds. The classic wooded vistas, sunlit fields and thick forest were the main focus of Ehlers' vision for the property. He fashioned a series of "outdoor rooms," using stands of foliage and stone walls to break up the landscape, which includes rolling meadows, forests, and a ravine. Ehlers also created a shaded, streamside path, dubbed Poets' Walk in honor of Washington Irving and other literary figures who reputedly strolled here. (Legend has it that Irving came up with the idea for "Rip Van Winkle" here while gazing at the distant but very prominent Catskill Mountains, site of his protagonist's decades-long sleep.)”

Trails Overview:

From Rhinebeck at a Glance: “Whether admired from the rustic Overlook Pavilion or along the windswept meadow trail, the views remain breathtaking, with the wall of blue-green peaks serving as a backdrop for the majestic Hudson River. Another trail follows an old farm road through the woods, skirting a dramatic ravine and crossing a stone bridge. Wherever you roam, bring binoculars — the woods and fields are full of wildlife. And to attract even more creatures, Scenic Hudson has implemented a rotational mowing regime to increase the diversity of grass species favorable for birds, butterflies, bees and beetles.”

A 2.4-mile trail leads west down towards the Hudson River, makes a loop and returns.  A sketchy trail map can be found at the bottom of this page from Hudson Valley Network. See also "Directions to Trailhead" on this site with a Google Map displaying the general course of the trail from the parking area. 

Park Acreage:

Municipality: