Hiking this part of the Appalachian Trail will take you to one of the most scenic overlooks in the Hudson Valley. The 1.25-mile hike from parking on Route 9D to the peak of Anthony’s Nose is more or less a 500-foot vertical stone staircase. Once reaching the summit, you have front-row seats to the Bear Mountain Bridge.

Nestled at the base of Bear Mountain along the Appalachian Trail, the historic Bear Mountain Inn and Overlook Lodge is the idyllic destination getaway for the adventurer, the romantic, or those looking to celebrate a memorable wedding or special event.

The Black Creek Preserve is a 130-acre woodland tract in the Town of Esopus. It features a hemlock forest mixed with hardwoods, old stone walls, and vistas of the Hudson River from a riverfront viewpoint.

Blithewood Garden is a formal Italianate walled garden located on the main campus of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. At 15,000 square feet, it is a garden on an intimate scale within a grand setting: the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River. The site has significant connections to the heritage of the Hudson Valley region.

Located in the Hudson Highlands State Park, Breakneck Ridge is a fantastic hike that at many parts will see you ascending at more of a climb than a straight walk. The vertical ascent is very challenging, but the views at the top more than makeup for the expended effort. Along the way, you may be treated to glimpses of eagles, vultures, hawks, and deer among other wildlife here.

Chadwick Lake is a reservoir supplying water to the Town of Newburgh, in Orange County, New York, United States. It was created by damming Quassaick Creek in 1926

The Cohotate Preserve has Hudson River frontage and is open to the public to enjoy. The Cohotate Preserve is open year-round for hiking, snowshoeing, and plant and wildlife viewing.

The 1500-acre Colgate Lake Wild Forest features the scenic Colgate Lake in the Catskill Forest Preserve. The Lake is a popular lake for fishing, kayaking and primitive camping.

Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary is a unique and beautiful tidal marsh that serves as vital natural habitat in the Hudson River Estuary.

Copake Falls is a hamlet and census-designated place in Columbia County, New York, United States. The hamlet, once known as Copake Iron Works, is in the eastern part of the town of Copake, 1.5 miles west of the Massachusetts state line.

Croton Gorge Park is a 97-acre property at the base of the Croton Dam and affords impressive views of the dam and spillway. The park is a popular spot for fishing, picnicking and hiking, with direct trail access to New York State’s Old Croton Aqueduct, which begins here.

Dater Mountain Nature Park contains eight federally designated wetlands and provides habitat for two NYS endangered species (the Northern Cricket Frog and the Allegheny Wood Rat) and one threatened species (the Timber Rattlesnake).