Elements to Enjoy Now

Dockside Park

PART OF THE CULTURAL FABRIC OF COLD SPRING, AN ARCHETYPAL RIVERFRONT VILLAGE

Dockside Park features open river views and shoreline access, just north of the Cold Spring riverfront dock where locals can be seen catching striped bass or enjoying views from wrought iron benches, and the village’s beloved bandstand.

This park marks the western bank of a historic village that delights visitors with its eclectic nineteenth-century architectural styles, artisanal shops, and restaurants for diners of all persuasions.

Dockside Park will be the southern gateway of the Fjord Trail. Village concerns in Cold Spring about the impacts of over-visitation to Breakneck Ridge gave rise to the Fjord Trail as a community project.

When visiting Dockside Park and Cold Spring, make sure to also check out the nearby West Point Foundry Preserve.
 

Little Stony Point

EXACTLY AS IT SOUNDS!

A small peninsula in Philipstown with a lot of rock (gneiss, to be precise), Little Stony Point is the perfect place for a short hike with beautiful river views.

It’s also a very agreeable cool-down after the strenuous hike across the street, Mount Taurus (a.k.a. Bull Hill, but “hill” is understated, in a really big way, considering the degree of exertion this hike demands).

Little Stony Point has a cool cave and a pretty sand beach with a head-on view of Breakneck Ridge, the much bigger piece of rock up the road.

A natural playscape for children will be one of the Fjord Trail’s future projects at Little Stony Point—but why wait? The one-mile loop at Little Stony Point is just right for kids who might not be ready for a full day’s hiking.

Breakneck Ridge

THE LEGENDARY HIKE BEHIND THE FJORD TRAIL'S GENESIS

This is the hike you’ve heard about: the one that sees nearly 200,000 visitors a year, many of whom learn quickly that you need to be prepared for this one.

Located in Fishkill and part of the 8,000-acre Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, Breakneck Ridge is neither for the faint of heart nor the inexperienced day-tripper. Steep friction slabs, boulder piles, and 1,400 feet of elevation gain in a little over a mile mean you’ll want to have your lungs on good for Breakneck Ridge. Best to leave the young kids, dogs, and flip-flops at home. There are both impressive views and precipitous drop-offs to be encountered along the way so hike with care on this challenging route.

And really importantly, everywhere you go and every step of the way, minimize your impact by abiding by the principles of Leave No Trace. Breakneck Ridge is a cherished natural landmark that has seen a lot of crowds over the years, leaving behind serious erosion and other evidence of heavy use. The new Nimham Trail and relocated Breakneck Trailhead will greatly reduce the environmental impact the area has experienced in recent years; but you need to do your part by sticking to established trails and treating this remarkable site with care.

Of note: while the improved trailhead and overlooks at Breakneck will be part of the future Fjord Trail, the remainder of the hike is in Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, and thus managed by OPRHP.

Please consider visiting other destinations in the project area—given the crowds here, you might be glad you did.

Notch, Wilkinson Memorial, and Nimham Trails

SOLITUDE AND BIRDSONG ALONG A CONNECTOR TRAIL

The Notch Trail is in the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, an approximately 12-mile out-and-back hike with its trailhead on Route 9D. Most of today’s Notch Trail will not be part of the HHFT; as with Breakneck Ridge, the Notch Trail is managed by OPRHP—but the improved trailhead will be part of the Fjord Trail and the hub of HHFT’s planned Forest area.

The Notch Trail can be reached four ways: from South Beacon Mountain, Breakneck Ridge, the Notch trailhead on Route 9D, or the Wilkinson Memorial trailhead, also on Route 9D. The Wilkinson Memorial trailhead will also take you to the Nimham Trail, which HHFT constructed in 2021 in partnership with NYS Parks.

Madam Brett Park

BIRDWATCHING RIGHT IN THE CITY OF BEACON

Scenic Hudson’s Madam Brett Park combines a magical mix of natural beauty and Hudson Valley industrial history.

A boardwalk takes visitors along Fishkill Creek, passing a sometimes-raging waterfall and built opportunities for observing wildlife. History buffs will enjoy the nearby homestead of Catheryna Brett, who established a successful grist mill in the early eighteenth century and went on to be a formidable real estate tycoon.

The now-defunct Tioranda Hatworks, just adjacent to the boardwalk at Madam Brett Park, is a colorful relic of a time when Beacon was the hat-making capital of America.

The Fishkill Marsh, between Madam Brett Park and Dennings Point, is home to a diverse array of amphibians, waterfowl, and other aquatic species—make sure to bring binocularsand your favorite wildlife identification app!

Dennings Point

A HUDSON RIVER PENINSULA

Long Dock Park

THE NORTHERN GATEWAY OF THE FJORD TRAIL

This Scenic Hudson park should be a destination on any visit to the City of Beacon: home to galleries, restaurants, and the renowned contemporary art museum Dia: Beacon. Long Dock Park offers year-round recreational opportunities from biking to cross-country skiing and kayaking.

A restored nineteenth-century barn is a Scenic Hudson headquarters for educational and artistic programming. And to think: this community open space on the river was once an industrial hub, from railroad depot to salt stockpile to automotive junkyard.