Page 52 - 2025 Westchester Relocation & Moving Guide

Bear Mountain State Park
Orange and Rockland
The 5,205-acre Bear Mountain State Park is comprised of mountains that rise from the western bank of the Hudson. The park encompasses a play field, picnic spots, hiking and biking trails, lake and river access, and a zoo.
Blue Mountain Reservation
Westchester
Accessible from Peekskill, this park offers plenty of biking trails and two peaks for hikers to conquer: Mount Spitzenberg and Blue Mountain.
Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park
Dutchess and Putnam
Hiking trails, picnic spots, a campground, the Taconic Outdoor Education Center, and Canopus Lake— open for fishing and swimming—await at this 14,086-acre park.
Harriman State Park
Orange and Rockland
The second largest state park in New York (47,500 acres), Harriman is
home to 31 lakes and reservoirs, three beaches, over 200 miles of hiking trails, and multiple camping areas.
Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve
Dutchess, Putnam, and Westchester
Across 7,000 acres of land, this park offers scenic vistas of the Hudson River, West Point, Bear Mountain, and on clear days, even the skyline of New York City.
EMPIRE STATE TRAIL
Dutchess, Putnam, and Westchester
The Hudson Valley Greenway Trail—a 210-mile section of the 750-mile Empire State Trail—begins at the Battery in Manhattan and ends at a waterfront park in the city of Albany.
Westchester North County Elmsford to New Castle (10 mi.) Walking: 3–5 hours
Biking: 1 hour
This off-road, paved rail trail is adjacent to several busy parkways, but is relatively quiet and parklike.
Westchester North County Trail & Putnam Trailway Castle to Mahopac (16 mi.) Walking: 5–8 hours
Biking: 1.5–2 hours
Local businesses are just a short distance from most parts of the trail.
Putnam Trailway
Mahopac to Brewster (9 mi.) Walking: 3–5 hours
Biking: 1 hour
This section passes through scenic woods, lakes, and communities en route to Brewster.
Empire State Trail
Brewster On-Road Section Village of Brewster (1 mi.) Walking: 25 minutes Biking: 10 minutes
This on-road section is recommended only for experienced cyclists, not hikers, due to ongoing vehicle traffic.
Maybrook Trailway Brewster to Pawling (9 mi.) Walking: 3–5 hours Biking: 1 hour
This rail trail has scenic views of woods, farm fields, ponds, and wetlands throughout.
Maybrook Trailway
Pawling to Hopewell Junction (15 mi.)
Walking: 5–8 hours
Biking: 1–1.5 hours
This section stretches for 15 scenic, yet remote, miles until a trailhead parking area in Hopewell Junction, where local businesses can be accessed.
Dutchess Rail Trail Hopewell Junction to Poughkeepsie (13.5 mi.) Walking: 5–7 hours
Biking: 1–1.5 hours
Walkers and cyclists are brought northwest to Walkway Over the Hudson State Park in Poughkeepsie. This railroad bridge made bicycle/ pedestrian-friendly crosses the Hudson River to Ulster County.
50 LIVING IN WESTCHESTER AND THE HUDSON VALLEY | RELOCATION & MOVING GUIDE
PHOTO BY DARREN MCGEE/NYSDED
OUTDOOR RECREATION