This park is literally in the heart of the action. You are within an hour to West Point Academy, vanderbilt mansion and franklin D roosevelt national historic sites in hyde park, and downtown manhattan. The walkway over the hudson is a must do and is right up the road a half an hour. Tons of fishing in the surrounding lakes and ponds. You feel like you are a world away, but within an hour to so much!! Great home base!
Campground Review: Nice Catskills site, feels a million miles from NYC. Densely wooded forests, sandy beach, hiking trails, rolling hills, lovely geology, streams, lakes, boat rentals. Tons to do all year, but visit in the winter for tons of XC skiing. Deer right by my tent! There are a lot of ranger-led activities but I didn’t get to do any of them. If you can’t make it all the way to the Adirondacks this is a nice substitute and a good place to take people camping for the first time (I went here a few times with exchange students). Campsites are pretty spread out, make sure to drive the whole road before picking yours (though all seem nice). Some are very private. Kind of buggy but that’s just how this area is. I've been to this site at least 3 times in the past 5(?) years, it's a nice solid choice for this area. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gear Review: As a The Dyrt Ranger I receive products to test and review. I won the Goal Zero Lighthouse 250 in a campground review contest in June 2016. This was my first rechargeable lantern ever and my first ever usb power hub. Overall I like the lantern and will use it for camping (too heavy for backpacking IMO), in the backyard, and in my emergency kit. The light itself is super bright or pretty dim (6 brightness options) and the little feet are nice for throwing more light around your area. The battery cell has a decent amount of power, but I only used it to top off my iphone 5 a few times over our 3-day weekend with it (probably charged it about 50% total). We used the crank a little---it’s a neat feature and good peace of mind. Overall the crank and hazard flashers make this a versatile light. Note: this lantern does not include a solar panel but can be charged by USB at home/car or by a sold-separately solar panel.
We came here to hike Hudson Highlands State park while we were one 5 week assignment working in NY. We were impressed with how nice the staff was - a breath of fresh air after several weeks dealing w/high-stress New Yorkers. It felt spacious and thought out. The restrooms weren't the best but we aren't picky. It was close to good hiking as well as a few wineries. Not a bad weekend! Perfect getaway from fast-paced city living.
This is one of my favorite campsites I have been to but only because after several visits we have finally found our favorite site. This place can book up during camping season in the Northeast so make sure to book early in advance. There is great hiking and a lake you can get to and swim in right from the campsite. If you are in to apple picking it is a short drive and it is easy to get into town to take the train to and from NYC. I highly recommend this place but check out the sites online to get one that is private.
