23. Poets' Walk

Distance:	Dayhike
Difficulty :	Easy for children
Distance :	2.25 miles, loop
Hiking time :	2 hours
High point/elevation gain :	200 feet, 100 feet
Hikable :	March-October
Map :	USGS Hyde Park

The official name of this site is Poets' Walk Romantic Landscape Park. As you might guess from the name, this property was landscaped to show off its Hudson Valley views. It's an ideal spot for a picnic lunch or a sunset stroll with younger kids. And parents who are having a rare few hours away from their kids will appreciate the romantic part of the name.

From New York City, take the Thruway (I-87) north to Exit 19 in Kingston. Follow the traffic circle around for the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge and NY-199. Cross the bridge and continue east briefly on NY-199 to the traffic light at the intersection with County Road 103 (River Road). Turn left onto County 103 and follow it for 0.7 mile to the park entrance on the left.

The 120 acres that are now Poets' Walk were once owned by members of the extended Livingston clan, a wealthy aristocratic family with roots in the area extending back to colonial times. In the middle part of the nineteenth century, when the ideal of the romantic landscape as an artistic inspiration was at its height, General John Armstrong, a Revolutionary War veteran who was later a senator, ambassador to France, and secretary of war, hired the architect Hans Jacob Ehlers to "romanticize" the landscape by opening up the Hudson River vistas and creating a patchwork of open fields and woods. Washington Irving and the poet Fitz-Greene Halleck are among the artistic sorts known to have visited here. Irving is the author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, about the headless horseman, and Rip Van Winkle, set in the Catskill Mountains you can see looming across the Hudson River. Was he perhaps inspired to write his tale about Rip's long sleep while he strolled here? Fitz-Greene Halleck was a much slighter talent chiefly remembered for being a friend of greater writers.

Today Poets' Walk is owned and managed by Scenic Hudson, a nonprofit environmental organization. The landscape now is considerably different from the one that Washington Irving knew (in his day, the busy Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge was a sleepy ferry), but the overall romantic feel is still there, aided by some thoughtful landscape restoration, rustic wooden structures, and a lot of well-placed benches.

The stroll through Poets' Walk begins at the southwest end of the parking area. A short walk takes you to a kiosk and rustic arbor with descriptive information. The broad gravel path meanders westward through open fields and wooded areas, soon opening out to a dramatic vista of the sky and the Hudson River. Continue along the path to a rustic wooden pavilion, covered in wisteria vines, where adults can admire the views while the kids have fun exploring.

From the pavilion, follow the gravel path north through the open fields and then down into a shady woodland area along what was once a farm road. Look to your left for an unusual sight: a large sculpture created in 2001 by well-known environmental artist Steve Siegel. The sculpture, titled "A Fox Lives Here Too," is made of piles of newspaper and other recyclable paper; it will eventually decompose and disappear into the landscape. This thought-provoking sculpture is also just plain fun—little kids will love touching it. It's a good opportunity for parents to discuss recycling with older kids. The newspaper in the sculpture is made from trees like the ones around you. As the sculpture decomposes over ten or more years, it will return nutrients to the soil and nourish the trees. What if this sculpture were made of plastic instead of newspaper?

The path continues on over a pretty wooden bridge, through some more open woods, and then over a stone bridge. In a short while you'll come to a fork in the path. Carry on straight ahead, following the sign for the summerhouse. This is a great spot for your picnic lunch. While you eat, you can look out onto a tidal cove, the Hudson River, and the Catskill Mountains to the west.

From the summerhouse, backtrack to the trail junction and turn right, following the sign for the Flagpole Lot. You'll soon leave the woods and come out into open meadows dotted with clumps of trees. From here, you get more magnificent views. You can also see an old river dock dating back to 1902 and an old footbridge over the railroad tracks (don't try to cross it). Benches let you take a breather and enjoy the views and the sunshine. On a summer evening this is the perfect spot to watch the sun setting behind the Catskill Mountains.

To return, turn away from the river and head east on the mowed path through the fields. Let the kids run ahead to find the five-sided bench built all the way around a tree. Continue on to the pavilion and then retrace your steps back to the parking lot.