Hudson Highland State Park/
Glenclyffe Open Space Institute,
Garrison,
Putnam Co.,
New York
Hiking Trails:
Blue Trail: Blue blaze
Red Trail: Red blaze
Marcia's Mile Trail: White blaze
Red Trail (Glenclyffe OSI): Red blaze
Total Time: 2:25 hour
Estimated Distance: 4.4 Miles
Pros: Scenic river views
Cons: Noise from train, near busy road at end
This was a very hot and humid day, with a very unsettled atmosphere and the threat of thunderstorms popping up. I was worried about getting stuck in a store, but in the end it stayed dry and sunny, although it was very hazy. There is a small network of trails in this area, and I decided to cover all of them during this hike.
I parked at the Garrison Train Station of the Metro North line, right near the Hudson River. Parking is free on weekends and holidays, but it costs to park here during the week, so keep this in mind if you are planning on visiting this area. I took the Blue Trail at its beginning right behind the northeast corner of the train parking area. Right at the beginning are some abandoned buildings, and after those when the trail crosses a brook, there is a short spur to a small seasonal waterfall.
This trail goes parallel to the railroad tracks, and this is a busy line with commuter trains running in both directions quite frequently. I continued along the Blue Trail in a southward direction, to where it crosses the railroad on a bridge. The trail loops along back north, ending prior to a rock promenade that juts into the Hudson River known as Arden Point. There are excellent views to the north of West Point, across the river, and Bull Hill and Storm King to the north.
I then took the Red Trail at this point where it goes parallel to the Blue Trail, also passing a nice river view along the way, and then another view facing south. I then crossed the same bridge and took the Marcia's Mile Trail to the Red Trail. This trail passes some sort of large church or monastery with beautifully cultured grounds, and then turns around and goes through a thick bamboo forest along the side of two ponds. The bamboo forest is definitely unique and made me feel like I was in Asia. The trail then climbed up the hill into a large open meadow along the site of Route 9D, and I walked parallel to the side of the road on the trail. The trail is hard to follow here, but the rows of trees parallel to Route 9D have trail blazes that can be followed until a driveway, where the Marcia's Mile Trail ends and the Red Trail starts. Marcia's Mile goes back to the forest, passing an abandoned structure and a pond in the woods filled with goldfish. I continued along to the end of the trail at the Blue Trail, and then the Blue Trail back to my car.
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Map of the Route.
Hudson Highlands Map |
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| Garrison Train Station, and Trailhead |
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| Beginning of the Trail |
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| Abandoned Structure near the Beginning of the Trail |
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| Small Seasonal Waterfall |
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| Approaching Arden Point |
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| West Point and Mt. Taurus in the Background |
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| Hudson Riven and Mt. Taurus |
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| Hudson River at Arden Point, and Storm King |
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| Cliffs and Ship Across the Hudson River at Highlands Falls |
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| Southern Part of Arden Point |
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| Random Gazebo Along the Red Trail |
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| Church or Monastery Along the Trail |
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| Red Trail Along the Grounds of the Above Facility |
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| Large Barge Ascending the Hudson River |
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| Hudson River Facing North |
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| Another View of the Barge |
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| View of Sugarloaf Hill from the Promenade Deck Below |
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| Promenade Deck at the Bend of the Red Trail |
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| Info Kiosk in the Bamboo Forest |
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| Small Pond |
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| Large Field at Garrison |
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| Castle on Hill South of Sugar Hill |
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| Marcia's Mile Path Sign |
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| Abandoned Structure in the Forest |
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| Rat Snake above the Train Bridge |
