Hyde Park Trails, NY: Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Park

 

ABOUT THE PARK:

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site - National Park Service 

Hyde Park Trails Audio Podcasts - National Park Service

Hyde Park Trail - Hyde Park, NY Recreation Trails

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates  41.76163, -73.90036

TRAIL MAP:
Hyde Park Trails/Mills-Norrie State Parks - Dutchess County, NY

Eleanor's Walk and Top Cottage Trail Map - Dutchess County, NY

HIKE DISTANCES:

All hikes combined with short drives from one to the other - 8.9 miles:

Mills-Norrie State Park - 4.5 miles

Pinewood Park - .9 miles

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site - 3.5 miles

THE HIKE:

Walk towards the buildings from the parking lot and...

... turn right on the road which is the Hyde Park Trail.

Continue across the bridge.

Keep following the Hyde Park Trail signs.

Eleanor's Walk is a 1 mile loop.  The Top Cottage Trail is 1 mile each way out and back.  If you are going to do both, do Eleanor's Walk first because it will be anticlimactic after the Top Cottage Trail.

You can call from your cell phone for the audio tour.  I did not know there were MP3 downloads available until just now (link above).  I would have preferred those over calling the number at every stop.

Back at the intersection, on to Top Cottage.

There are several bridge crossing.

If you are so inclined.

Lots of old stone walls everywhere.

Almost at the top ...

... at Top Cottage ...

... and views of the Catskills and Hudson Valley!

There might not be much in the way of views in the summer so this was definitely the right time to visit.

The Catskill Mountains

Heading back down.

We stopped at the FDR Visitor Center on the way out for our hiking patch since we hiked 5 of the Hyde Park Trails. 

Hyde Park Trails, NY: Pine Woods Park

ABOUT THE PARK:
Pine Woods Nature Trail - Hyde Park, NY
Hyde Park Trail - Hyde Park, NY Recreation Trails

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.78644, -73.93141

TRAIL MAP:
Hyde Park Trails/Mills-Norrie State Parks - Dutchess County, NY
Pine Woods Nature Trail Loop - Dutchess County, NY

HIKE DISTANCES:

All hikes combined with short drives from one to the other - 8.9 miles:

Mills-Norrie State Park - 4.5 miles

Pinewood Park - .9 miles

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site - 3.5 miles

THE HIKE:

Head towards the playground then veer left at the kiosk to start on the orange trail.

It's a short trail at under 1 mile but it's a very lovely trail.

After crossing the park service road...

... the sound of rushing water in Crum Elbow Creek and ...

... a waterfall!

Coming back around at the other side of the playground and ball field.

Hyde Park Trails, NY: Mills-Norrie State Park

ABOUT THE PARK:
Mills-Norrie State Park - New York State Parks
Hyde Park Trail - Hyde Park, NY Recreation Trails

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates to Norrie Point Marina parking: 41.83259, -73.94091

Huge parking lot at the marina.

TRAIL MAP:
Hyde Park Trails/Mills-Norrie State Parks - Dutchess County, NY
Mills-Norrie State Park Trail Map - New York State Parks

 

HIKE DISTANCES:

All hikes combined with short drives from one to the other - 8.9 miles:

Mills-Norrie State Park - 4.5 miles

Pinewood Park - .9 miles

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site - 3.5 miles

THE HIKE:

From the marina parking lot it isn't clear where to pick up the trails, even with a kiosk right there.

I had seen yellow markers driving in so followed those...

... over the bridge where the white trail comes in from the right (will take that on the way back to see where it comes out)...

... then left on white at the kiosk where it leaves yellow.

The marina on the left.

White leads straight to the cabins along the Hudson River.

Mother of Perpetual Help Monastery directly across the Hudson.

The trail passes right through the cabin area.

A little tufted titmouse...

... eating breakfast.

The entire white trail follows along the Hudson with nonstop views.

Looking straight up the Hudson with a peek of the Catskill Mountains.

Esopus Meadows Lighthouse with the Wilderstein Historic Site in the background.

I probably took 100 pictures of the Catskills. 

Are we being followed?

Nearing the end of the white trail.

Blue is mostly woods road and passes some historic points of interest.

Hoyt House Barn Complex

Hoyt House

Historic Ice House

Old stone walls everywhere.

Not knowing who Lewis Gordon Norrie was or how he died so young, I googled and found this.

There are some views of the Hudson from blue but nothing like the views along the white trail.

We got tired of woods road walking so instead of finishing on blue, we took yellow, which was much more to our liking.

On top of the world on yellow.

Yellow joins back up with blue.

Then it is a road walk ...

... to just past the kiosk where white comes in from the right (where we started the hike) then crosses that bridge and leaves to the left.

It then comes out in the trailer section of the marina parking lot.