Clermont State Historic Park

Clermont was the home of the Livingston family from 1728 to 1962. The mansion lies amidst 500 acres of estate, with over 8 miles of trails. It has some fantastic views of both the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains.


To get to the park from Dutchess County, head north on Route 9G. The park is at the edge of Dutchess and Colombia counties. You will see brown signs directing you to take a left onto Colombia County Route 6. Follow this road until it ends in front of the side park entrance, which is for authorized vehicles only. The road will curve to the left and become Woods Road. Follow this for about a quarter mile and the park entrance will be on your right.


On the weekends and on Monday holidays, between April 1 and October 31, there is a $5 vehicle grounds fee. During the week, grounds are free to use. The grounds are open year-round from 8:30 am to sunset. Follow the access road past the pay booth all the way to the parking lot up the road.


After you park, follow the sign pointing you to the Visitor's Center. It is open April 1 to October 31, Tuesday through Sunday and on Monday holidays, from 10:30 am to 5 pm. From November 1 through March 31, it is only open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm. The Visitor's Center was once the Carriage Barn, but it has been converted into a small museum where you can buy both tour tickets to the house and souvenirs. The mansion has a fee of $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students, and $1 for children 5 to 12. Children under 5 are free. Tours of the house are available April 1 through October 31, from 11 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday, as well as Monday holidays. From November 1 through March 31, tours are only given Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm.


On your way to the Visitor's Center, you will pass an information plaque which gives you an overview map of the grounds. It lists various trails that you will come across as you wander the park. However, it is very poorly done, and in some details appears to me to be incorrect. It is missing many connecting trails and gives only a rough idea of the paths, but it does give a general idea of the layout of the park.


Once you have finished exploring the Carriage Barn, continue through to the other side. You'll pick up a trail here that heads toward the house. Take the second trail headed to your left (the first left will head back to the parking lot) and down some steps. You are now in the South Spring Garden. There are more stairs headed up to your right, which you can take, or you can head through the garden. You'll soon come upon a trail arching up and to the right. Head along this trail, past the ruins of what appear to be a root cellar or ice house, all the way to the fence, or take an immediate left to explore the bottom of the sloping hills.


Once you are at the fence, you'll have a great view of the River and Catskills. You will notice that a trail heads down to the bottom of the hill to your left, towards the tracks. This goes down next to the old Clermont Dock. It is no longer accessible and is gated off, but there are gaps in the fence which can get you through to the tracks. As always, if you choose to cross the tracks, I caution you to take care, but I suggest you take a pass on this one. The tracks are very wide here, and the view from the area where the dock once stood offers nothing special besides a distant view of the Kingston Bridge off to the south.


Continue along the path as it heads around the back of the house. Circle around and over to the other gardens. You will first reach the Walled Garden, named for obvious reasons. Go through this garden and you'll reach the Wilderness Garden, which has a lovely pond. The gardens here are quaint, and lack the grandeur that you would find at Vanderbilt, but they are still worth a stroll.


Beyond the Wilderness Garden, you will see a wooden bridge. Cross this carefully, since the boards have large spaces between them, and you'll be headed up the hill to the Upper Garden and the Greenhouse ruins. Beyond these you will see the Children's Playhouse.


To the right of the Playhouse is a trail posted with yellow markers. This is a Taconic Region horse trail. If you take the trail here, it will be headed uphill. You will soon pass a short trail on your left, which heads into a field and to the Ice Pond beyond. Further up the hill, the trail breaks off to the left again. Straight ahead is a small shed, and beyond that the access road heading back to the parking lot. Take the left trail and you'll continue up the hill for a ways. You will pass by a secluded picnic table at the top of the hill. Beyond you'll soon join up with the Farm Road Trail.


Instead of taking the trail to the right, take the trail that heads around the Playhouse and beyond. Continue straight on this trail and you'll approach the Clermont Cottage. (If you so choose, you can also take the trail heading to the left towards the gravel road, and follow this road as it approaches the Cottage.) The park intends to change the house into an administrative building, but it is currently in disrepair. Beyond the cottage you will see the Cow Barn off in the distance.


You should now be on a gravel road, known as The Avenue. Head right for a few yards and then angle right, following Farm Road Trail, as it heads towards Ice Pond. If you head through the short track of woods, you will reach the other side of the pond and a picnic table. With the Ice Pond on your left, head towards the woods. You'll see an area where trees have been thinned as it heads up the hill. If you can find a way up this rise, you'll get a nice view of the Catskills behind. This is also a short cut to Sylvan Cottage. If you can't find a comfortable way up the rise, then head back around the pond and get back on the gravel road. This road will approach Sylvan Cottage as well, which will be on your left.


Sylvan Cottage was built to house valued farm workers of the Livingston's, and is still maintained as a private residence. Across from the house you will see a wide, sloping trail heading back towards the Ice Pond. If you weren't able to take this trail up the rise and towards the cottage, I encourage you to walk along it for a short distance to enjoy a nice view of the mountains.


Continue along the gravel path until it comes to a stone gate. You should now recognize the road you are on as the side entrance you passed on your way towards Clermont. Take a right through the stone gate and continue along the trail. You will soon approach a trail heading off to your right. This is the other end of the horse trail that began by the Playhouse.


Further along the trail you will cross the road. Shortly beyond here you will see a trail heading off to the left. This is a part of the Rose Alba Trail, labeled with red markers, which is a circular trail. Stay on the trail you are on as it heads over a small rise. The trail forks here, with the left fork also being a part of the Rose Alba Trail. If you take the trail to the right, it will take you to the site access road. A left on this road will take you back to the parking lot.


Take the trail to the left, and follow the Rose Alba Trail until it splits. Off to the left, the trail continues up over the hill and circles back around. There are a number of other trails around here: one leading back and to the right towards the parking lot, one leading forward and to the left as it heads towards the Chancellor's Trail, and one leading more or less straight ahead. Take the last of these, and head straight along one of the Bridle Trails, which are labeled with blue markers.


You'll soon see an opening to your right heading across a wide path and beyond. Take this trail across two other trails as it heads into the woods. Off to your right will be a trail that slopes backward and to the second trail you crossed. Ahead is a trail with the marker 6. This trail heads to the right and back to the rolling hills by the parking lot. I suggest you avoid this trail completely, because it leads through bramble which is haven for ticks. I walked off with 10 of the little buggers; my dog with no less than 20.


Instead, head to your left over a flat wooden bridge. You are now on Riverside Trail. Follow the trail as it branches to the right, close to the edge of the woods. There are two places where you can break out to the railroad tracks. However, the tracks, like those over by the dock, are very wide. You will also not be able to see very much through the bramble.


As the trail curves towards the left, you'll come to a T. Head to the right over another small bridge. The trail now forks, but since the trail circles back around you can choose either path. At the edge of the property, you will see a field. Although this may be the property of a nearby home, there is a great view from the top of the hill to the left of the field. There are even better views from the field further sodefinitelyhis is definately private property: a fact I realized too late.


Take the trail as it circles back around and head over the bridge. Head straight until you see the path curve to the right and towards the trail running next to the woods. Take a right onto this trail, and follow it as it curves to the left and over a small bridge. You will then come upon the wide trail you passed over earlier. Take a right and follow the path around a bend. You will see a trail running to the left and right. If you go left, you'll end up back at the Rose Alba Trail. Take a right, and the trail will lead through the woods to another crossroads. From here, a left takes you back to the wide trail; a right heads toward private property. Head straight and you will come out onto Woods Road. Head up the road to the right a slight ways, continuationo the contination of the trail. From here, the Bridle Trails span many miles through woods and fields, between Woods Road and Route 9G. These are mainly horse trails, and I found them very difficult to follow and was unable to stay on the path.


Return to the wide path and head right, continuing on. You will notice an old stone wall off to your right; a remnant left by captured soldiers in the Civil War. Follow the trail until it reaches the road next to the entrance. Take the trail that veers off to the left into the woods. You will shortly come to a Y. If you head to the right, you'll wind up back at Farm Road Trail. Go left and you will be on the Rose Alba Trail. You'll notice a picnic table to your right, which is a great place to relax before continuing on.


The trail will soon split, with the Rose Alba Trail heading off to the right. Head straight until you see another trail off to your left. If you continued straight along this trail, you'd wind up back at the wide trail you were on earlier. Take the right, and you'll pass by another picnic table as you wind down the hill back and to the right. Take your first available left onto the wide trail. This area should be familiar to you. Head to you right down the wide trail all the way to the ruins of Argyll House. The path running past Argyll, and behind, is known as Chancellor's Trail.


You have now seen most of the trail system at Clermont. Due to its grid-like system, it is hard to follow, and even harder to explain. Hopefully I have not made it more confusing than it already is. But quite frankly, I would discourage you from even bothering with it. The trails are, for the most part, rather boring and poorly marked. The beauty of Clermont rests mainly on the views right next to the parking lot. I would therefore suggest that you use the park as most people do: as a gorgeous picnicking location. There are better places in the region to hike.


If you are interested in learning more about Clermont, you can go to http://www.friendsofclermont.org/ or http://nysparks.state.ny.us/sites/info.asp?siteID=3. Pleasant Picnicking!