Poets’ Walk Romantic Landscape Park

Poets’ Walk is a 120-acre park maintained by the Scenic Hudson Land Trust. The park has over two miles of trails with views of the Catskills and the nearby Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge. The park is designed to “celebrate the connection between art and nature, to reveal the inspiring role of landscape in the evolution of American culture and to explore the continuing relevance of the natural world in our lives.” It is open year-round from 9 am to dusk.


To get to the park from Hyde Park, take Route 9G North. Take a left onto Route 199 towards the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge. Turn right onto River Road at the next traffic light. The park will be about a half mile up River Road on your left. River Road is a half mile east of the bridge.


Start up the trail, and you’ll see a kiosk with information about Scenic Hudson and its various holdings. Further up the trail you’ll come to a rustic arbor. There is some great information here about the history of the park and surrounding area, as well as a large trail map. Look for a large wooden box inside the arbor, and open it to find a pamphlet about the park and another about Scenic Hudson. You can also register here if you’re worried about possibly getting lost or wounded on the trail.


Follow the trail, known as the Stone Dust Path, for about a half a mile as it winds through open fields and wooded lots on an easy slope. You’ll see rustic benches along this path and throughout the park to allow for comfortable rests. About halfway down the path you will see a large viewing pavilion. From here you will get your first look at the Catskills.


Continue down the path and the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge will come into full view on your left. The trail will soon split into two, one path leading straight ahead and one to your left. Head straight onto the Poets’ Walk Path, which will take you to Summerhouse. This path has frequent, but small, changes in elevation throughout its quarter mile trek through the woods.



A wooden bridge will shortly come into view. This, and the other wooden bridge you will come to later, was made from cedars taken from nearby Olana. The stream that you cross over here will now follow you on your left as you snake along this path. You will soon cross a Stone Bridge as the path curves around to the left.


Further along the path you will come to a sign pointing you to Summerhouse. Head straight along this short dead-end path. At the end is a Gazebo with a nice view of the Hudson and the Kingston Bridge. Off to your right you’ll notice what appears to be a trail heading down and to your right. This is a non-park trail that winds through the woods close to the Hudson. It is more strenuous and narrow than the park trails, and appears to end abruptly near a small rocky island. The path offers no real additional views, but if you are in the mood for something a bit more difficult you may wish to take a short sojourn along it.


Head back to the main path and head right. You’ll pass the second wooden bridge and then start heading back uphill, soon reaching some stairs. At the top of the steps is a bench with a nice view of the Catskills and Hudson. Once finished here, continue up to the crest of the hill to Flagpole Lot. This spot gives a nice view of the bridge. You are now on the Mowed Path, which is a circle trail totaling about a half mile. In order to do the whole trail, you will have to do some backtracking.


If you’re tired, I recommend taking the upper, and more scenic, part of the path which will take you back to the viewing pavilion. Otherwise, head forward towards the footbridge over the railroad. This was built in 1912 and is no longer safe to traverse. They have gotten more insistent about this over the last few months and added additional safeguards. It’s unfortunate, because it does have a clear view looking north up the River. But due to their increasing notices about danger, I wouldn’t risk getting on it.


The path circles around and heads back towards the pavilion on a lower plane than the trail above. The two trails will meet up shortly and you can then walk back towards the river along the upper portion of the path. Once back at Flagpole Lot, you will need to head back once again towards the pavilion.


Or you may be interested to try another path in this vicinity, which isn't on the trail guide. From the footbridge, head left towards the woods. This path appears to be a deer trail, and is therefore very narrow with thorns often reaching across the path. If you have any reservations about getting dirty, being jabbed by plants, or walking through tall grass, DO NOT TAKE THIS TRAIL. During the winter it is easier to traverse, but it becomes very overgrown during the spring and summer. Be prepared for rough going if you choose to take this trail during the warmer months.


The trail will come out of the woods for a bit, and then head back in. Follow the trail with the Hudson on your right until you can’t go straight anymore. The trail now makes almost a 180 as it snakes around. There is also a branch of the trail headed down and further into the woods, which I think will also get you to the main path. However I suggest you take the upper of the two. Shortly along this trail you’ll break out of the woods.


You should now see a "trail" in front of you, formed by park staff that use this as an access road. It is easy to follow in the winter, when the grass is mowed, but during the summer tall grasses grow here and you will only be able to make out the depression the wheels have made in the vegetation. It will head straight and along the boundary all the way past the Viewing Pavilion and towards the entrance. It is along this path that I think the best views in the park reside. Make sure to turn often to catch some sweeping views of the Catskills and the bridge.


After about half a mile, you will see the path you came in on off to your left. Once you reach the tree-line, you should see a pathway that cuts over to the main trail. Head left down this trail, then take a right onto the main trail to head back toward the entrance. (If you attempt to continue on this path straight ahead, you will come to private property.)


Although the park does not vary much in its views, it is a mostly leisurely walk through the fields and woods, which offers an opportunity to really immerse yourself in nature. You can also choose how much walking you want to do, or how difficult a walk you desire. If you want a short walk, you can just go to the Pavilion. If you want a longer, easy walk, you can continue on the flat Mowed Grass Path out to Flagpole Lot and back. Or if you’re interested in a mild hike through the woods, you can go through the whole park. Whatever you choose, you’re sure to see how Washington Irving found inspiration within this landscape.

If you’d like to learn more about this park, and other Scenic Hudson holdings, please visit http://www.scenichudson.org/parks/shparks/poetswalk/index.html. Wondrous wanderings!