Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

Vanderbilt Mansion is a part of the National Park System; one of more than 370 areas across the United States that display the natural and cultural heritage of the country. The park consists of 211 acres, which were donated by Margaret Van Alen (Lousie Vanderbilt's niece) in 1940. The approx. 3 miles of trails within the park offer a variety of views of the Hudson River, Catskill Mountains, and Crum Elbow Creek.


Located slightly outside the town of Hyde Park, Vanderbilt has two entrances: the main of which is right off Route 9 and hard to miss. If you are heading north from Hyde Park, the entrance will be on your left. As you head into the park, you will pass by the Main Gatehouse, now occupied by park staff. The grounds are open daily from 7am till sunset.


A short ways after entering into the park, you will pass over the White Bridge. Head straight and up the hill (to the left is the road originating at the side entrance). Please note that the road through the park is one-way, except the part near the exit that leads down to Bard Rock.


Follow the road as it takes you past the mansion and to the parking area. Next to the parking area is a large field, popular for picnicking, sunbathing, and games of Frisbee. Walk across the road to the Visitor's Center Pavilion. It is here that you can buy tickets to tour the mansion. It costs $8 for adults, and is free for children under 16. The tour is about half an hour, and although it is guided you are often given freedom to wander around. I highly recommend the taking the tour. Vanderbilt is one of the best maintained homes in the area, with most of the original antique pieces. The opulence displayed by the furnishings and decorative pieces inside the mansion is even more amazing when one considers it was only one of their homes; used for only a few weeks in spring and fall, and for occasional winter weekends.


The Visitor's Center is open from 9am to 5pm, and the mansion is open from 9am to 4:30pm. There is also a gift shop located in the Visitor's Center. You can pick up a brochure here as well, which has information about the mansion and the Vanderbilts themselves. It includes a small, but helpful, map of the grounds.


After you have finished in the VisitorÂ’s Center, continue on to the mansion. This Beaux-Arts style mansion was originally a Greek Revival House when Frederick William Vanderbuilt purchased it in 1895. He and his wife Louise moved into the home in late 1898, and the mansion was completely remodeled by the next spring.


Around the back of the mansion are striking views of the Hudson and the far off Catskill Mountains. Once you have finished admiring the mansion and its breath-takingvistass, continue on to the left of the home and you will soon pick up a small trail that will lead you towards the formal gardens. These are beautifully maintained and are a great place to stroll during the spring and summer months. Various gravel trails will lead you through the Pool Gardens and the lower Rose Garden.


If you continue on down the dirt trail past the gardens you will come to the coach house. However, I suggest you go a different route. Head to the left of the gardens and along a paved roadway. This will take you past the Toolhouse and Gardener's Cottage (now a private residence). You will meet up with the road you drove in on.

Head down and to the White Bridge. To the left of the bridge you should be able to see a waterfall, which cascades down from Sherwood Pond. Take the road to the right of the bridge. This road will take you to the coach house and follow Crum Elbow Creek as it cascades down the hill over rapids, waterfalls, and man-made dams. You will also pass by the stone Powerhouse, which lies up on the hill across from the dam pictured. The Vanderbilts were one of the first in the area to have electricity.


After a ways you will come to a bridge, across which is the Coach House. This building is now used as a park storage area. This is where the side entrance to the park lies. If the main parking lot is crowded, you may wish to park in this area. To get here, turn off of Route 9 onto West Market Street headed towards the river. (If you are coming from Hyde Park, this will be a left at the last light before you reach the park. The post office will be on the right-hand corner in front of you.) You will pass by a mansion on your right, Wales House, which was built by the Vanderbilt's for friends and is now a private residence. Just beyond take a right onto Coach House Drive.


Once you have taken some time to view the Coach House, continue along the road that passes by the bridge. This section of road is only accessible to authorized vehicles. Shortly after walking down the road, you will see a dirt trail leading off to the right. This is the trail that heads past the formal gardens and to the mansion.


If you continue to follow the road, you will come to the Lower Gate House. This house is still occupied, but is maintained as an historic landmark. If you exit the park through the gates and take a left onto Dock Street, you will pass over a small bridge with a man-made waterfall on your left. Continuing on, you will come to River Road. Take a right and you will be heading towards the Hyde Park Railroad Station and Riverfront Park. These are also accessible by car via East Market Street, which becomes River Road.


The Hyde Park Railroad Station is preserved by the Hudson Valley Railroad Society. It was built in 1914, but is no longer an operational station. The inside has been turned into a mini museum, which is open Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 11am to 5pm during the summer, and only Mondays from 7pm to 9pm during the rest of the year.

Riverfront Park, adjacent to the railroad station and maintained by the town of Hyde Park, offers a close up view of the Hudson River. There is a gazebo great for picnics, and a number of playground equipment great for humiliating your dog or small child.

Returning back the way you came, you will see another trailhead to your left heading towards the river immediately after the gate house. The trail, which is a section of the Hyde Park Trail, is wide and relatively flat, and will take you 1.1 miles to Bard Rock at the opposite end of the park. The trail follows the river and, although there is a fence dividing the trail from the nearby railroad tracks, there are frequent breaks and gaps which allow for unobstructed views of the river. Early along the trail there is even a short path which leads out onto a rock face.

There are two pathways that head towards the meadow to your right, both of which lie within the first half of the trail. Each offers views of the mansion from the base of the hill, and you can often see deer here near dusk. However, the mansion will come into view further up the main trail, so don't be worried about skipping either of the aforementioned branches. These extra trails can often be muddy and overgrown will tall grasses, so use them with caution.

After you have passed out of view of the mansion, make sure to look towards your right to catch glimpses of a cove created by the building of railroad tracks. Further up, you may notice a trail headed to your left. This path will take you to the railroad tracks, where a break in the iron fence makes it possible to get across them. On the other side of the tracks, and slightly further up, the trail continues uphill and along the river edge. It ends at Bard Rock. However, crossing the tracks here is particularly dangerous due to limited view. And, as always, crossing the tracks is considered trespassing. I would suggest ignoring this trail for now.


Continue along the main trail and it will bend away from the river. Soon you will exit the woods and come to a roadway. This is a two-way section of road that heads to Bard Rock. However, the park will often close this stretch of roadway to traffic.


You should be able to hear the sound of water clearly. On the other side of the roadway you may be able to make out a waterfall hidden in the foliage. Head left along the road towards Bard Rock. You may notice stairs on your right. The path at their base heads towards the railroad, but is stopped by a fence. Therefore there is not much to see down this way.


Continue along the road across the one-lane bridge. You will see a parking area, which limits visitors to one hour's worth of parking. Head to your left along the gravel path. Near the water, you will see a trail heading up into the woods. This is the other end of the trail that crosses the railroad tracks. I suggest you walk along this short, but lovely, trail. It branches a couple of times, but the right branch either dead-ends or circles back to the main path. Once the trail reaches the tracks, turn around and head back to Bard Rock.


Various pathways will circle you around Bard Rock, and picnic tables offer an opportunity to relax by the water's edge. Some people also use this area to fish. This section of the park isparticularlyy lovely, and a great place to simply stroll about.


Once finished here, follow the road as it heads uphill. It is about .8 miles from Bard Rock back to the mansion. Part way up the hill, a trail branches to the right away from the road. This is steeper than the roadway, but shortens the distance a little. At the top, follow the road to the right. You will soon pass by a 15 minute parking area, which offers one of the nicer vistas in the park. The main parking area is only a short way from here.


Because the park is set up as an oval, you can start at any of the parking areas and circle around the park. And if you don't feel like walking much, you can merely drive along the roadway which passes by the main attractions of the park.


Vanderbilt is personally one of my favorites. The mansion, inside and out, is one the most beautiful in the area;trulyyrivaledd only by Olana. The gardens are the most extensive and elaboratelylaidd out. The variety of views are gorgeous and unmarred by industrial growth. The trails, grounds, and buildings are lovingly maintained and appear as they would have a hundred years ago. The park's flat open areas also make it an especial favorite for outdoor activity. All of these factors make Vanderbilt a fantastic place to visit.


For further information about this park, go to http://www.nps.gov/vama/. You can also find information about the Hyde Park Train Station at http://www.hydeparkstation.com/hps.html. Happy Hiking!