Hike of the Week 8/18/2005

Burger Hill: Panoramic views worth hoofing it up

Location:  Location: Northern Dutchess County, southeast of the Village of Rhinebeck

Length:  One mile round trip

Rating:  Easy

Dogs:  Yes

Map:  Not necessary

Features: A pleasant walk up 550-foot Burger Hill, reminiscent of the big treeless "balds" on the Appalachian Trail in the southern Appalachians. A grandstand view of the entire Catskill Mountain range to the west. Wildflowers. Birds.

Watch out for: Yup, you guessed it ... deer ticks!

Background:

Burger Hill Park, "76 acres of rural scenic beauty," was sold to Scenic Hudson (www.scenichudson.org, 845-473-4440) in 1997 by Dean and Phyllis Burger so that this park could be created. Good for them: It could have been just another sprawling subdivision. A Palantine family named Burger became tenants on this land in 1717 and Burger Hill was in continuous agriculture until the land was sold to Scenic Hudson. The Winnakee Land Trust manages and maintains the park, "to preserve the open land and allow the public to view the magnificent vistas." The people of Rhinebeck take pride in Burger Hill as an irreplaceable community asset.

Hike Description:

The park consists mostly of open fields, dotted with wildflowers. The route to the top is a wide swath mowed through the fields. Head up the main trail and watch the broad Hudson Valley and the high Catskills to the west unfold. Views of the Catskill range don't get much better than this. Catskill fans, here are the peaks that are visible, pretty much from left to right (there will be a quiz ...): Ashokan High Point, Peekamoose, Table, Balsam Cap, Friday, Slide, Cornell, Wittenberg, Round Top, Kaaterskill High Peak, Hunter, Plateau, Sugarloaf, Twin, Indian Head, Overlook, Thomas Cole, Blackdome, Blackhead and North Mountain. That's 16 of the 35 Catskill 3500 peaks. The Taconic Range is visible to the east. And I'll bet you can see the tall buildings of Albany to the north with binoculars. The near 100 percent pastoral view is intruded upon by a subdivision of huge "McMansions" just to the north of the park. But Scenic Hudson, bless them, can't protect the entire valley. This would be a great spot to put down a blanket and have a picnic, but be careful that deer ticks aren't having a picnic also. You can descend on an alternate trail to the left that swings west and rejoins the main trail, and there are other short trails down below.

How to get there: 

From Poughkeepsie, take Route 9G north, into the Town of Hyde Park, the hamlet of East Park. Continue north for several miles. Three-quarters of a mile past Slate Quarry Road (County Route 19), turn left at Burger Hill Park sign into big parking area.

About the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference : The NY-NJ Trail Conference is a federation of hiking clubs, environmental organizations and individual members who volunteer their time and resources to build and maintain hiking trails and protect related open space in the bi-state region.

Information : For a more detailed description of this hike including a map, visit www.nynjtc.org and click on Hike of the Week. For information on NYNJTC activities, call 201-512-9348 or email info@nynjtc.org.

Hike of the Week is a regular feature in the Poughkeepsie Journal Players section, call 845-437-4848. This hike is contributed by Ralph Ferrusi of Stormville.

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