Mansion

Locust Grove

Historic: 
Mansion
Complete: 
Yes
NYNJTC maintained: 
0

Historic estate, museum, and nature center, Locust Grove overlooks the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Grounds and trails are open to the public.

Hiking
Dogs on leash
5 miles
200 acres
Lat/Lon: 
41.672799, -73.929416
Poughkeepsie
Dutchess
NY
Estate grounds, trails, parking area
Cluster/Park: 
Park

Locust Grove was the home of Samuel Morse, inventor of the commercial telegraph. The estate was subsequently owned by William and Martha Young who filled the house with an extensive collection of American decorative arts.  It is now preserved by a private trust as a historic site and wildlife sanctuary. The mansion is open May 1st to November 30th. The visitor center is open May 1st to December 31st.

A five-mile network of relatively short loop trails, constructed originally as carriage roads, wind through fields, woods and gardens around the mansion.  They are named and identified with wooden signs along the pathways.  Some of the trails are steep; many offer Hudson River views.

Use the Web Map link on this site to view the estate grounds and trails.

The Estate is located on the west side of US 9 just south of Poughkeepsie.  Address for Google Maps: Locust Grove Estate, 2683 South Road, Poughkeepsie, NY  12601 

GPS coordinates:  41.670765, -73.928251(Locust Grove Estate, 2683 South Road, Poughkeepsie, NY  12601) 

Locust Grove Estate
Fees: 
Some times and places; check with park
Nearby Parks: 
Stony Kill Farm (Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center)
Hyde Park Trails
Last Update: 
06/21/2017
Modified By: 
gayle edgerton; Phil McLewin

Merestead

Historic: 
Mansion
Complete: 
Yes
The mansion at Merestead Photo: Jane Daniels
NYNJTC maintained: 
1

Merestead was the working farm and estate of Margaret Sloane Patterson, daughter of William Sloane of the W & J Sloane home furnishing store. The mansion is open by reservation.

Hiking
Bridle path
X-C skiing
No dogs
3 miles
130 acres
Lat/Lon: 
41.176447, -73.704383
Mt. Kisco
Westchester
NY
TC Book: 
Walkable Westchester
Cluster/Park: 
Park

A visit to Merestead makes it obvious why it could not possibly be called Merestead Park. A 28-room Georgian Revival style brick mansion overlooks a vast expanse of lawn. Merestead (the Scottish word for farmland) is an historic home with trails through woodlands and fields. 

The trails system includes both woodland hiking trails and farm roads with some views from the farm roads at the top of the hill behind the mansion. 

From I-684, take Exit 4 (Route 172) and head west. In 1.5 miles, turn left onto Sarles Street. Continue 1.5 miles to the stop sign at Byram Lake Road. Turn left and drive for 0.4 mile. Parking is across the street from the main driveway.

No public transportation

Merestead
Fees: 
None
Nearby Parks: 
Butler Memorial Sanctuary
Marsh Memorial Sanctuary
Landowner: 
County
Manager: 
Westchester County Parks
Region - Maintenance: 
EH - Westchester - South Central

Batona Trail

Historic: 
Furnace
Lookout
Mansion
Middens
Complete: 
Yes
Along the Batona Trail in Wharton State Forest - Photo by Daniel Chazin
NYNJTC maintained: 
0

A 50 mile trail that connects three state forests in the heart of the New Jersey Pinelands.

Hiking
Mountain biking
X-C skiing
50 miles
Lat/Lon: 
39.644613, -74.646765
Hammonton
Atlantic
NJ
Batona Trail Brochure
Cluster/Park: 
Park

Extending 50 miles through the heart of the Pinelands, the Batona Trail [pink] is the longest blazed hiking trail in southern New Jersey. It starts from Bass River State Forest and goes through Wharton State Forest and Brendan T. Byrne State Forest. The trail was established in 1961 by the Batona Hiking Club of Philadelphia, and it is still maintained by that group.

 

To pierce the genuine wilderness of the area, the Batona Trail avoids the sand roads as much as possible. Still, about 20% of the treadway is soft sand, which makes for slower-than-expected progress in parts of this mostly level trail. Good starting points for the trips on the trail are the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest headquarters and the Batsto Visitor Center. Trail maps and information may be obtained there, as well as at the Atsion Ranger Station and the Bass River Forest Office. A permit is required to camp along the trail in state forests.

Use the Web Map link on this site to view a brochure and Batona Trail map.

The southern terminus of the Batona Trail is near the junction of French Coal Road and Stage Road, near Lake Absegami, in the Bass River State Forest.  GPS Coordinates:  39.620531, -74.424639

Its northern terminus is at Ong’s Hat on Magnolia Road in the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest [1.5 miles northwest of Four Mile Circle]  GPS Coordinates: 39.910986, -74.620857

 

 

 

NJ DEP, Division of Parks and Forestry
Fees: 
None
Last Update: 
01/23/2017
Modified By: 
Phil McLewin
Region - Maintenance: 
NJ - None - None

Welwyn Preserve County Park

Historic: 
Mansion
Complete: 
Yes
NYNJTC maintained: 
0

Located in Glen Cove on the famous "Gold Coast" of Long Island's North Shore, this lovely piece of land, at one time an estate, now offers a fine example of the tall moist hardwood forests that used to dominate the area.

Hiking
204 acres
Lat/Lon: 
40.879179, -73.641556
Glen Cove
Nassau
NY
TC Book: 
Hiking Long Island: A Comprehensive Guide to Parks and Trails
Cluster/Park: 
Park

What is now Welwyn Preserve once belonged to Harold Irving Pratt, son of oil magnate and philanthropist Charles Pratt of the late 1800s. The estate includes a Georgian-style mansion, now used by the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, and several smaller service buildings.

The Preserve features four blazed trails that are easy to walk.  Approaching from the parking area, the path to the left of the mansion is a direct walk down hill to the beach where one can hike along the shore with views across the Long Island Sound. Trails to the right and back of the mansion are more rugged.  Trail maps are available on site.   

From NYC take the Belt (Cross Island) Parkway to exit 30. From there go east abut 8 miles on the Long Island Expressway (Route 495) to exit 39. Go north on Glen Cove Road 6.2 miles, bearing left at a major fork near the end. Turn north (right) onto Brewster; go 0.5 mile. Turn north (left) onto Dosoris Lane; go 0.7 mile. Go left for 0.4 mile on New Woods Road. At Crescent Beach Road, proceed for about 0.1 mile to the Welwyn gate on the right. Park at the left of the main house.

GPS coordinates to park entrance:  40.881008, -73.642108

GPS coordinates to Holocaust Memorial & Education Center: 40.884054, -73.641673

Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums
Last Update: 
02/26/2017
Modified By: 
Phil McLewin

Thompson Park (Monmouth County)

Historic: 
Mansion
Complete: 
Yes
NYNJTC maintained: 
0

An unusually wide variety of activities are available at this park including hiking, birding, cross country skiing, crafts, historic visitors center, playground, an off-leash dog area, fishing, athletics and summer theatre.

Hiking
Mountain biking
Bridle path
X-C skiing
Accessible
See park description
13 miles
667 acres
Lat/Lon: 
40.333294,-74.1408097
Lincroft
Monmouth
NJ
Trail map and park brochure
Cluster/Park: 
Park

This park was established in 1968 with a 215-acre bequest from Geraldine Livingston Thompson (1872-1967), a social welfare reformer and philanthropist, memorialized as a "Republican friend" of Eleanor Roosevelt. Its 667 acres has an extremely wide variety of activities, including an off leash dog area.

 

Eight trails offer 13 miles of "easy" to "moderate" hiking with circuits viewing Marlu Lake and the Swimming River Reservoir.  The Thompson Loop trail at 4.2 miles is the longest in the park going around its perimeter.  Some trails pathways are paved, others on old farm roads or in a former horse exercise ring.

Use the Web Map link on this site for a park brochure, trail map and synopsis of each trail.   Click to view detailed descriptions of loop hikes in the park.

 

Take the Garden State Parkway South to Exit 109 (Red Bank/Lincroft). Turn left at the end of the ramp onto County Route 520 West and continue for 2.3 miles to the entrance to Thompson Park (the entrance is 0.3 mile beyond the traffic circle at the entrance to Brookdale Community College). Turn left into the park, continue past the first parking lot, and turn left into the Old Orchard parking lot.  GPS Coordinates: 40.331562, -74.139372

 

 

Thompson Park
Fees: 
Some times and places; check with park
Last Update: 
05/10/2017
Modified By: 
Ken Malkin; Phil McLewin

Ringwood State Park

Historic: 
Mansion
Complete: 
Yes
Ringwood Manor - Photo credit: Daniel Chazin
NYNJTC maintained: 
1

Ringwood State Park features both wild lands and landscaped gardens. It consists of four distinct areas: Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor/NJ State Botanical Garden, Shepherd Lake, and Bear Swamp Lake.

Hiking
Mountain biking
Bridle path
Accessible
Dogs on leash
50 miles
4444 acres
Lat/Lon: 
41.127276, -74.238150
Ringwood
Passaic
NJ
RegionURL: 
North Jersey
Northern New Jersey Highlands Trails Map
Cluster/Park: 
Park

Ringwood State Park

Ringwood State Park features both wild lands and landscaped gardens. 

Ringwood State Park is named after Ringwood Manor, a large mansion containing a priceless collection of relics from the iron-making days, as well as furnishings of the Ryerson, Cooper and Hewitt families from about 1810 to 1930.  Click for more information about the manor house, including tours.

There are seven trails, most beginning around Ringwood Manor going on either side of Sloatsburg Road. Individual trails range from 1.0 to 7.3 miles.  See Web Map link on this site for a N.J. State Park Service Map of trails in the park.

  • Advisory: Approximately a 3/4 mile portion of the Hasenclever Iron Trail [yellow blaze] has been closed to the public in the area of Peter's Mine for a number of years. From Ringwood Manor it is approximately 1.5 miles in. There is currently no reroute, please plan accordingly. [February, 2014]

Ringwood Manor: Aside from enjoying the grounds and buildings, the Manor Trail is a relatively easy loop through the woods west of Ringwood Manor [3.0 miles; blue blaze].

Skylands Manor: With perennials, annual plantings, and unusual plant species, Skylands Manor is a place of beauty in any season. One can stroll amid the elegance of formal gardens, or along gentle paths winding through the woods. Only the Crossover Trail passes through Skylands Manor. The Halifax Trail [green blaze] begins on the far side of the big lawn of the gardens.

Shepherd Lake: The Ringwood-Ramapo Trail and an orange-blazed trail follow along the southern shore of Shepherd Lake.

  • Ringwood Manor - NY 17 just south of Sloatsburg, New York, via Sterling Mine Road (County 72) which becomes Sloatsburg Road when it crosses into to New Jersey, Ringwood Manor is on the right.  GPS Coordinates:  41.138982, -74.255239
  • Skylands Manor & Shepherd Lake - Continue another half-mile south on Sloatsburg Road, turn left onto Morris Road [a large sign will direct you].  GPS Coordinates: 41.127185, -74.238150
  • All three areas have large or multiple parking areas but Shepherd Lake can get crowded on summer weekends
NJ DEP, Division of Parks and Forestry
Ramapo Mountains
Fees: 
Some times and places; check with park
Nearby Parks: 
Ramapo Mountain State Forest
Ramapo Valley County Reservation
Last Update: 
12/18/2016
Modified By: 
Maureen; Phil McLewin
Landowner: 
NJ DEP
Manager: 
NJ DEP

Morristown National Historical Park

Historic: 
Battlefield
Mansion
Complete: 
Yes
Reconstructed Revolutionary War soldier huts - Photo credit: Daniela Wagstaff
NYNJTC maintained: 
1

Site of the nation’s first national historical park.  Morristown's winter of 1779-80 was the harshest winter encampment endured by General George Washington and the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

 

Hiking
Dogs on leash
27 miles
Lat/Lon: 
40.761964, -74.542594
Morristown
Morris
NJ
NPS map
Cluster/Park: 
Park

Jockey Hollow, Fort Nonsense, the New Jersey Brigade, and the Jacob Ford Mansion were of importance during the American Revolution.  Today they are part of the Morristown National Historical Park, created in 1933 as the nation's first national historical park. The 1,600-acre Jockey Hollow Encampment Area housed 10,000 soldiers of the Continental Army during the winter of 1779-80.

Most of the hiking trails, which follow gentle grades along woods roads, are situated in the Jockey Hollow section of the park.  There are five loop trails, of varying length [1.1 to 5.3 miles] and difficulty, marked with colored blazes.  The hiking-only Patriots' Path [white] connects the Scherman-Hoffman Sanctuaries and Lewis Morris County Park to the Jockey Hollow area.  One access point to the Patriots' Path is at Cross Estate Gardens.

Click for detailed descriptions of hikes in the park.

Use Web Map link on this site for a trail map.  

  • The Jockey Hollow Section is free; Washington's Headquarters/Jacob Ford Mansion at Morristown charges an entrance fee

 

The Jockey Hollow area is situated near  Exit 30B of I-287.  GPS Coordinates:  40.761964, -74.542594

Washington's Headquarters Museum is near Exit 36 of I-287.  GPS Coordinates: 40.797585, -74.467125

For map and written directions use the Contact Information link on this site.  

Public transportation: Take NJ Transit Morris and Essex rail line from Hoboken or Penn Station in NYC to Morristown.  A taxi can be taken to the Jockey Hollow area; Washington's Headquarters is about a half mile from the train station [see park's web page for walking directions]

Morristown National Historical Park
Fees: 
Some times and places; check with park
Nearby Parks: 
Lewis Morris County Park
Scherman-Hoffman Sanctuaries
Patriots' Path
Last Update: 
01/17/2017
Modified By: 
Phil McLewin
Landowner: 
NPS
Manager: 
NPS

Van Cortlandt Park

Van Cortlandt House Museum - Photo by Daniel Chazin
Along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail - Photo by Daniel Chazin
Van Cortlandt Lake - Photo by Daniel Chazin
NYNJTC maintained: 
0
Summary: 

This loop hike passes the historic Van Cortlandt House Museum, follows the abandoned Putnam rail line and the Old Croton Aqueduct, and goes by the scenic Van Cortlandt Lake.

2 hours
Easy
3 miles
Route type: 
Circuit
Allowed on leash
Historic feature
Public Transportation
Historic: 
Mansion
Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park
New York City
NY
Bronx
Map and Guide - Van Cortlandt Park
01/26/2004
09/11/2017
Driving: 

Take the Henry Hudson Parkway to Exit 23A (NY 9 South, Broadway) and proceed south on Broadway to 242nd Street, where the elevated rail line ends. Parking is available on Broadway north of 242nd Street (alternate-side-of-the-street restrictions).

Train: 

Take the #1 subway train to the 242nd Street Station (the northern end of the line).

At the entrance to the 242nd Street station on the east side of Broadway (opposite the overpass), descend a short stairway into the park and turn left onto a wide path. After passing a restroom building on the left and green buildings that surround the park’s pool on the right, you’ll come to the Van Cortlandt House Museum (open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). This historic stone building, built in 1748, is the oldest building in the Bronx. George Washington actually slept here!

Reference/Source: 
Bergen Record: Hike of the Week

Tenafly Nature Center Loop #1

Boardwalk Along the De Filippi Trail - Tenafly Nature Center - Photo credit: Trail Conference
NYNJTC maintained: 
1
Summary: 

This loop hike circles this nature preserve, passing a glacial erratic and an interesting pond.

2 hours
Easy
4 miles
Route type: 
Circuit
No Dogs
Historic feature
Fees
Historic: 
Mansion
Tenafly Nature Center
Tenafly Nature Center
Palisades
Palisades Region
NJ
Bergen
108 Hudson Palisades Trails
*New* Hudson Palisades Trails Map
Tenafly Nature Center Trail Map
10/17/2002
02/12/2024
Driving: 

Take U.S. Route 9W to the traffic light at East Clinton Avenue in Tenafly. Proceed west on East Clinton Avenue for 1.7 miles and turn right onto Engle Street. Continue on Engle Street until it ends at a T-intersection with Hudson Avenue. Turn right and follow Hudson Avenue to its end at the nature center, where parking is available

From the parking area, turn right on the Main Trail, a wide gravel path, and head east. You'll pass a kiosk with a donation box. To help support the costs of maintaining the property, non-members are requested to pay a small fee to hike through the nature center property ($2 per person or $10 per family, payable either in cash or by scanning a QR code). Continue along the Main Trail for 200 feet beyond the kiosk, then turn right onto the Red Trail (blazed with red triangles). Follow the Red Trail as it heads south and then loops around to the north.

Reference/Source: 
Bergen Record: Hike of the Week
HOTW Date: 
Thu, 02/28/2013
HOTW Count: 
1

Ringwood-Ramapo/Hoeferlin /Pierson Ridge Trails Loop from Skylands Manor

Stone building at Skylands Manor - Photo by Daniel Chazin
NYNJTC maintained: 
1
Summary: 

This loop hike traverses remote, less-visited areas of Ringwood State Park, passing a number of scenic viewpoints.

7 hours
Moderate to Strenuous
11 miles
Route type: 
Circuit
Allowed on leash
Fees
Views
Historic: 
Mansion
Ringwood State Park
Ringwood State Park
Ramapo Mountains
Ramapo Mountains Region
NJ
Passaic
115 North Jersey Trails East
Northern New Jersey Highlands Trails Map
07/03/2003
02/28/2022
Driving: 

Take I-287 to Exit 57 and proceed north on Skyline Drive. At the end of Skyline Drive, turn right and follow Greenwood Lake Turnpike north for 1.6 miles to Sloatsburg Road. Turn right and follow Sloatsburg Road for 2.1 miles to Morris Avenue, then turn right and follow Morris Avenue for 1.4 miles to its end at the Skylands Manor section of Ringwood State Park. Pass between two stone eagles and turn left into Parking Lot A. During the summer season, a parking fee ($5 weekdays, $10 weekends) may be charged.

From the parking area, turn left onto a paved park road, the route of the white-blazed Crossover Trail. The trail proceeds through the grounds of Skylands Manor, which feature various exotic trees. You'll pass to the right of a greenhouse and an English Tudor guest house with a sundial clock on its chimney.

Reference/Source: 
Bergen Record: Hike of the Week