Parks & Gardens

Bring your bike, lace up your boots, grab the bridle for an adventure outdoors in upstate New York. Make the most of the Hudson River Valley landscape. Outdoor recreation in Dutchess County includes biking, hiking, horseback riding, golf, kayaking, archery and skeet shooting.

Enjoy many of the quaint parks & gardens of Dutchess County. Whether it’s a stroll or afternoon exploring, you’ll want to visit these places.

Bannerman Castle

Discover the ruins of this Scottish-style castle on the Hudson River was built in the early 1900s by Frank Bannerman to store military surplus items. Take a magnificent boat ride from the Beacon dock ...

Bard Arboretum, Bard College

Comprising over 1,000 acres along the historic Hudson River, the Bard Arboretum serves as both a place for enjoyment as well as a living classroom. The campus is defined by a dramatic natural landscap...

Bard College: The Montgomery Place Campus

This 380-acre estate is a National Historic Landmark set amid rolling lawns, woodlands, and gardens, against the backdrop of the Catskill Mountains and overlooking the Hudson River. Designed by renown...

Beatrix Farrand Garden at Bellefield

This "secret" little garden is both historic and significant in many ways. The walled garden was designed by Beatrix Farrand, one of America’s most prominent female landscape architects of the early...

Blithewood

Be inspired at Blithewood Garden, a classic example of a walled Italianate garden that was designed circa 1903 by Francis L. V. Hoppin. Situated on a steeply sloping bluff approximately 130 feet above...

Bowdoin Park

Bowdoin is a picturesque, 301-acre park on the banks of the Hudson River in the Town of Poughkeepsie. There are scenic views, open areas for picnicking, an award-winning handicapped-accessible playgro...

Buttercup Farm Audubon Sanctuary

640 acres of diverse habitats with rolling and open grasslands. Six miles of trails, over 80 species of birds have been observed on a "birdy" May day including Great Blue Herons, Wood D...

Carnwath Farms Historic Site & Park

A hidden gem in the Wheeler Hill Historic District of the Town of Wappinger. Grounds are open daily for hiking and recreational activities. Carnwath is home to its 1850 pre-restoration mansion, Carnwa...

Depot Hill MUA

Multiple Use Area: 260 /- acres | Appalachian Trail | Correspondence address and phone: Stony Kill Farm - NYSDEC Bureau of Public Lands Rt. 9D, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 845-831-8780 x309 ...

Dover Stone Church

A nature preserve whose highlight is a stunning rock formation and waterfall in a cave. It was used by Native Americans as a hideout in the 17th century, and then for weddings in the 19th century. Dov...

Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill

One of the highest points in the Town of Rhinebeck with views of the Hudson River, the spires and silos of the surrounding countryside, the Catskill Mountains to the West, and the Taconic Mountains ...

F. W. Vanderbilt Gardens Assoc. Inc.

Terraced gardens from the Gilded Age designed for the enjoyment of the Vanderbilts and their guests. Visitors will find colorful displays of annuals, perennials and roses, unique garden architecture a...