This weekend, I was in much need of breathing fresh air and of going hiking. Although the initial plans to hike towards Canopus Lake went down the drain, I took a spontaneous Metro-North train one hour away from NY, into the village of Cold Spring. I had no idea what to expect; finding convenient options of hiking in New York is never easy; however the Putnam County village turned out to be a charming historical district, with well-preserved 19-century buildings and stunning fall foliage. Despite its incredibly small population and overall size (0.6 square miles), Cold Spring has become a very popular weekend destination for tourists from New York City. Nestled between formidable vertical terrain, its popularity is mainly due to its hiking trails and proximity to the Hudson River.
Walking on Main Street, I was utterly invigorated with the stunning fall foliage and the good ol’ fashioned “Americana” feel. Most houses were also decked out in anticipation of Halloween.
After I got an idea of what the village is all about, I set out towards the scenic Hudson Highlands and its hiking trails. After about a mile, I entered a park which had several hiking options, both left and right.
I leisurely tried a few of them, until I got to the top, welcoming picturesque views of the Hudson River. I camped out here for about an hour, while taking in some sun.
Towards the end of the afternoon, I descended down the hill, unto a beautiful beach. It may not have been the quality of a Caribbean beach, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
There were several houses like these, whose porches instantly took me back to the settings of older American movies.
To get to Cold Spring, you can hop on a Metro-North train, direct from Grand Central, which gets you into the village in a little over an hour. Very accesible and bound to relax you from the city grind!
How was your weekend?
