Ninham Mountain fire tower

Scenery:
Difficulty: 3 out of 10 (short uphill stroll)
Highlights: beautiful 360-degree views, easy stroll, fire tower
Distance: 1.5 miles, Up-and-Back
Approximate roundtrip time: 1.5 Hours
Total ascent: 400 ft
Max elevation: 1,314 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You want to take an easy (well, you know, relatively easy) stroll up a gravel road to a fire tower with a great view. Or perhaps you’re looking for a hike you can do while pushing a stroller.

North-South Lake: Newman’s Ledge

Scenery:
Difficulty: 5 out of 10
Fees: Cheapskate alert! $10 entrance fee per car (as of summer 2015). Money well spent.
Highlights: incredible views from multiple ledges
Distance: 4 miles, Up-and-Back
Approximate roundtrip time: 3 Hours
Total ascent: 584 ft
Max elevation: 2,475 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You’re a fan of incredible views and you appreciate a good ledge.

North-South Lake: North Point

Scenery:
Difficulty: 9 out of 10 (long hike with a few very steep sections)
Fees: Cheapskate alert! There’s a per-car day use fee to hike here ($10 per car as of 2014.) Money well spent.
Highlights: cave, incredible views from multiple ledges, waterfall
Distance: 7 miles, Loop
Approximate roundtrip time: 4.5 Hours
Total ascent: 1,144 ft
Max elevation: 2,989 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You’re a fan of incredible views, you appreciate a good ledge and you want to do some serious hiking.

Nuclear Lake

Scenery:
Difficulty: 5 out of 10 (long-ish, relatively flat stroll)
Highlights: gorgeous lake, lack of plutonium
Distance: 4.1 miles, Partial Loop
Approximate roundtrip time: 3 Hours
Total ascent: 627 ft
Max elevation: 839 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You’d like to stroll around a beautiful lake and visit a nice stretch of Appalachian Trail. Also, you’re not scared of a little plutonium.

Overlook Mountain

Scenery:
Difficulty: 7 out of 10 (long, steady climb)
Highlights: fire tower, jaw-dropping views, old hotel
Distance: 5 miles, Up-and-Back
Approximate roundtrip time: 3 Hours
Total ascent: ft
Max elevation: ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You’re looking for a strenuous hike with so much to do at the top that the fire tower somehow isn’t the main attraction.

Peach Hill Park

Scenery:
Difficulty: 3 out of 10
Highlights: orchard walk, views
Distance: 1.65 miles, Partial Loop
Approximate roundtrip time: 1 Hour
Total ascent: ft
Max elevation: ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You’re looking for a pleasant stroll (with views!) right in Poughkeepsie’s backyard.

Poets’ Walk

Scenery:
Difficulty: 3 out of 10 (leisurely meander with some inclines)
Highlights: gazebo, roses (red), views, violets (blue)
Distance: 2.4 miles, Partial Loop
Approximate roundtrip time: 1 Hour
Total ascent: 305 ft
Max elevation: 221 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You’re looking for some beautiful views without having to do too much sweating.

Popolopen Torne

Scenery:
Difficulty: 8 out of 10 (a few very steep sections, some rock scrambling)
Highlights: amazing views, monument and benches at summit, rock scrambling
Distance: 4.7 miles, Loop
Approximate roundtrip time: 3.5 Hours
Total ascent: 1,308 ft
Max elevation: 931 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You want to take in some amazing Hudson Valley views, and you’re not afraid to scramble up some rocks to see ‘em. Also, you have the ability to pretend that road noise is just really loud wind rustling through the leaves. Oh, and you want to do every hike in the area that sounds like a Harry Potter spell. POPOLOPEN TORNE! (You’re a porcupine now.)

Race Mountain (Mount Race)

Scenery:
Difficulty: 8 out of 10 (rugged climb with some stream-hopping and steep sections)
Highlights: awesome trails, campsites, views, waterfall
Distance: 7.1 miles, Up-and-Back
Approximate roundtrip time: 5 Hours
Total ascent: 2,080 ft
Max elevation: 2,360 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You want to traverse some of the most beautiful trails in the area, see some pretty waterfalls, and check out a nice view at the top.

Rand’s View

Scenery:
Difficulty: 6 out of 10 (long, gradual climb)
Highlights: Appalachian Trail, gorgeous meadow, panoramic views
Distance: 5.3 miles, Up-and-Back
Approximate roundtrip time: 4 Hours
Total ascent: 1,395 ft
Max elevation: 1,480 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You’d like to visit a one-of-a-kind meadow with awesome views, and you’re not scared to climb over a mountain to get there.

Red Hill fire tower

Scenery:
Difficulty: 5 out of 10 (hilly stroll with some steep-ish stretches)
Highlights: fire tower, great views, totally sweet outhouse, wonderful Catskill vibe
Distance: 2.8 miles, Up-and-Back
Approximate roundtrip time: 2.5 hours
Total ascent: 837 ft
Max elevation: 3,057 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You want to take a relatively short stroll to a fire tower with a gorgeous view of the Catskills. Also, you appreciate attention to detail in your outhouses.

Red Mountain

Scenery:
Difficulty: 4 out of 10 (relatively easy stroll with some hill climbs and grassy stretches)
Highlights: cows, giant old trees that might be ents, meadows, that new preserve smell, wonderful views
Distance: 2.7 miles, Loop
Approximate roundtrip time: 1.5 hours
Total ascent: 574 ft
Max elevation: 1,223 ft above sea level
This hike is for you if: You want to take a pleasant stroll on some great new trails, see some crazy big trees, and scope out some beautiful views across picturesque meadows. (This place really chews through the adjectives.)