Cornish Estate Trail

The Cornish Estate trail is the only hike I repeated when I did the 52 Hike Challenge in '20 and '21. It's a great easy hike with ruins to explore but also plaques to show you what the estate looked like in its heyday. I repeated it for two reasons, one, I love the grounds. Two, I lost all my pictures when my phone was stolen and I wanted to have those pictures. I love this picture above. Can't really explain my attraction to it except for that little pine tree in the circle. That little pine tree is still there. She has grown tall and stretches up to the sky. While the buildings fell around her, she grew. There's a life metaphor in there - if your world is crumbling around you, reach for the sky and grow.

Here she is at the time I'm posting:

This is an easy hike with an incline that's not steep and fairly short. The whole hike up to the ruins and back is less than 2 miles, on a semi paved path. The trail is right off of Rt 9D just north of the town of Cold Spring in NY. Park in the Little Stony Point parking lot. If you use Google Maps and type in Cornish Estate trail you should have no problems finding it. There are basic facilities there.

Start your hike along a narrow dirt trail through some bushes and flowers. You'll soon come to what I call a jigsaw puzzle pavers. I think they're so interesting!

You'll soon meet up with the old driveway and you will follow that up to the ruins. Just before you get to them you can cut off into the woods and see the pool and other things and then walk up to the house. The ruins are fascinating. I always wish the walls could talk. The things they would say! Take your time exploring the area. Let your imagination run wild and try to see in your mind how beautiful this place used to be and still is in it's own way.

Take lots of pictures while wandering around. After you're done exploring and taking it all in return to your car the way you came. It really is a wonderful hike. I may do it again this year but do the loop that takes you to the top of the mountain for views of the Hudson Valley. If you have the All Trails App follow the map directions.

What I'm drinking today:

Either before or after your hike stop by the Cold Spring Coffee House at 92 Main Street in Cold Spring, NY. They have a wide variety of coffees as well as pastries for vegans and other delicious foods you can enjoy outside if the weather is nice or to go.

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