Wilcox Park
Route 199, Pine Plains, Dutchess County, NY

Directions:

Saw Mill River Parkway north to the Taconic State Parkway north to the end of Westchester, then 13.6 miles through Putnam County, to 33.4 more miles to the exit for Route 199 east. Turn right at the stop sign and travel .9 of a mile and turn right and head to the parking area. In season there is a fee.

History:

They have a memorial plaque devoted to Edgar M. Petrovits, L.S., P.E., Commissioner of Public Works, 1968-1974, who was instrumental in the establishment and development of Wilcox Park.

Facilities:

Includes lake, boating and fishing, playing fields and trails for hiking or cross-country skiing.

Trails:

On the way in you pass some marshy area that looks good to investigate. Park in the parking area near the park and office and between the lake and the swimming hole area. At the lake there were some 50 Canada Geese and they left a real mess around the area, as they usually do. South across a field and by the road in is a sign saying Nature Trail #2. The red and the blue trail go together for awhile. Right turn up to the top of the ridge and then south and southwest and then northwest and west. You come to a T-intersection; The blue trail goes right (northeast) and soon comes to the entrance road to the parking lot. Taking the left turn and the red trail leads downhill to a big open field. Coming off one ridge hill one soon climbs up another hill/ridge after heading south and then southeast across the field.

The trail goes east for awhile and soon comes off the hill (passing a decaying green cabin on the left) and then comes into an open field. There are a lot of fancy spruces planted in the field area. To the left one can see the red barns of the maintenance are along with some green houses.

The trail heads south back into the woods. It kept going for awhile, so I decided not to follow it, all the way, but turned around and came back following the edge of the field and then transferred to a road that took me around the first hill described above and then heading north I came back to the parking area and my car.

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney

Trees:
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula sp. (white birch)?
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Ostrya virginiana (American hop hornbeam)
Picea abies (Norway spruce) plantations of it planted
Picea pungens (Colorado spruce)?
Pinus resinosa (red pine) planted in small plantations
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) planted
Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore)
Populus grandidentata (big toothed aspen)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus palustris (pin oak) planted along entrance way
Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Thuja occidentalis (arbor-vitae) planted
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)

Shrubs and sub-shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Comptonia peregrina (sweetfern)
Cornus sp. (swamp dogwood?)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rosa sp. (rose) (huge rose hip fruits, curved thorns, small, narrow winged victory stipule)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Spiraea alba var. latifolia (meadowsweet)
Viburnum acerifolium (maple-leaved viburnum)

Vines:
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis spp. (grape)

Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Antennaria sp. (pussytoes)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)
Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed)
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (ox-eye daisy)
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle)
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace)
Erigeron sp. (daisy fleabane type)
Galium sp. (bedstraw)
Leonurus cardiaca (motherwort)
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife)
Melilotus alba (sweet white clover) 11/16/01
Rumex crispus (curled dock)
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) 11/16/01
Trifolium pratense (red clover)
Typha sp. (cattail)
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)
Veronica officinalis (common speedwell) 11/16/01

Sedges:
Carex laxiflora type (loose-flower sedge type)
Carex stricta (tussock sedge)

Grasses:
Dactylis glomeratus (orchard grass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (little blue stem grass)
Setaria sp.
Tridens flavus (purple top grass)

Ferns and Fern Allies:
Lycopodium (ground cedar)
Dryopteris marginalis (marginal woodfern)