NATURAL AREAS COVERED BY THE TORREY BOTANICAL SOCIETY: NEW YORK WEST OF THE HUDSON RIVER
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney, former Field Committee Chairperson, Torrey Botanical Society
Here are plant lists (along with trip directions, history, and geology) for literally hundreds of natural areas within a Torrey Botanical Society region. Just click on the underlined areas!
Warning: This website is very much in progress. But it is better to put the web on line now with what I have than wait for another five years when it will be much more the way it should be. It is still an excellent website, in spite of the warts.
If you want to add something or correct some really bad mistakes just e-mail me at:
I would like to thank the various people who helped out with many of the plant lists, including Karl Anderson of the Rancocas Nature Center and Dr. William Standaert for his many compilations of plants lists. I name a few of them in the section entitled Thank Yous:
Plant Identification
We use the Gleason and Cronquist book on northeast plants (and which does not provide any pictures). There is, however, an excellent accompanying book that provides all the pictures. You can get it at the New York Botanical Garden. If you want to primarily use either book, but find it is very difficult to start, try this website:
A Systematic Guide to Field Botany
Lower New York West of the Hudson River
1. Port Jervis Trough
2. Shawangunk Mountains
3. Ridge & Valley Province
4. Highlands (west of Hudson
River)
5. Newark Basin (includes
Palisades)
6. Hudson River Estuaries (west
shore)
Catskills (Alleghany Plateau)
Ulster County
Vernooy
Kill Falls
Ulster County
Delaware and Hudson (D&H) Canal Heritage Corridor
Delaware and Hudson Canal Heritage Corridor (north
section) (a.k.a. O&W Rail Trail) High Falls
D&H
Canal Park at High Falls D&H Canal Heritage Corridor (North section)
High Falls
D&H Canal Park at Accord
Accord
D&H Canal Park at Ellenville
Ellenville
Sullivan County
Former Apollo Hotel Area Woodridge
Painter Hill State Multiple Use Area Mamakating
Neversink River Unique Area Management Unit:
Neversink Gorge
Monticello/Thompson
Neversink River Unique Area Management Unit:: Wolf
Brook Multiple Use Area
Monticello/Thompson
Delaware-Hudson Linear Canal: Bova Road Access D&H Canal Heritage
Corridor (pic1)
(pic2) Mamakating
Delaware-Hudson Linear Canal: Hornbeck's Access
Wurtsboro
Bashakill
Wildlife Management Area D&H Canal Heritage Corridor (south section)
(pic1)
(pic2) (pic3) (pic4) (pic5) Westbrookville
Orange Co., NY
Mongaup
River Deerpark
Boehmler
Pond (feeds into Neversink River)
Deerpark
D&H
Canal Park, Cuddebackville (D-H Canal site) Neversink
River (pic1,
2, 3)
Deerpark
Neversink
Preserve Neversink River, Hawks Nest Drive (not a park, but beautiful views along this
road) (Delaware River) Deerpark
Delaware
River Heritage Trail (an urban walk)
Port Jervis
Elks-Brox
Park
Port Jervis
Ulster County, NY
Rosendale
Mohonk Preserve: Table Rock
Mohonk Preserve: Spring Farm Trailhead
Mohonk Preserve: Bonticou Crag
Mohonk Preserve: Guyot's Hill
Mohonk Preserve: Duck Pond (Kleine Kill)
Mohonk Preserve: Mountain House, Mohonk Lake, Sky
Top, Eagle Cliff
Coxing Parking Area -- off Clove Road
Peterskill Falls Parking Area
West Trapps Parking Area
Jenny Lane Parking Area
Awosting Parking Area
Minnewaska State Park
Preserve (Roundout Creek) (pic1,
2, 3,
4, 5,
6)
Minnewaska State Park:
Litchfield Ledge LP
Minnewaska State Park: Peterskill Falls
Minnewaska State Park: Lake Awosting and Awosting
Falls LP
(Roundout Creek) (pic1,
2, 3)
Minnewaska State Park: Castle Point LP
Minnewaska State Park: Mud Pond (Haseco
Lake) LP
Trapps pull-off
Mohonk Preserve Visitors' Center
Millbrook
Mountain
Gertrude's
Nose
Mohonk Gateway Preserve -- Warwasing Parking (with bike path)
The Crags LP
Napanoch Point
Verkeedeerkill Falls LP
(feeds into Shawangunk Kill)
Ice
Caves (Sam's Point Preserve) (feeds into Shawangunk Kill) LP
(Lake Maratanza, pic2, caves, pic4)
Bear Hill Nature Preserve Cragsmoor LP
Sullivan Co., NY
Long Path: Summitville-Roosa Gap Road to Route 52, Ulster County LP
Wurtsboro Ridge State Open Space Area Mamakating
Shawangunk Ridge Trail: Wurtsboro to
Summitville-Roosa Gap Road LP
Shawangunk Ridge Trail: Bashakill WMA to South Road, Wurtsboro
Orange Co., NY
Shawangunk Ridge Trail: Guymard Turnpike to Route 211 Otisville
Shawangunk Ridge Trail: Hathorne Lake to Guymard Turnpike
Shawangunk Ridge Trail: High Point in Sussex County, NJ to Greenville Turnpike,
Orange County, NY
3A Valley Areas
Ulster Co., NY
Bristol Beach State Park Saugerties
(across the Hudson River from Clermont State Park)
Ruth Reynolds Glunt Nature Preserve at Saugerties
Lighthouse Saugerties (across
Hudson River from Tivoli)
Highwoods State Multiple Use Area Saugerties
Turkey Point State Park Saugerties/Ulster border
Ulster Landing Park (across the Hudson
River from the Village of Rhinebeck)
Ulster
Charles Rider Park Ulster
Ulster Town Park Ulster
Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge
Kingston Point Park Kingston
Sleightsburgh Park
Esopus
Esopus
Meadows Preserve
(across the Hudson River from Staatsburg) Esopus
Shaupeneak
Ridge Cooperative Recreation Area Esopus
Black Creek Forest Preserve
Esopus
John
Burroughs Sanctuary, Slabsides, (pic1)
(pic2) (across the Hudson
River from Hyde Park) West Park, Town of
Esopus
Perrine's Covered Bridge County Park Esopus
Chodikee Lake Fishing Access Lloyd
Hudson Valley Rail Trail (across the Hudson
River from Poughkeepsie)
Lloyd
Johnson-Iorio Park
Mid-Hudson Bridge (Poughkeepsie to Highland)
Berean Park Lloyd
Franny Reese Preserve (on
Hudson River) Lloyd
Cluett-Shantz Memorial Park
Marlborough
Hemlock
Ridge Multiple Use Area (across Hudson River from Village of
Wappingers Falls) Plattekill
William's Lake (across the Hudson
River from Staatsburg) Rosendale
Shawangunk Multiple Use Area (across
the Hudson River from Poughkeepsie)
New Paltz
Wallkill Valley Rail Trail
Gardiner to New Paltz to Rosendale
Harcourt
Wildlife Sanctuary
New Paltz
Huguenot Path
New Paltz
Orange County, NY
Bradley Park (Wallkill River)
Walden
Wooster Memorial Grove
Walden
James Wollsey Community Park
Walden
Waterfront Park Montgomery
Winding
Hills County Park (feeds into Wallkill River) (pic1,2,lake
by picnic area)
Montgomery
Stewart State Forest
New Windsor
Highland
Lakes State Park LP
Hamptonburgh
Thomas
Bull Memorial Park (Wallkill River)
Walkill
Six
and a Half Nature Sanctuary Heritage
Trail passes near it
Goshen
Hook-up trail with
Orange Heritage
Trail Goshen
Orange Heritage Rail-Trail
Goshen
Moonbeams
Conservatory (Shawangunk Kill into Wallkill River)
Pine
Island Cedar Swamp (Wallkill River)
Wallkill
River National Wildlife Refuge AT
Town
of Warwick Park
Warwick
Warwick
County Park
Warwick
Cascade
Lake Town Park
Warwick
Mount Eve
Warwick
Frankel
Sanctuary Warwick
Shannen Park
Wawayanda
Chadd Lake
Newburgh
Algonquin Park
Newburgh
Downing Park
Newburgh
New Windsor Cantonment Historical Area New
Windsor
Moodna Creek Marsh
New Windsor
Kowawese Unique Area (and Plum Point Park)
New Windsor
Knox's Headquarters (with Jane Colden Plant
Sanctuary)
New Windsor
3B Catskill Outlier
Orange Co., NY
Cronomer
Hill Park New Windsor
Schunemunk
Mountain State Park HT LP
(Woodbury Creek then into Moodna Creek) (pic1,2)
Schunemunk Mountain Preserve
Cornwall
High Knob on Schunemunk LP
Goose
Pond Mountain State Park HT
Sugar
Loaf Mountain
Chester
Wildcat (Bellvale Mountain) HT AT
Eastern Pinnacles (Bellvale Mountain) AT
Mount
Peter AT
Warwick
Bellvale
Mountain Continental Road/Route 17A HT
AT east of Warwick County Park
4. Highlands (West Side of Hudson River)
Orange Co., NY
Kenridge Farm
Cornwall
Museum
of the Hudson Highlands
Cornwall
Sloop Hill Preserve
Storm
King
HT
ST (Pollopel Island,
2,
3) (Storm
King1, 2, 3)
Butter Hill (see Storm King) ST
Pollopel Island
Crow's
Nest
Cornwall
Whitehorse Mountain ST
Mount Misery
ST
Black Rock
ST
Black
Rock Forest HT ST
Sackett Mountain ST
West Point Area
Harriman State Park (46,613 acres)
Fort Montgomery State Historic Site
Bear Mountain Bridge AT (pic)
Bear
Mountain AT SBM (Rockland
Co.) (from Long Mt.) (Hessian
Lake) (pic3) (pic4)
Blackcap Mountain
Bradley Mountain
Brooks Mountain LP
Claudius
Smith's Den (Pine Hill) (pic1) (pic2)
Cranberry Hill
Florence Mountain
Jones
Point RD
Dunderberg Mountain RD
Bald Mountain RD
West AT
RD SB
The Timp 1777 Trail to the TT Trail
Black Mountain AT RD
Letterrock
Mountain AT RD (at
William Brien shelter)
Goshen Mountain RD
Lake Tiorati
near the AT (center,
beach)
Hasenclever Mine (Red Cross trail) (Tiorati
brook, mine1,
2)
Fingerboard Mountain RD
Surebridge Mountain RD
Times Square ASB LP RD
Hogencamp Mountain RD
Tom
Jones Mountain RD
Parker Cabin Mountain RD
Black Ash Mountain RD
Horse Pond Mountain RD
Stockbridge Mountain AT
LP
Fingerboard
Mountain over Lake Tiorati AT RD LP
Surebridge
Mountain AT LP
Lemon Squeezer AT
Pine and Surebridge Swamps
Island Pond Mountain AT LP
Island
Pond AT
Green Pond Mountain AT
Green
Pond
AT crosses US 87 at Arden Valley Road north of Tuxedo, NY
AT
Spruce
Pond
Wildcat Mountain
Arden
(old Greenwood Furnace)
Arden Mountain AT
Little Dam Lake AT
Buchanan Mt. AT
Klowers Pond AT
Mombasha High Point AT
Fitzgerald
Falls (near the AT) (pic1,
2, 3,
4)
Popolopen
Mountain and Gorge (pic1)
Reeves
Brook Trail
Two Pond Mountain
Blackcap Mountain LP
Brooks Hollow LP
Howell Mountain LP
Turkey
Hill Lake/Long Mountain LP (Torrey
memorial) (lake)
Silver Mine Lake LP
Stockbridge Mountain LP
Times Square LP
Lake Skannatati LP (pic1,
2)
Sterling
Forest History, including Tuxedo Park
Sterling
Forest (Appalachian Trail section- Little Dam Lake) AT
Sterling
Forest: (Indian Hill) (Southfield
furnace, 2)
Sterling
Forest: West Valley Trail
Sterling
Forest (Sterling Ridge Trail) AT HT (northern
section of Sterling Forest) SR
Sterling
Forest (Sterling Lake Trail) (Sterling
Lake 1, 2)
Sterling
Forest (Fire Tower Trail)
Sterling Forest (Four Corner Ponds)
Sterling
Forest (Laurel Meadow Ponds)
Sterling Forest (Rifle Range Area)
Sterling
Forest (Cedar Pond) (Blue Lake pic)
Sterling
Forest (Cedar Swamp Trail)
Sterling Forest (Eagle Lake) (pic1)
Sterling Forest (Eagle Valley vicinity)
Sterling Forest (Spruce Swamp)
Arrow Park
Monroe
Rockland Co., NY
Eleanor
Burlingham Memorial County Park
Cornwall
Dater
Mountain Nature County Park
Dater's Mountain
Torne Valley/Torne
Ramapo Township
North-South Trails:
Eagle Rock (Tuxedo Mt. Ivy trail)
Squirrel Swamp (Tuxedo Mt. Ivy trail)
Green swamp (Tuxedo Mt. Ivy trail)
Conklin Mountain (Tuxedo Mt. Ivy trail)
Halfway Mountain (connecting trails)
Pine
Meadow Lake (Pine Meadow Trail) (center,
trail, Cascade of Slid,
4, Stone Giants,
6, 7,
lake, 9,10)
Diamond
Mountain (Pine Meadow Trail)
North Hill (Pine Meadow trail)
Bear Mountain Inn SBM
Doodletown
SBM
Doodletown Reservoir SBM
West Mountain SBM
Horn Hill SBM
The Pines SBM
Pingyp Mountain SBM
Pound Swamp Mountain SBM
Irish Mountain SBM
Lake Welch SBM
Jackie Jone Mountain SBM
Big Hill SBM
Breakneck Pond SBM
Ladentown Mountain SBM
Limekiln Mountain SBM
Eagle Rock Tuxedo-Mt Ivy trail to SBM
Squirrel Mountain & Squirrel Swamp
Panther Mountain SBM
Catamount Mountain SBM
Horse Stable Mountain SBM
Cobus
Mountain SBM
Kakiat
County Park Kakiat Trail to SBM
Mitch Miller Town Park
Nordkop Mountain SBM
Lake Skannatati & skirts Pine Swamp Mountain (see Orange County) LP
Pole Brook Mountain LP
Big Hill LP
Horse Chock Mountain LP
Cheesecote Mountain
Town Park LP
Haverstraw
Matapan Rock SM
High Mountain SM
Ilgenstein Rock SM
Bear Lake SM
Hoevenkopf Mountain SM
East-West Trail:
Black Mountain RD (Orange County)
Cats Elbow RD
The Timp RD
Bald Mountain RD
Dunderberg
Mountain RD
Jones Point RD
5A. (excluding Watchungs & Palisades)
Rockland County
Davenport
Preserve
Clarkstown
Kennedy-Dells
County Park
Lorna
Lane Park
Spring
Valley Memorial Park
Spring Valley
Viola
Town Park
Monsey Glen County Park
Frank J. and Lillian G. Schwartz Nature
Preserve
Monsey
Veterans
Memorial Park, Orangeburg
Orangeburg Township
De
Wint House Tappan
Tappan Memorial Park and '76
House Tappan
5B Palisades
Rockland County
Mount
Ivy County Park (Samuel G. Fisher Environmental Park)
Gurnee
Quarry City Park
LP
South
Mountain County Park LP
Little
Tor
LP
High
Tor State Park
LP
Hook
Mountain, Rockland Lake State Park
LP (view
from)
Rockland Lake State Park
passes Nyack High School
LP
Dak Hill Cemetery
LP
behind Nyack College Campus
LP
Mountainview
Nature County Park LP
Buttermilk
Falls County Park
LP
former site of Balanced Rock LP -- great view -- LP
Schuyler Town Park
Sean Hunter Ryan Memorial Park
LP
Nyack
Blauvelt
Interstate Park (509 acres) LP
Tackamack
Town Park (see Blauvelt) LP
Clausland
Mountain State Park LP
Piermont thru Rockland Cemetery (grave
of Gen. Fremont) LP
crosses abandoned Erie RR line LP
Sparkill Creek in Piermont LP
Tallman
Mountain State Park LP
(pic1,2,
3)
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observation
Laboratory to Tallman State Park LP
De Wint
House - LP
Village of Tappan
Lamont
Nature Sanctuary
6. Hudson River Estuaries (West Shore)
Ulster Co., NY
Bristol Beach State Park
Ulster Landing Park
Rockland County
Iona
Island (pic1)
Jones Point
Stony
Point (pic1)
Rockland Lake Landing
Nyack Beach State Park at base of Hook Mountain
Piermont
Pier
Trail Abbreviations:
| .. | Trail Name | Start/Finish |
| AS | Arden-Surebridge Trail | |
| AT | Appalachian Trail | in our area from Kittatinny Mtns. to Clarence Fahnestock State Park |
| FH | Farny Highlands Trail | |
| LP | Long Path | Palisades of New Jersey to Schunemunk Mountain |
| PP | Patriot's Path | Jockey Hollow, Morristown N.H.P. |
| RD | Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail | Tuxedo, NY to Jones Pont on the Hudson |
| SBM | Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail | Suffern, NY to Bear Mountain |
| SM | Suffern-Midvale Trail | Suffern across Ramapo River to Midvale |
| SR | Sterling Ridge Trail | Hewitt Butler Trail to near summit of Tuxedo Mountain |
| ST | Stillman Trail | Mountainville, NY to Storm King |
| HT | Highlands Trail |
