A new four-season trail has opened in the western Hudson Highlands, expanding access to one of the region’s most striking landscapes. The Open Space Institute (OSI), together with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) and the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC), celebrated the opening of the Schunnemunk Meadows Trail at Schunnemunk State Park on September 11.
The $1.9 million project creates a 1.7-mile multi-use path across 220 acres of wildflower meadows at the base of Schunnemunk Mountain. For many visitors, the new trail will serve as an easy gateway into the 3,300-acre state park, which OSI helped create over the past two decades through a series of land acquisitions. With wide, gently sloping crushed stone paths, the trail is designed to welcome walkers, hikers, runners, cyclists, cross-country skiers, and people of all abilities.
The Meadows Trail offers sweeping views of Schunnemunk Mountain as well as the historic Moodna Viaduct, the soaring steel railroad bridge that is the second-highest and longest of its kind east of the Mississippi. (And features prominently in the 2007 George Clooney film Michael Clayton.) Along the way, visitors will find seating areas, fishing access points, information kiosks, and a portable restroom. Two newly paved parking areas, each equipped with electric vehicle chargers, make the trail easy to reach.
Peter Karis, OSI’s Vice President for Parks and Stewardship, calls the new trail “a centerpiece for an underutilized area of the park.” He adds, “It lets visitors choose their own adventure by enjoying the trail itself or using the path as a picturesque link into some of the park’s more rugged trails. This project is the newest step in OSI’s commitment to improving and expanding Schunnemunk State Park and is a true collaborative effort that exemplifies how public-private partnerships can enhance state parks for everyone.”
The trail was designed with sustainability in mind. OSI upgraded stormwater bioretention basins to better withstand extreme rain events and planted trees and shrubs to stabilize the site. The project also incorporates a pedestrian bridge constructed in 2023 by cadets from the United States Military Academy at West Point, who gained hands-on experience in engineering and construction while building infrastructure that will serve the public for decades.
Partners in the project emphasized the importance of collaboration. “The new Schunnemunk Meadows Trail is a beautiful location for hiking in the shadow of Schunnemunk Mountain,” says Joshua Laird, Executive Director of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. “Partnerships such as the one between OSI, PIPC, and New York State Parks are essential to advancing land protection and expanding open space connectivity in the Hudson Highlands and beyond.”
Funding came from a mix of state grants and private donations. Significant support was provided by philanthropist Lucy R. Waletzky, MD. OSI also secured a $500,000 grant from OPRHP and a $250,000 grant from the Hudson River Valley Greenway, both funded through the state’s Environmental Protection Fund. Additional support came from the Ralph E. Odgen Foundation, the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District, and other private donors.
For Hudson Valley residents and visitors alike, the Schunnemunk Meadows Trail offers an accessible new way to experience one of the region’s most dramatic natural settings—just in time for fall foliage season.
It’s great to have a new meadow trail at Schunnemunk Mt. Now how about working with the railroad to recreate access to the mountain from the Taylor Road parking lot. There could be a pedestrian bridge over the track or a small tunnel or just have the engineer sound a whistle when approaching the hiking trails that used to cross the track. For years there was no issue crossing the track when hiking in from Taylor Road until the railroad made it an issue.