Shaupeneak Ridge
Park
848 acres9.4 mi of trail
White TrailGreen TrailOrange TrailBlue Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Esopus
Esopus has 3,079 acres of parks, 322 for every 1,000 residents
17% of Esopus’ land is conserved, about 4,048 acres. 35 miles of mapped trail cross Esopus, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Shaupeneak Ridge (9.4 mi), High Banks Preserve (3.1 mi), John Burroughs (2.8 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #105 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
4,048 acres · of 37.3 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,079 ac
322 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
70%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
906 ft
Hussey Hill
Lakes & rivers
10
9 beaches · 9 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Esopus?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Esopus have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Esopus is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #105 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Esopus’ overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (35 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land322 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,079 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13AParks close to home70% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 86%
Water is 11% of Esopus’ area (5 of 42 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 15%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Shaupeneak Ridge, with 9.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
High Banks Preserve
Managed by Scenic Hudson
260 acres3.1 mi of trail
Red TrailWhite TrailYellow TrailPurple Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
John Burroughs
Managed by John Burroughs Association
210 acres2.8 mi of trail
Ridge Trail (White)Chodikee Trail (Red)Amasa Martin Trail (Green)East Overlook Trail (Purple)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Esopus Meadows Preserve
Park
99 acres2.1 mi of trail
Yellow TrailRed TrailBlue Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Scenic Hudson
Managed by Scenic Hudson
253 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Black Creek State Forest
Nature preserve
571 acres0.6 mi of trail
Waterfall Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 17 parks & preserves
Shaupeneak Ridge848 acres · 9.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHigh Banks Preserve260 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · Scenic Hudson
DirectionsJohn Burroughs210 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · John Burroughs Association
DirectionsEsopus Meadows Preserve99 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsScenic Hudson253 acres · 1 mi of trail · Scenic Hudson
Black Creek State Forest571 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSleightsburgh Park29 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNYS DEC16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Ulster Forest Preserve Detached Parcel73 acres
Perrines Covered Bridge County Park7 acres
DirectionsGeorge Freer Town Park7 acres
DirectionsParks of Study and Reflection - Hudson Valley6 acres
Ross Park5 acres
DirectionsCas Landi Park4 acres · Town of Esopus
DirectionsJames Reiker Memorial Park2 acres
Lighthouse Park1 acres
DirectionsBlack Creek Waterway Access1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,048 conserved acres
17% of Esopus’ land. Water is left out: Esopus has 37.3 square miles of land and 4.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Esopus’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits6,724 ac
State conservation666 ac
Town or city129 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government77 ac
County7 ac
Private Park · 3,143 acConservation Easement · 1,509 acPrivate Conservation · 1,417 acState Conservation Area · 665 acUnknown Easement · 298 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 862 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 28 of 87 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaupeneak Ridge Private Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,706 | Unknown |
| Scenic Hudson Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,281 | Unknown |
| High Banks Preserve Private Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 626 | Unknown |
| Black Creek State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 574 | Open |
| Black Creek Forest Preserve Private Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 259 | Unknown |
| Lower Esopus River Watch Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 235 | Unknown |
| Esopus Meadows Preserve Private Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 188 | Unknown |
| John Burroughs Association Inc Land Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 186 | Open |
| Scenic Hudson Lands Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 96 | Closed |
| Town Of Esopus Land Local Park | Town or city | 92 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
50 places to go in Esopus
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Esopus
Esopus Meadows Beach
DirectionsFlint BeachIn Esopus Meadows Preserve
DirectionsPrivate Beach
DirectionsPrivate Beach
DirectionsWalnut Beach
DirectionsPlus 4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Esopus
8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Esopus
Esopus Meadows Preserve Boat Ramp
DirectionsKayak LaunchIn Shaupeneak Ridge
DirectionsPlus 7 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Esopus
5 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Esopus
Plus 5 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Esopus
Hussey Hill906 ft elevation
DirectionsShaupeneak Mountain892 ft elevation · In Shaupeneak Ridge
DirectionsProspect Hill338 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 7 peaks without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Esopus
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
20 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 20.9 mi
Red Trail3.5 mi
Blue Trail2.6 mi
White Trail2.5 mi
Yellow Trail2.3 mi
Green Trail1.6 mi
Orange Trail1.4 mi
Light Blue Trail1.2 mi
Ridge Trail (White)0.9 mi
Chodikee Trail (Red)0.8 mi
Waterfall Trail0.5 mi
10 more trails
Amasa Martin Trail (Green)
0.3 miold trail (yellow markers)
0.3 miPurple Trail
0.3 miEast Overlook Trail (Purple)
0.2 miSouth Pond Trail (Yellow)
0.2 miViolet Trail
0.2 miLadder Trail (Orange)
0.2 miOrange/Green Trail
0.2 miPeninsula Trail (Green)
0.1 miNorth Pond Trail (Blue)
0.1 miBiking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
8Tennis
4Baseball
4Basketball
2Soccer
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Perrine's BridgeStructure · listed 1973
About itEsopus Meadows LighthouseStructure · listed 1979
About itPoppletown FarmhouseBuilding · listed 1991
About itHoly Cross MonasteryBuilding · listed 1995
About itReformed Protestant Dutch Church of Klyne EsopusBuilding · listed 2002
About itCumming-Parker HouseBuilding · listed 2010
About itAlton B. Parker EstateBuilding · listed 2016
About itColonel Oliver Hazard Payne EstateDistrict · listed 2024
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Esopus: April and May
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 39 | 47 | 61 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Esopus →
Next door
Esopus and its neighbors
Esopus has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hyde Park37 miEsopus35 miRosendale18 miUlster15 miLloyd12 miKingston10 miRhinebeck5.4 miPort Ewen0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esopus | 17% | 0.9 | 322 | 70% | A |
| Rosendale | 14% | 0.9 | 47 | 64% | A |
| Hyde Park | 13% | 1.0 | 88 | 59% | A |
| Port Ewen | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ulster | 8% | 0.6 | 88 | 51% | A− |
| Kingston | 13% | 1.3 | 27 | 98% | A |
| Rhinebeck | 7% | 0.2 | 38 | 56% | B |
| Lloyd | 9% | 0.4 | 121 | 67% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Esopus
Where can I hike in Esopus?
The longest trail networks: Shaupeneak Ridge, 9.4 miles; High Banks Preserve, 3.1 miles; John Burroughs, 2.8 miles; Esopus Meadows Preserve, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Esopus is conserved land?
17% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Esopus’ trails?
Shaupeneak Ridge and High Banks Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Esopus?
21,495 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Esopus or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,079 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Esopus have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #105 of 758 in New York. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Esopus neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →