Bluestone Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
1,828 acres30.6 mi of trail
Blue TrailClose to the EdgeSouth CentralOnteora Lake Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Amy Lavine · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Kingston
38% of Kingston’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Bluestone Wild Forest (30.6 mi). 38% of Kingston’s land is conserved, about 1,898 acres.
Conserved land
38%
1,898 acres · of 7.7 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
4.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,871 ac
1,980 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
581 ft
Jockey Hill
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
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 Bluestone Wild Forest, with 30.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
1,898 conserved acres
38% of Kingston’s land. Who manages Kingston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation1,850 ac
Private owners30 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits28 ac
Town or city6 ac
County4 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,850 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 30 acPrivate Conservation · 28 acLocal Park · 10 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 6 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluestone Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,850 | Open |
| Private Lands Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 30 | Closed |
| Frazer Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 28 | Closed |
| Woodstock Town Of Land Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Unknown |
| County Of Ulster Land Local Park | County | 4 | Unknown |
| Ashokan Fishing Access Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 1 | Unknown |
Things to do
7 places to go in Kingston
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Kingston
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Kingston
E-15
DirectionsScenic views in Kingston
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Kingston
Jockey Hill581 ft elevation
DirectionsHalihan Hill522 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Kingston
2 campgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.5 miUnpaved · 21.3 mi
Blue Trail2.0 mi
Close to the Edge1.8 mi
South Central1.8 mi
Onteora Lake Loop1.8 mi
Turnpike1.4 mi
Bear1.4 mi
Wintergreen Road Connector1.3 mi
Quarry Loop1.3 mi
Mushroom1.2 mi
Pickerel Pond Loop1.1 mi
15 more trails
Wintergreen Loop
1.0 miQuilty
0.9 miQuick Loop
0.7 miKnee Caps
0.7 miWintergreen Loop Lower
0.7 miCap
0.7 miSkull
0.6 miMK re-route
0.5 miGroove
0.5 miOld Mushroom Exit
0.5 miGuanania
0.4 miNew Cut
0.4 miBlue Loop
0.3 miGuanania Connector
0.2 miStraight Shot
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Kingston: April, May and July to September
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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 47 | 61 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 75 | 63 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Kingston →
Next door
Kingston and its neighbors
Kingston has the second most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ulster | 8% | 0.6 | 88 | 51% | A− |
| Ruby | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Woodstock | 33% | 0.8 | 988 | 71% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Kingston
Where can I hike in Kingston?
The longest trail networks: Bluestone Wild Forest, 30.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Kingston’s trails?
Bluestone Wild Forest doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Kingston?
30,926 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Kingston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,871 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Kingston 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 →