Skip to main content

Franny Reese State Park

Image
By

Nestled at the western approach to the Mid-Hudson Bridge in Highland, New York, Franny Reese State Park is a wooded oasis situated right in the heart of the Hudson Valley. Named for the late environmentalist Frances "Franny" Reese (1917-2003), this 251 acre park was initially protected (and still operated) by Scenic Hudson, while ownership of the park was transferred to New York State in 2009. Franny Reese Park has about 2.5 miles of trails, but the highlights of the park include ruins of a 19th Century mansion and scenic views of the Mid-Hudson Bridge and neighboring Poughkeepsie. There are two access points in Highland to the park, one from Johnson Iorio Park at the Mid Hudson Bridge (you would cross under the roadway to get to the park) and also at Macks Lane in Highland. I had visited Franny Reese Start Park one late November afternoon and it was a pleasant experience. With that being said, let's explore!

Exploring the park begins by walking under the bridge.

The graceful Mid-Hudson Bridge that is.

The places you will go and the lady you will learn about.
Looking behind me, there is a view of the bridge between the trees.
It can be an uphill climb up the trail at times.
But it will be worth it. Let's go check out the scenic overlook.
You will get a clear view of the Mid-Hudson Bridge from the scenic overlook.
As well as a view of the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge, which is now the home of the Walkway over the Hudson.

A parting shot of the Mid-Hudson Bridge before exploring more of the park.
That's because there are ruins to be seen around the park grounds, and you can walk right past them on the trails within Franny Reese State Park. The ruins are the remains of a 19th Century estate known as Cedar Glen. The estate was once owned by dentist and chemist Charles H. Roberts of Poughkeepsie, who lived at the estate with his family from 1868 until the earlier part of the 20th century. There are still tall brick chimneys, a dramatic staircase, and grand arched windows that once had a stellar view of the Hudson River and its surroundings. A few remnants of the buildings remain to this day. Hikes around ruins seems to be a common theme in the Hudson Valley, and the ruins at Franny Reese State Park are ripe for admiration, much like the views of the Mid Hudson Bridge.








How to Get There:


Sources and Links:
New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation - Franny Reese State Park
NY NJ Trail Conference - Franny Reese State Park
Scenic Hudson - Franny Reese State Park
Hike the Hudson Valley - Franny Reese State Park
HV1 - Discovering Franny Reese Park
Poughkeepsie Journal - Wealthy dentist created estate that is now park (May 24, 2016)
Abandoned Hudson Valley - Want Ruins? Take a Hike!
Labels:
Location: Franny Reese State Park, Macks Ln, Highland, NY 12528, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The case to move Interstate 73 in Southern Ohio onto US 33

By
Every decade or so, Ohio pushes to revisit the proposed Interstate 73 that would connect Michigan to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  It's been happening since Congress legislated the route in 1991.  Within Ohio, Interstate 73 generally follows the US 23 corridor from Portsmouth through Columbus to Toledo, and into Michigan. Since High Priority Corridor Five was created , Ohio has really done nothing to move forward with Interstate 73.  Sure, there have been feasibility studies here and there.  But actual dollars and construction just haven't occurred. The US 33 Nelsonville Bypass appears to have been built to Interstate standards. However, Ohio has been slowly upgrading US 33 to a full freeway through Southeastern Ohio.  Bypasses of Lancaster and Nelsonville opened in 2004 and 2013, respectively.  Other sections of two-lane road are being twinned, some to freeway or, at a minimum, to expressway standards.  Currently, a $274 million widening project in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mormon Emigrant Trail (Emergency US Route 50 Alternate)

By
Mormon Emigrant Trail is an approximately 24.5-mile portion of the original routing of the Carson Pass Highway in Eldorado National Forest.  Mormon Emigrant Trail begins at California State Route 88 near Alder Hill and extends westward to Eldorado County Route J16 at Sly Park Road.   Carson Pass was a known crossing of the Sierra Nevada by the Washoe and was surveyed in an 1844 expedition led by John C. Fremont.  The Carson Pass Highway was plotted as a wagon road by the Mormon Battalion in 1848 and was once the primary crossing of the Sierra Nevada.  By the 1880s the Carson Pass Highway had several spurs with the primary traffic corridor being rerouted to Jackson.  The original routing towards Placerville would come to be known as Morman Emigrant Trail and became part of Eldorado National Forest in 1910.  Morman Emigrant Trail is part of Forest Road 10N50 and Eldorado National Forest Route 5.  Despite being a seasonally maintained roadway corrido...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nostalgia fast food with style - Returning to Rax

By
Nostalgia. It sells. It evokes, and more accurately, warps memories of days gone by.  Things were better, simpler, and we eat it up. Nostalgia can make you drive three hours and over a hundred miles out of your way just to reconnect with a dying fast-food restaurant you last enjoyed in the early to mid-90s.  That person was me - that restaurant was Rax. I could go on about Rax's history, but in short, Rax was briefly a very popular roast beef fast-food chain.  Growing up in the 80s and early 90s in Western PA, Rax was the good fast-food spot.  The milkshakes.  (Personally, the chocolate chip milkshake was heaven.)  Uncle Alligator Kids Meal with the chocolate chip cookie. Take that McDonald's Happy Meal!  The fancy salad and hot foods bar.  Going to Rax was special.  Like so many similar restaurants, various investments, management decisions, etc., led Rax to almost disappear overnight.  By the time I graduated college in late 1999, abou...
Post a Comment
Read more