Skip to main content

Saugerties Lighthouse - Saugerties, New York

Image
By

 

When you think of lighthouses, first you may think of a lighthouse along the ocean or perhaps one of the Great Lakes. However, there are a number of lighthouses that are located up and down the Hudson River from New York City to the City of Hudson. With the Hudson River being a tidal estuary as far north as the Federal Dam just north of downtown Troy, ships can travel far north up the river and therefore would need lighthouses to guide the way.

One of these lighthouses is the Saugerties Lighthouse, located some 100 miles north of New York City and 42 miles south of Albany. Constructed in 1869 at the mouth of the Esopus Creek in order to aid navigation for boats along the Hudson River. With canals such as the Delaware and Hudson Canal terminating in Kingston and the famed Erie Canal once having ended in Albany, there was plenty of commercial traffic traveling the river. This was not the first lighthouse constructed at this site either. Previous lighthouses in Saugerties were constructed in 1835 and 1850. The 1835 lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1848 and it appears that the 1850 lighthouse was merely replaced by the current lighthouse. The lighthouse tower is 46 feet tall and is still in operation, although it is handled through an automated operation these days.

The Saugerties Lighthouse is also one of the easier lighthouses along the Hudson River to visit, which involves an easy half mile walk along the Ruth Reynolds Glunt Nature Trail, which is a boardwalk and graded path along some wetlands along the riverside. It is recommended to visit to visit during low tide periods as the trail can flood during high tide. There is also a small dock for boaters to stop at the lighthouse. At the lighthouse, there is a seating area where you can enjoy the nice views of the lighthouse and the Hudson River itself. You may even seen a train quietly pass by on the other side of the river. For those who want to extend their stay at the lighthouse, it also doubles as a bed and breakfast inn.









 Sources and Links:
Saugerties Lighthouse - Saugerties Lighthouse
Saugerties Lighthouse - Saugerties Lighthouse History 
Hudson River Lighthouse Coalition - Hudson Riverlights
BB Online - Saugerties Things to Do: 4 Day Hikes
Adventures of a Carry-On - Saugerties Lighthouse Trail - Hudson Valley, New York

How to Get There: 





Update Log:
January 15, 2018 - Posted original article to Unlocking New York.
September 7, 2021 - Transferred article from Unlocking New York to Gribblenation.
Labels:
Location: 168 Lighthouse Dr, Saugerties, NY 12477, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Smithtown Bull in Smithtown, New York

By
  Before I moved to Upstate New York as a young man, I grew up in the Long Island town of Smithtown during the 1980s and 1990s. The recognizable symbol of Smithtown is a bronze statue of a bull named Whisper, located at the junction of NY Route 25 and NY Route 25A near the bridge over the Nissequogue River. Why a bull, you may ask. The bull is a symbol of a legend related to the town's founding in 1665 by Richard "Bull" Smythe, with a modernized name of Richard Smith. It also so happens that there is a story behind the legend, one that involves ancient land right transfers and some modern day roads as well. So the story goes that Smythe made an agreement with a local Indian tribe where Smythe could keep whatever land he circled around in a day's time riding atop his trusty bull. Choosing the longest day of the year for his ride, he set out with his bull Whisper and went about riding around the borders of the Town of Smithtown. As legend has it, Smythe t
3 comments
Read more

Niagara Falls

By
  Arguably the world's most famous waterfall, or rather a set of waterfalls, Niagara Falls may not need much of an introduction, as it is a very popular tourist attraction in both New York State and the Province of Ontario, a destination of plenty of honeymooning couples, vacationing families and college students out for a good time for a weekend. Niagara Falls is also the site of many daredevil activities over the years, such as tightrope walking and going over the falls in a barrel. It is always nice to have a bit of a refresher, of course. Niagara Falls is made up of two main waterfalls, American Falls (also known as Rainbow Falls), which is on the American side of the border and Horseshoe Falls (also known as Canadian Falls), where the border between the United States and Canada crosses. There is also a smaller waterfall on the New York side of the border, which is Bridal Veil Falls. The height of the waterfalls are impressive, with Horseshoe Falls measuring at
Post a Comment
Read more

Erie Canal: Little Falls and Moss Island

By
  Little Falls, New York is a small city in the Mohawk Valley that has been shaped by the forces of water throughout its history. Nowhere in Little Falls is that more evident than at Moss Island. Representing the Industrial Age, this is home of Lock 17 the tallest lock along the Erie Canal, but there is also evidence of the Ice Age in the form of 40 foot deep glacial potholes from when there was an ancient waterfall that was even larger than Niagara Falls at this spot, once draining Glacial Lake Iroquois when other outlets (such as the St. Lawrence River) were blocked by retreating glaciers. While Little Falls does not have the amount of industry around the river and canal than it once had, checking out what Moss Island has to offer is a great way to see what the city has to offer. Visiting Moss Island allows you to experience the engineering marvel that is the Erie Canal plus the wonders of nature by taking a hike around the island and seeing the glacial potholes. A
Post a Comment
Read more