Poets' Walk Park

Poets' Walk is located in Red Hook, New York, USA on the scenic River Road (just north of the Kingston-Rhinecliff bridge). It is a "romantic landscape", intended to celebrate the connection between landscape and poetry. The classic wooden vistas, sunlit fields and thick forest were the main focus of landscape architect Hans Jacob Ehlers' vision for the property in 1849.

The park's mown and gravel paths are variously lined with wooden hand-crafted benches, and provide access to the 120 acres of fields and forest, as well as spectacular river views. The park's walls of foliage and stone evoke outdoor "rooms" that reflect the 1849 landscape aims of Ehlers.

The distance from the Information Arbor at the beginning of the path to the Overlook Pavilion is about half a mile, and at a leisurely pace takes the average walker about 15 minutes. The return trip is slightly uphill and a bit longer. From the Pavilion to the Summerhouse (via the Poets' Walk Path) is an additional 20 minutes (one way), and from the Pavilion to the Flagpole is also 20 minutes (one way).

The park has been visited by Fitz-Greene Halleck (1970–1867) and many literary contemporaries, including Washington Irving (1783–1859) and William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878).

Today, the visual integrity of the Park and its setting is protected by The Scenic Hudson Land Trust's conservation easements on the surrounding 800 acres. The park is open from 9am until dusk (6pm in winter, 8pm during summer), and all visitors are expected to clean up after their pets and themselves: all trash brought in must be brought out, seeing as there are no trash receptacles along the walkway.

External links

* [http://www.hudsonriverheritage.org/poet.html Poets' Walk Park]
* [http://www.scenichudson.org/parks/shparks/poetswalk/ Poets' Walk Romantic Landscape Park]
* [http://www.hvnet.com/FEATURES/poetwalk.htm Hudson Valley Network information]