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Jose F. Donneys\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
Though New York City is famous for many things, camping certainly isn’t one of them. You have to leave the bright lights of America’s\u00a0busiest city behind to sleep in the solitude of nature, but you don’t actually have to travel very far to do so.\u00a0Fahnestock State Park\u00a0is a camping paradise\u00a0less than an hour’s drive away from the Big Apple, with\u00a0a lake for\u00a0fishing and plenty of hiking trails, too.<\/p>\n
This pristine landscape in\u00a0Carmel Hamlet, a beautiful, under-the-radar lakeside town<\/a>, was once the site of a\u00a0coal and iron company, reports The Highlands Current<\/a>. At the turn of the 20th century, a\u00a0nature-loving physician named Major Clarence Fahnestock bought the property, as well as deserted dairy farms around it.\u00a0After Major Fahnestock died during World War I, his brother donated those 2,400 acres to the state of New York, and the land was developed into the\u00a0Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park in 1929. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) then added a lake, pond, campground, and picnic areas to the state park, transforming it into a recreation oasis in the Hudson Valley.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since then,\u00a0Fahnestock State Park\u00a0has\u00a0expanded to cover more than 15,000 acres\u00a0of protected wilderness in\u00a0Putnam and Dutchess Counties. There are more than 50 miles of trails\u00a0for\u00a0hiking, biking, and horseback riding in the summer, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.\u00a0It also has one of the best campsites near New York City to escape the hustle and bustle<\/a>.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Go hiking and fishing in Fahnestock State Park<\/p>\n
PJ Norman\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Fahnestock State Park’s hiking trails extend for over 50 miles, according to CNY Hiking<\/a>. If you don’t know where to begin, start on the\u00a0popular\u00a0Pelton Pond<\/a>\u00a0loop.\u00a0It passes the Nature Center, picnic pavilion, and campground in the span of a mile. For a gorgeous viewpoint, follow the Candlewood Hill Trail<\/a>. The moderate, 2-mile loop climbs to its namesake summit, offering panoramic views that extend to the Hudson River.<\/p>\n The state park also connects to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a\u00a02,197-mile route that runs between Georgia and Maine, passing through a dozen states along the way. Of the\u00a091.3 miles that cross through the Empire State, 10.24 miles are in Fahnestock State Park. This portion of the trail passes wetlands, crosses a stream, climbs to more than 1,000 feet in elevation, and hugs the western shore of Canopus Lake, per\u00a0CNY\u00a0Hiking<\/a>. White blazes\u00a0lead the way.<\/p>\n Canopus Lake is a prime fishing spot in\u00a0Fahnestock State Park. The lake was created by the CCC and is also one of the most popular destinations<\/a> for swimming in the Hudson Valley.\u00a0Past anglers have caught bluegill, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, and largemouth bass\u00a0in the 100-acre lake, per FishBrain<\/a>. A hand launch boat ramp sits on\u00a0the lake’s eastern shore, and only\u00a0electric motor boats are permitted. Alternatively, anglers can\u00a0fish along the shore, or drop a line in\u00a0Stillwater Pond\u00a0and\u00a0Pelton Pond\u00a0in the state park.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Plan an overnight getaway under the stars<\/p>\n If one day at Fahnestock State Park isn’t enough, consider staying the night. The Fahnestock State Park Campground is\u00a0a picturesque property\u00a0on the east side of\u00a0Pelton Pond.\u00a0It\u00a0has 80 campsites tucked into the woods and along rocky ridges,\u00a0open to both tents and RVs. Each spot features a charcoal grill, fire ring, and picnic table. The campground has a newly built bathhouse and each site is secluded in the trees for extra peace and quiet. The camping season runs from early May to mid-November.<\/p>\n As with most New York state parks, there’s a vehicle entrance fee to visit Fahnestock State Park. The park charges $10 per vehicle on weekends and holidays from May 24 to June 20, and daily from June 21 to Labor Day. Anglers aged 16 and older will also need to obtain a\u00a0New York freshwater fishing license, which can be purchased online<\/a>.<\/p>\n Visitors arriving from out of state can fly to New York Stewart International Airport (SWF), the closest travel hub to Fahnestock State Park. The small airport, which receives nonstop flights from a handful of East Coast cities, is only about 30 miles across the Hudson River in New Windsor. Or, from New York City, ride Metro-North Railroad’s Harlem Line from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan to Brewster in Putnam County. The drive to Fahnestock from the Brewster train station is roughly 15 miles. While you’re in the area, be sure to check out Cold Spring, a\u00a0walkable village brimming with riverfront cafes and local shops<\/a>\u00a0just 8 miles southwest of the state park.<\/p>\n
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