SYNOPSIS: Near downtown Pawling in Dutchess County, Lakeside Park offers a scenic backdrop to hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, tennis courts, basketball courts, swimming,fishing, kayaking fitness trail, and more.
APPROXIMATE TIME: I’d suggest a couple of hours, but 20 minutes on the playground may be just what the pediatrician orders for the kids.
DIFFICULTLY: Easy.
DIRECTIONS: From Putnam County, head north on Route 22. Shortly after the turn-off for Route 55, make a left at the light onto East Main Street (Look for the small, old cemetery on the northwest corner). Go 8/10ths of a mile, bearing left at the Coulter Avenue intersection to stay on East Main Street. Go over the train tracks and make a right onto Charles Coleman Blvd. Drive 9/10ths of a mile and the entrance to the park will be on the left at the intersection with Corbin Road.
THE HIKE/VISIT: Lakeside Park is 280 acres of trails, tennis courts, baseball fields, basketball courts, soccer fields,playground, fitness trail and a lake for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. Edward R Morrow park is close by, and adds 73 acres of explore-able outdoors.
HISTORY: The town of Pawling acquired Lakeside Park in March 2003. Before that, it was the Holiday Hills Conference Center. A lot of work has been done on the park, but it still have some empty buildings and some sections are obviously a work in progress. In 2010 the town received a $100,000 grant to install the fitness trail and handicapped accessible playground. And in 2012 Boy Scout Justin Scavone from Troop 1 Carmel built and installed three additional fitness stations on the fitness trail, adding 450 feet to the trail with his construction of elliptical, skier and air walker fitness stations.
MAP & ADDITIONAL INFO:
There is a map here http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/DPW-Parks/21409.htm
Sources:
Personal visits, various dates.
http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/carmel-eagle-scout-achieves-highest-ranking, accessed 4/21/15.
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/things-pawling-new-york-103684.html, visited 4/22/15.
http://pawlingny.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/PawlingNY_PAC/I0244F050.0/Parkland%20Master%20Plan%20May%202009.pdf, accessed 4/22/15.
issuu.com/hudsonvalleynews/docs/2-17_hudsonvalleynews, accessed 4/21/2015.