Distance:
7.5 mile loop around Kingston, NY
Highlights:
This approximately 7-mile loop around Kingston connects several trails and parks. For a stretch, we’ll follow the Hudson River Brickyard Trail—which is part of the Empire State Trail. The route will also include:
Starting Line:
Kingston, NY has a beach. A real beach, with sand and even sometimes with lifeguards. Start here, at Kingston Point Park. There’s also ample public parking and restrooms.
Route:
West of the sandy shoreline is a trail cutting through the woods. Turn right onto the Hudson River Brickyard Trail. Part of the Empire State Trail, the path passes the elegant Hutton Brickyards Riverfront Hotel + Venue on your right. Accordingly, as the new venue sits on 73 acres of former brickyards, there are a lot of bricks along the way.
Keep following the shoreline north. In about a mile and a half, seemingly out of nowhere, you’ll hit the River Front Pavilion. It’s public works like this that make taxes feel like money well spent. The architects behind the project, Baird Architects, wax poetic about the gorgeous space on their website here.
After you’re done watching the boats and the clouds float by, use Post Road to cross over the Empire State Trail. Make a left on Main Street as you explore Sojourner Truth State Park.
In addition to placards on the incredibly astonishing history of Sojourner Truth herself, the park is also full of industrial ruins and even more brick making remnants. Along the ridge line, there are also the steepest inclines encountered on this loop—actual hills compared to the flat rail trail.
Main Street quickly turns into 1st Avenue heading south, and there aren’t sidewalks. The shoulder is wide, though, and local drivers tend to be mindful. Follow pedestrian rules of the road through this residential stretch until you rejoin the Empire State Trail shortly after the intersection with Cross Street. Make a right onto the trail. After a tunnel underpass, Kingston Standard Brewing Company will be on your right. Stop by for a rest and an unnecessarily good schwartzbier or helles lager. Next door, the Village Grocery and Refillery offers a curated selection of local snacks.
Once you’re recharged and refueled, double-back back on the Empire State Trail. This section is also part of the Kingston Point Rail Trail, and you’ll cross back through the tunnel. It’ll then loop around a bit as it circumvents Hasbrouck Park. Keep going until you end up back down at the riverfront.
The trail will bear left to follow East Strand Street, a touristy stretch of museums and restaurants. Past the Maritime Museum on your right and then the Trolley Museum on your left, Artport Kingston will be in a nondescript warehouse on your right. It’s wild. Some may question the artistic merit of its pieces; others will just be dazzled by the unexpectedly colorful collection. Either way, it’s worth a quick visit if it’s open.
Finish Line:
Eventually, the Kingston Point Rail Trail splits from the Empire State Trail and East Strand Street becomes North Street. Keep following North Street around Kingston Point Park, and then make a right on Delaware Avenue to arrive back at the beach.
