Cornish Estate Ruins

Cold Spring (Putnam County)

Why we love it

Flanking Mount Taurus, these ruins combine impressiveness and accessibility. A short, slightly uphill walk on the estate’s former driveway leads right to the crumbling confection, built ca. 1910 and owned for 20 years by NYC businessman Edward Cornish and his wife. Areas to explore include the house’s dramatic stone and brick remains overlooking the Hudson River and a nearby barn-garage complex. Ironically, in the 1930s Cornish hoped to bequeath his 650-acre property to New York State. It decided the mountainous site was no place for a park and turned him down. It didn’t become part of Hudson Highlands State Park until the late 1960s.

More to explore

Visiting the ruins can be combined with a longer hike to the summit of Mount Taurus, which affords magnificent views stretching to the Manhattan skyline, or a walk around Little Stony Point, across from the trailhead. Cold Spring’s Main Street features an array of interesting shops and restaurants.

Highlights

• Impressive and extensive ruins
• Easy (1.8-mile) round-trip walk

Directions, hours, etc.: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-york/cornish-trail-to-breakneck-brook