Mount Beacon Park

Mountaintop views worth all the huffing and puffing.

BEACON, Dutchess County (15 acres) — Yes, the trail up Mount Beacon is steep, but switchbacks keep the workout manageable. The hike actually begins on a staircase following the course of the Beacon Incline Railway, once the world’s steepest funicular. Observation platforms atop the stairs preview the treat rewarding all who reach the summit: a panoramic vista stretching from the Hudson Highlands to the Catskill Mountains. A mile away, climb 60 feet up the South Mount Beacon fire tower for a view that’s even more spectacular — on a clear day, you can see from Manhattan to Albany.

Free and open year-round, dawn to dusk.