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.