Granite Mountain Preserve

Putnam Valley, NY

Hours: Open dawn to dusk, seven days a week.
Note: Closed nine days per year in November for the annual deer management program. To join the waitlist for Fall 2025, please email [email protected].
Report a concern.

Granite Mountain Preserve features 5+ miles of trails looping through 500+ acres of northern hardwood forest populated with stands of native red and chestnut oak, hickory, tulip, and sugar maple trees. The woodlands, marshy wetlands, and streams in this preserve are home to diverse species including the Red-Spotted Newt, Spicebush Swallowtail, and Little Brown Bat. Granite Mountain also provides vital habitat for many species of native and migratory songbirds. Listen for a Wood Thrush, Downy Woodpecker, or Black-Capped Chickadee. Keep an eye out for animal tracks as you hike the trails, especially after rain or snow. 

Granite Mountain lies with the Peekskill Hollow Brook Watershed. It is an important part of the Croton-to-Highlands Biodiversity Area, designated a conservation priority for New York State and the U.S. Forest Service.

Hiking the Trails

You will find 5+ miles of maintained, marked trails through rocky woodlands that lead to rugged hilltops with keyhole views of the Hudson Highlands. The trail system consists of woods, roads, and footpaths that are divided into three different color-coded closed loops for hiking: a southwestern green trail loop, a yellow trail loop to Lookout Point, and a northern red trail loop. Connector trails link the three loops.

Amenities include a parking area, kiosk, and accessible picnic area. There are no restrooms at the preserve and no drinking water. Detailed trail maps are available at the trailhead kiosk. You can access a digital map by scrolling down on this page, or via the mobile app Avenza Maps, which shows your location in real time during your visit. Another trail resource is AllTrails. 

Getting There

The main entrance is marked with a “Welcome to Granite Mountain Preserve” sign located across the street from 500 Peekskill Hollow Road in Putnam Valley, NY, opposite Jeanne Drive. Inside the main gate you will find a parking area, kiosk, and trailhead.

Please note: Be sure to input “Granite Mountain Preserve” into Google Maps. If you input “Granite Mountain” only, it will lead you to the wrong location. 

A Brief History

The earliest inhabitants of this area were the Wappinger, part of the Eastern Algonquin-speaking Lenape people. Dutch and English farmers moved into the area in the late 1600s, and in 1697, a royal “Highland Patent” was granted to Adolph Philipse by the British crown. 

Under the Philipse Patent, European tenant farmers leased tracts of land from the Philipse family and set about the business of clearing the rugged, forested land for farming. They raised corn, buckwheat, rye, oats, potatoes and turnips.

Many forests in our region were harvested for lumber, firewood, and charcoal during the 18th and 19th centuries. Most of our preserve was likely clear-cut during that same period, and the stone walls were built to support farming.

Today

The forest you see today has essentially restored itself. The largest trees in the preserve are about 100 feet tall and likely no older than 100 years, though a few “wolf tree” may be older. HHLT is working with community volunteers and partners like Lower Hudson PRISM and the Wild Woods Restoration Project to remove invasive species and plant hundreds of native seedlings to help restore the vitality of this beautiful forest.

Experience Granite Mountain Preserve Virtually!

Our partners at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County created this virtual history hike of Granite Mountain Preserve.

And: Our all-star volunteers Stephanie and Paul of PS Photographics filmed their hike through our preserve to create this video. 

We love our partners and volunteers: Thank you!

Resources

Granite Mountain Preserve Trail Map [pdf]
Visitor Guidelines [pdf]