Nestled between two intersecting roads at the property’s northern end, this 200-acre preserve is situated approximately a mile east of the Hudson River. The rugged parkland occupies a portion of what was once the Astor family estate, Ferncliff Farm, established in the mid-nineteenth century by William Astor, Jr.
The property includes Mt. Rutsen and its surrounding rugged terrain, as well as 106 acres that were originally owned by Thomas Suckley. Part of an 1878 donation by Suckley to form a Methodist retreat, the acreage was purchased by John Astor IV in 1906 and incorporated into the Ferncliff estate. Brooke Astor inherited the estate in 1959 and five years later, donated 190 acres to the Rhinebeck Rotary, establishing a forest preserve and game refuge, stipulating that it remain wild.
The preserve is traversed by a network of sinuous hiking trails, many of which were laid out by members of the Methodist colony in the late nineteenth century, and is dominated by old-growth forest composed primarily of deciduous and eastern hemlock trees. From the main entrance and parking lot, at the eastern edge of the park, a single trail leads north to a mowed field and pond of similar shape and orientation. Three rustic shelters punctuate the pond’s edge. Remnants and artifacts from the Methodist colony appear throughout the park, including foundations, root cellars, hand-dug wells, and cisterns. The park’s summit features a fire tower, installed in 2007, which replaced a derelict World War II-era observation tower. The structure’s steep staircase brings visitors above the tree line, affording panoramic views in all directions, including the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. The preserve is owned and maintained by the nonprofit group Ferncliff Forest, Inc.
