Vanderbilt Service Road Trail, part of a hike around Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

Length:  3-mile loop
Time:  1.5 hours not counting a stop at the Formal Gardens
Difficulty: Mostly easy with two steep hills at the northern and southern ends of the loop

It is possible to make a loop hike around the entire Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site using the park roads and three named trails: the Bard Rock Trail, the Vanderbilt Service Road Trail, and the Vanderbilt Garden Trail. All of these are considered part of the Hyde Park Trail system, which is a collection of various non-contiguous trails in the Hyde Park, New York, area. One trail runs from Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site at its eastern end to Bard Rock at its western end, passing through Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site along the way. You may see maps and signs identifying the trails both as described in this paragraph and / or as the Hyde Park Trail. The route is marked by blazes with a green leaf, which is the logo for the Hyde Park Trails.

Green-leaf blaze marks the route of the Hyde Park Trail / Vanderbilt Garden Trail in Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

The hike, which is just a tad over three miles long, passes all the main attractions in Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, including the Vanderbilt Mansion itself, Bard Rock, and the Formal Gardens. The trail makes a long north-to-south oval, and there are steep hills on both the northern and southern ends as the trail makes its way in and out of the Hudson River valley roughly 150 feet below.

Most people begin their hike around the park from either the Pavilion Visitor Center or from the Vanderbilt Mansion after a tour. It doesn’t really matter which way you go around, as the hills on either end are of the same difficulty. I started at the Visitor Center and hiked around in the counterclockwise direction—to the right of the building if facing it—and this report is written from that perspective. Also, if you just want to get to Bard Rock, which is a popular destination on its own, hiking counterclockwise is the quickest way there.

The hike starts off along the park road, though you can walk in the grass next to it if you don’t want to walk on asphalt. Take the exit road, which is identified by an EXIT sign.

A counterclockwise loop hike around Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site begins on the park road to the right of the Pavilion Visitor Center

The view of the meadow down below and of the Hudson River has been maintained since the property was first settled in the mid-1700s. Trees along the riverbank have grown tall over the years, but the river is still visible from overlooks along the road.

View of the Hudson River and the valley below the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

The road eventually forks, with a right exiting the park. To continue to Bard Rock, stay straight. The road is gated at this point. It is possible to drive to Bard Rock, but only on Mondays through Thursdays from May through October. The road is gated Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and all holidays. It is closed during the winter due to icy conditions. I visited on a weekend in August, so walking was the only option.

Gate on the road to Bard Rock bars vehicles on weekends and holidays, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

One hundred and fifty yards past the gate, the road makes a sharp turn to the left and begins heading steeply downhill to the parking lot for Bard Rock. Most people follow the road, but just before the curve is an earthen trail that passes between a large pine tree and some brush. I only knew to look for it because I had picked up a trail map at the Visitor Center, and this probably accounts for why I was the only one in sight who didn’t continue on the road. In truth, the trail is a little steep and really does nothing but cut across the inside corner formed by the curve in the road, shaving off a little walking time. The distance saved is negligible, but it does get you off the hot asphalt for a few minutes before reconnecting with the road.

Earthen trail segment on the way to Bard Rock at Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

Earthen trail segment reconnects with the road to Bard Rock at Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

The road down to Bard Rock has a moderate slope with an average grade of 10% over its .4-mile length (strenuous hiking begins at 15%), but there are short segments that are much steeper. Furthermore, it is downhill all the way. While you might think you got around the difficult portion of the loop hike by traveling counterclockwise and walking downhill to Bard Rock, remember that you have an equally steep hill to climb up at the southern end of the park.

Road to Bard Rock heads down a steep hill, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

A quarter mile down the hill (.7 mile from the Visitor Center) is the intersection with the Vanderbilt Service Road Trail (Hyde Park Trail per the signage). Continue straight for now to get to Bard Rock, and then return to this point to hike south along the Hudson River on the service road.

Intersection of the road to Bard Rock and the Vanderbilt Service Road Trail (aka Hyde Park Trail), Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

The road crosses a bridge over some railroad tracks and ends at a small parking lot that holds ten vehicles. To get to Bard Rock from there, take the gravel path to the left of the parking lot. Bard Rock is at the end. Total distance from the Visitor Center is .9 mile.

Gravel path from the Bard Rock parking lot to Bard Rock, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

Bard Rock is not a large boulder as one might expect. It is simply an outcropping of flat rock along the Hudson River that forms a natural wharf where boats can land. It was named after Dr. John Bard (George Washington’s doctor), the first owner of the property to build a house (1764). When Bard put the land up for sale in 1768, he noted that it had three areas where boats could land, with the best being Bard Rock (though it wasn’t called this until much later).

Frederick Vanderbilt purchased his Hyde Park property in 1895, but this did not include the parcel with Bard Rock, which at the time was owned by Samuel B. Sexton. However, he was able to purchase the Sexton tract in 1905, and today it is part of Vanderbilt National Historic Site. It is one of the few places in the park with access to the Hudson River shoreline, and it is the only place where there are picnic tables (two).

View of the Hudson River from Bard Rock, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

There were a number of Sexton-era buildings at Bard Rock, but Vanderbilt had them all removed except for a boat house. This remained in use during his ownership of the property and even for a while once the estate became a national historic site. It was eventually torn down by the National Park Service in 1953. All that remains today is a lone boat hook.

Samuel B. Sexton’s boat house on Bard’s Rock ca. 1900. Photograph by Charles Sylvester Piersaull. Courtesy Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library.

Boat hook from the Sexton era at Bard Rock, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

If all you set out to do was hike to Bard Rock, perhaps to have a picnic or to get an unobstructed view of the Hudson River, simply hike back to the Visitor Center the same way you came. Otherwise, return to the intersection with the Vanderbilt Service Road Trail to continue the loop hike around the park. As mentioned earlier, the trail is identified as the Hyde Park Trail on the signage.

The hike along the service road is pretty straight forward. It is a 1.1-mile dirt road with a smooth surface free of rocks and roots. There is one moderate hill of note, but the hike to the top is only 100 yards. Other than that, the Vanderbilt Service Road Trail is easy to hike. While it does run along the Hudson River, there is too much vegetation between the trail and the water to ever get a clear view except perhaps in the winter when the leaves are off the trees and the brush has died away.

Typical terrain of the Vanderbilt Service Road segment of the hike around Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

There are two man-made objects between the trail and the river, but neither are that obvious due to the vegetation. A wrought iron fence runs the length of the trail, most likely built to keep people from trespassing on the Vanderbilts’ property. There are also railroad tracks down below that are still in use. A mile down the road is a gap in the fence, and you can jump off the trail for a detour to the tracks and a clear view of the Hudson River. This is the closest the Vanderbilt Service Road comes to the water.

Gap in the Vanderbilts’ wrought iron fence that spans the estate property along the Hudson River, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

View of the railroad tracks and Hudson River from the southern end of the Vanderbilt Service Road Trail, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

Just past the gap in the fence, the Vanderbilt Service Road Trail curves to the left, and in another tenth of a mile (2.25 miles into the overall hike) it comes to an end at Lower Gate House Way, one of the park roads.

Southern terminus of the Vanderbilt Service Road Trail at Lower Gate House Way, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

To continue the loop hike around Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, take a left and walk up the road for a tenth of a mile to the intersection with a trail that immediately enters the forest. This is the Vanderbilt Garden Trail.

Southern trailhead for the Vanderbilt Garden Trail at the intersection with Lower Gate House Way, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

The promised steep uphill climb begins at the road and continues for a quarter mile. The grade is very similar to the Bard Rock road, only now the path is a traditional hiking trail. The Vanderbilt Garden Trail runs along a ridge, with a steep uphill slope on one side and a steep drop off on the other. In some places the path is very narrow, so be careful not to trip and fall down the hill. In hindsight, hiking in the counterclockwise direction is the best way to go. While the difficulty of the trail and the road are the same, at least on the trail you are hiking uphill in the forest and not baking in the sun as you hike up a black asphalt road.

Typical terrain on the uphill hike along the Vanderbilt Garden Trail at Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

The trail crests the hill within eyesight of the Vanderbilt Formal Gardens. At this point you can either walk out to the road to get to the gardens or continue along the hiking trail, which ends at the road just a stone’s throw ahead.

Northern end of the Vanderbilt Garden Trail begins at the Formal Gardens, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

The road passes the gate to the gardens. Visitation is included with your park entrance fee, and I highly recommend stopping in if you haven’t seen it. I’ve been to dozens of gardens at historic sites in the National Park system, and most aren’t any more impressive than the landscaping at my townhome complex. The Formal Gardens at Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, on the other hand, are fabulous. This is as close to a major city’s botanical garden as you will find in a National Park. See the Formal Gardens web page here on National Park Planner for plenty of photos and information about the gardens.

Entrance to the Formal Gardens at Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

Formal Gardens at Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

Once past the Formal Gardens, the trail is just a gravel path. Follow this to the manicured grounds of the mansion. From the gardens it is .4 mile back to the Pavilion Visitor Center parking lot along flat terrain.

Grounds near the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site

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