Fun Day Trips Near Peekskill and Cortlandt

PEEKSKILL-CORTLANDT, NY—Now that the weather is warming up, it's time to plan some day trips. The Hudson Valley offers endless possibilities for day trips, but you may wonder where to start. Fortunately, a website known as The Crazy Tourist has narrowed the best options down to 15 and quite a few are nearby.

Here are four nearby towns they chose:

New Paltz: The cozy college town offers a range of interesting activities, tasty food and options for hiking. The Crazy Tourist site mentions Historic Huguenot Street, a must for history lovers, but there's also hiking at Minnewaska State Park, plus dining and shopping on the town's main street. New Paltz ranked number 8 on their list of 15, although numerical order was not meant to imply preference.

Sleepy Hollow: This village is anything but sleepy and is also a must for history lovers. There's Old Dutch Church, the perfectly restored Philipsburg Manor House, and the historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery – where the site says Elizabeth Arden, Brooke Astor, and Andrew Carnegie are buried.

Cold Spring: The riverside village was number one on the site's list, mentioned for its options for boating, kayaking, biking and hiking, but there are also plenty of antique shops, a riverside park for strolling along and several first class restaurants, including one in a former train depot.

Pawling: This Dutchess County town offers access to the Appalachian Trail and the Pawling Preserve, making it a favorite for hikers, but it's also home to Daryl's House Club, owned by Daryl Hall of the musical duo Hall and Oates. The restaurant has live music and may be a good place to recover after hiking.

Have you visited any of these places? Do you live nearby? Let us know what you think and whether you live in a place worth visiting in the comments below.

Check out the site to find out which towns made the cut.