Goosepond is a State Park with diverse habitats and trails that leave you wanting to come back year-round. 

Located in Chester, Goosepond Mountain State Park is 1,500 acres of wooded forests, wetlands, and open meadows for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and birding. The trails have something for everyone in the family. Most of the trails in the park are considered moderate with some elevation gain up the mountain. For the casual hikers, you can park on the 17M to access a small boardwalk to give you easy hike along the 5-acre wetlands. Many birders flock to the area as the wetlands are used as a bird sanctuary.  Since the habitat is so diverse, birders have seen a wide variety of birds such as warblers, cuckoos, woodpeckers, Indigo Buntings, flycatchers, hawks, vireos, osprey, and herons. The abandoned Lazy Hill Road crosses the main body of the park for 2.6 miles and can be used to creat loops with other trails in the park. Since most of the park is wooded, the trails are well shaded during the summer heat. 

The Goosepond Mountain trail is a popular trail in the park. This moderate 5.3 mile out and back trail, you will get spectacular views, a bounty of wildflowers, and wildlife. This trail is not well marked but you can clearly see where the trail goes. 

Some fun history on the state park is that in 1962 the property was inquired by the state of New York which has several farm properties on it. All the structures were demolished but you can still see parts of the rubble sections of the park. It's said that the loyalist leader Claudius Smith may have used this area as a hideout in the American Revolutionary War. They have also found artifacts from prehistoric Indians that can be found at the Trailside History Museum in Bear Mountain. 

Since this land is undeveloped, trail maintenance can be lacking. Blazes can be faded and trails overgrown. So if you are not comfortable making your way on unmarked trails, you might consider going with someone who is or someone who has been on the trails before.