Thompson Pond Preserve

Effective May 1st 2020, a new wheelchair accessible trail was installed at Thompson Pond Preserve.  The fine crushed stone trail is approximagrly a half mile and concludes at a viewing point overlooking Thompson Pond. The viewing area is a perfect spot to watch birds and wildlife.

The newly constructed bog bridge along the yellow trail at Thompson Pond (Dutchess County) makes it possible for visitors to complete the loop. Happy hiking!

The preserve is open dawn to dusk for passive recreational and educational uses, such as cross-country skiing, hiking and bird study. There are several trails around the pond. For stunning views of the area, take the steep trail leading to a historic fire tower on the top of Stissing Mountain.

More than 245 species of land plants and 142 wetland plant species have been identified at the preserve. Around the wetlands, you can find pipewort, round-leaved sundew, marsh St. Johnswort, a cattail community, and ferns and wildflowers that grow in calcareous and acidic soils. Woodlands feature oaks, sugar maples, ash, hemlock and hickory.

Migratory birds, including ducks and warblers, pass through here in great numbers, and this is one of the best spots in the region for observing water birds such as rails. Red-tailed hawks nest in the area and golden eagles soar over open fields and near the peak of Stissing Mountain.