3 Best Sights in Hudson Valley, New York

Nature and art blend seamlessly throughout the home, studio, and 75-acre grounds of mid-20th-century industrial designer Russel Wright. Boulders protrude through the ground floor of Dragon Rock, Wright's experimental home and a National Historic Landmark. It is built on a rock ledge and spans 11 levels; fist-size stones serve as door handles. Four miles of paths weave through a landscape that appears natural but is actually a studied design of native trees, rocks, mosses, and wildflowers. The 90-minute tours take in the buildings and woodlands; wear comfortable walking shoes.

The ruins of a 19th-century iron foundry stand here amid a babbling brook and 87 acres of preserved marshland and woodland. Scenic trails and interpretive features recount how the foundry once buzzed with activity as the original commercial hub of Cold Spring village. Its employees manufactured Civil War cannons, cannon balls, and guns, as well as cast-iron facades for SoHo warehouses and even the nation's first domestically made locomotive. Today there's also a replica of a historic gun platform. To get here from Main Street, turn south onto Kemble Avenue and take it to the end, proceed through the gate, turn left, and follow the path to the site. The preserve is accessible from the Cold Spring Metro-North train station.

The artist owners of this European-inspired castle have spent 45 years building their multi-towered stone pile using 85% recycled materials, including carved doors from a French chalet, salvaged stones, and old tools which are incorporated into the wrought-iron fence. It also has a small B&B with three antique-filled guest rooms, and three additional bedrooms across the street at the Tudor cottage. Be sure to check out the miniature Stonehenge with panoramic views of the Catskills and the Millbrook Winery vineyard.