What does Mount Spitzenberg, Benedict Arnold, Croton Point Park and the Cannon at the Peekskill Museum all have in common? Read the story below and see if you can find the thread that weaves through all of these places.

Great Squad and Volunteers to cleanup Blue Mountain Reservation

From mountain biking to hiking, to kids enjoying the playground or the family enjoying a barbecue, Blue Mountain Reservation is our hidden secret gem on the south side of our City. However, Blue Mountain needs your help to stay looking beautiful. All you need to do is volunteer your time.

The Green Squad, a group of volunteers from the Westchester Parks Foundation, will be doing maintenance on recently planted native trees and shrubs near Lounsbury Pond, cutting back invasive plants, and picking up litter. The Green Squad is a very small group of volunteers and four people cannot do it alone. Therefore, they are asking for volunteers to help with the cleanup. Just like the Peekskill Clean Routine, there is no experience necessary and all of the supplies will be provided. All you have to do is volunteer two hours of your time on Friday, June 28, 2024 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm and fill out a simple waiver prior to the cleanup on the Volunteer New York website.

Blue Mountain Reservation is Westchester County’s second largest park encompassing over 1,538 acres. The main entrance is located in the City of Peekskill where Washington Street and Welcher Avenue meet. Half of the park is located in the City of Peekskill and the other half is in the Town of Cortlandt. The park was acquired in 1926 by Westchester County and features miles of trails for mountain biking and hiking featuring not one, but two peaks, Mt. Spitzenberg at 560 feet and Blue Mountain. Blue Mountain also features the Blue Mountain Sportsman Center, a rustic Trail Lodge, a playground, picnic table, barbecue grills, and a portion of the Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway, an unpaved 12-mile hiking trail that runs from Blue Mountain to Briarcliff built on lands that were originally intended to become a parkway. Volunteer to help clean it up and keep the park majestic.  

Keep an eye out towards the end of July and early August when volunteers will be sought to clean up the lake and take out the invasive water chestnut that threatens the lake and the native aquatic life that lives there. 

Benedict Arnold’s Flight: A History Hike

Does the name Benedict Arnold ring a bell? Yes, that Benedict Arnold. The one who served as an officer in the American Revolution under George Washington until he became the most famous traitor in American history when he decided to betray his country and commit treason by  conspiring to hand over the fortifications at West Point to the British Major John Andre.  

If the history of Benedict Arnold and the capturing of Major John Andre in Tappan, NY sound intriguing, then join the Putnam History Museum for a history hike of Arnold’s escape path through present day Garrison, NY. Along the way we’ll discuss why the General was driven to betray the Revolution and how prominent local loyalist Beverly Robinson aided Arnold’s mission.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County will also join the hike and will explore some of the ways that the natural environment plays a part in the history of the area.

The history hike includes scenic views of the Hudson River and West Point and will last approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. The trail is one mile in length but includes uneven rocky terrain and several steep hills so wear appropriate footwear.

The cost of Benedict Arnold’s Flight hike is $15. To register visit the Putnam History Museum website by clicking here. The hike begins at 10:00am on Saturday June 28th. Because of popular demand a second hike was added and will occur on Saturday, July 6th. Make sure to register for the correct date. 

Glacial Geological Hike at Croton Point Park

It’s geology you are interested in? No fret. Westchester County Parks has you covered. This coming Saturday, June 29 from 8:30 – 10:30 am, the Westchester County Naturalist will take explorers on a hike along the Croton Point shore and learn about the forces that created the Lower Hudson Valley landscape. This event is free and is for everyone ages 6 years old and up. The hike is of moderate difficulty, so make sure to wear sturdy footwear. Explorers of the glacial geology hike will meet at the RV entrance lot and begin exploring from the past from there.

Riddle me this, riddle me that: what does the flight of Benedict Arnold, Croton Point Park and Peekskill have in common? Everything!

The story goes that Major John Andre conspired to meet with Arnold on board the British frigate, Vulture, which had anchored off the western end of Teller’s Point in September of 1780. Tellers Point is the very tip of Croton Point Park. Fearing for his safety, Arnold sent word for Andre to meet him on the western shore of the Hudson River at Haverstraw. While they were meeting on the opposite side of the river, American militiamen on Verplanck’s Point fired upon the Vulture with a small cannon, forcing her to move downstream. Major Andre, separated from his means of escape, crossed the river at King’s Crossing, Verplanck, clad in an American uniform and carrying a pass stating he was on official business for General Arnold. He was captured in Tarrytown and subsequently hung as a spy in Tappan, NY . The cannon that fired upon the Vulture is on display at the Peekskill Museum.

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