Constitution Marsh Boardwalk and Indian Brook Falls

Audubon Center & Sanctuary
and Hudson Highlands State Park
Putnam Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Blue Trail: Blue blaze
Boardwalk Trail: Unblazed
Yellow Trail: Yellow blaze
Indian Brook Falls Trail: Green blaze

Total Time: 1:10 hour
Estimated Distance: 2.0 Miles

Pros: Scenic area, nice boardwalk, and pretty waterfalls
Cons: Not enough parking, walk on road, boardwalk much shorter than expected

The weather was damp and I chose this hike which is relatively short and has my car in the middle so I can bail out in the event of rain. In the end, the rain held off for the entire hike. The rainy weather also afforded me the oppurtunity to visit this place, since the parking is so limited, it takes an event such as poor weather to be able to park your car on a weekend outside the winter. There is no other place to park in this area. If the 8 designated spots are already taken, there is no where else to park and you are forced to change your itinerary.

I parked in one of the designated parking spots on Indian Brook Road and walked down Warren Landing Road to the Nature Center. I looked thourgh the Nature Center, and then left it out headed on the rocky area along the river to the boardwalk. The boardwalk goes over part of Constitution Marsh, a large brackish swampland in the Hudson River. I was quite surprised at the lenght of the boardwalk, which ended up being much shorter than I had expected.

Afer completing the boardwalk and looping aound i took the Blue Trail back to where it intersects the Yellow Trail. I took the Yellow Trail for the short distance of its doration, which took me to an unintersting split rock. I turned around and went back up the Blue Trail (which also serves as driveway to the Nature Center), which was a bit steep.

I walked past my car, then under the large bridge with Route 9D above, and then took the Indian Brook Falls Trail to its terminus at Indian Brook Falls. This is an impressive waterfall fall for the region, and the recent heavy rains certainly helped me formulate my impression. I then turned around, and took the same trail back to my car.

Map of the Route

Constitution Marsh Audubon Center & Sanctuary.
Note Sign for Parking for 8 Cars Only.

Information Board at the Parking Area

Sign at the Blue Trail Trailhead

Nature Center Building

Trail Going into the Woods after the Nature Center

View oft the Hudson River on the Rocks above the River

View Facing West Point Across the Hudson River

Descending Towards the Constitution Marsh Boardwalk

Constitution Marsh Boardwalk

Walking Along the Boardwalk

One of the Several Plaques Along the Boardwalk

Fresh Bamboo Grass Sprouting

Facing East

Boardwalk with the Breakneck Ridge and Storm King in the Distance

Water in the Marsh

Mt. Taurus (Bull Hill)

Me in the Constitution Marsh

Split Rock at the End of the Yellow Trail

High Bridge for Route 9D

Indian Brook Falls

Indian Brook Falls, 

Indian Brook Falls, at the end of the Trailhead