Bull Hill Short Loop is a 4.3 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Cold Spring, New York that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and snowshoeing and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
hiking
nature trips
snowshoeing
river
views
snow
historic site
Note: As of May 2019, the White Trail has sections closed for repair. This is the "short loop" indicated by the park in various signs along the way. You start at the parking area at Little Stony Point (just north of Cold Spring). Take the Washburn Trail (white) to the right, which follows an old road to the entrance of a large old stone quarry, which the trail then skirts. The climb then sometimes becomes fairly steep, but never reaches the level of rock-scrambling. You pass a nice view south (looking down on Cold Spring), with a couple more views south along the Hudson further up. When you reach a crossing with the Undercliff Trail (yellow), turn left onto it, which soon passes another good viewpoint west and south onto the Hudson River and West Point. A bit further there's a view to the northwest (Breakneck Ridge, Storm King Mtn and Newburgh). The trail then makes a sharp turn to the right, with fairly minor ups and downs, and then descends (in large part following an old road) to the valley between Bull Hill and Breakneck Ridge. Turn left onto the Brook Trail (red). In a few minutes, at a Y-junction, bear to the left onto the Cornish Trail (blue). At the point where you reach the ruins of the Cornish estate, the road becomes a concrete driveway. Just before you reach the bottom of the driveway, the trail turns left and parallels NY Rte 9D on its way back to your starting point.
White trail seemed open again with some detour section here and there, nothing major. Beautiful hike. As many mentioned, recommend going counter clock wise.
Good hike for all levels. Go counterclockwise, first half is all up hill and rocky but not for that long. Second half of the hike is downhill and a lot of it is like a “walk in the woods” some of it even on pavement. Lots of good photo ops. October is the perfect time to go with all the beautiful fall foliage. Trail good for dogs too.
Great hike, my 7 year old nephew had a blast!
very crowded
Fun hike with great views
Easy fun trail. Would come back to do the longer one.
Great hike
Great hike, incredible views of the valley. Pretty steep for the first hour. Took us about 4 hours with two 5 y/o, including a lunch break.
Beautiful scenery ! Rocks on trail are a bit unstable, carefully load weight onto them.
Moderate terrain. Really awesome hike!
Sarah Price recorded Bull Hill Short Loop
Super crowded and not much worth mentioning to see but a really nice way to spend a day!
A gem and popular hike in the Hudson Highlands area. Straight up ascent, not for beginners. Wonderful views of Storm King Mountain, Breakneck Ridge, and of course the mighty Hudson River! A quick 2+ hour loop.
Nicole Keller recorded Bull Hill Short Loop
Beautiful Hudson River views and very challenging hike!
Highly trafficked trail. Loose gravel/rocks. Steep ascent, but on the easier side of moderate. Trail repair starting at .75 miles, but looks as though zero progress (there is snow fencing and caution tape). Easy descent, but be sure to wear quality hiking BOOTS - rocks and roots. Mostly shaded. A couple of view points (other trails on Mount Taurus have more, but the trails aren’t as well marked and the climbs are for more experienced people). The last legs of the trail are access road dirt and pavement. Shells of buildings are interesting. Taking time to look out, and give the dog a couple of drinks, it took 2.5 hours. Pleasant. Parking area with trail maps is nice.
Trail is well marked, they are doing repairs but very easy to follow detour. Tough rock scramble on the way up, then totally doable trail. Completed in 2hours 10min.
Michael Gobrial recorded Bull Hill Short Loop
The first mile is a constant ascent and about an hour of moving time. Definitely challenging for me, but enjoyable and well worth the views. The descent was my favorite part. You walk through marshlands and old ruins. Well worth a visit.
Good trail, amazing views. it was a bit hot and humid. Parts of the trail were also under construction, especially towards the beginning. The beginning portion (whire trail) is a pretty heavy climb. The remaining portion is fairly easy. The last bit (blue trail) is fairly close to the road (you can hear cars) and train track with a good portion being a nice paved road.
Great hike! Trail crew informed me that the short loop would provide better views than the full loop. It really did not disappoint on this beautiful day!
Beautiful views. I believe I parked at the Cornish parking lot. The short loop is white , to yellow, to blue. I did the hike with my dog. She did well and enjoyed it. The first 45ish minutes is very vertical and exhausting. Part of the trail is very rocky, so a bit challenging. But the views were well worth it. There are plenty of nice spots to take a break. There is also a lot of shade.
