Blue Mountain Reservation

There’s a slimy looking pond on the premises and a few picnic tables and grills. Apparently a shooting range? There was a creepy shirtless redneck hanging out in his busted pickup truck alone in the parking lot sunk down low in the seat chain smoking cigarettes when we arrived. So there’s that. I don’t know– we went for the mountain biking and it was fun. Shady Guy didn’t break into my car or rape me or anything, which is also pretty cool.
Designated trails for beginners, intermediate and advanced riders aren’t really coherently marked and difficult to navigate at points even with a map– but they are super fun. If your bike can handle the terrain and you aren’t opposed to eating sh*t once or twice you should check it out. Some technical terrain with rock fields and roots, a few boardwalk sections through the swamps, some creek crossings, jumps and fast sections make it stimulating.
For some reason nobody was manning the gate so we drove on in free of charge. The sign says 10 bucks per car is the norm… so that made the day even more pleasant. Nothing beats not getting man-​raped by a hillbilly like not getting man-​raped for free! At least that’s what I’m always saying…

I’ve only really used the shooting range, although the rest of the park looks great for a day outdoors or hiking.
There are pistol, smallbore, and largebore ranges. I frequent the smallbore range where most of the range staff are great… in particular, George is great. the largebore range is a different world — some of the staff are helpful, but there are a couple of guys there that have an attitude and act like Rambo wannabes. Overall I would highly recommend the smallbore range, but the largebore range isn’t even really useful for sighting in a rifle

Not a real fan of this place for one reason. The trail map you get at the front gate may as well be for a different park. It is impossible to follow. As you’re hiking you will find you’re on the red path. Them you look at the map and there’s no red path on it. I have been there twice and tried two different trails and it was the same thing. The trails are nice and all but I prefer to know how to get back to my car.

I visited this park on a clear sunny March day when it warmed up. Glad to take the time for a walk out here. It was very pretty with the snow on the ground and the lake still frozen. It looks to be a great spot for hiking and picnics during the summer. During the winter since they don’t really have the capacity to clear the path as we had so much snow this year. It was mainly for the sights.
The area we visited was only a small portion of the park I believe. From the looks of it this is mostly meant for biking on the trails and camping since it contains a large land area. Relatively close to Bear Mountain that this deserve a visit as well.

Terrific day for a walk in the park! This is easy access and a beautfiul hike in the woods without trekking over to Bear Mountain.

Who would believe this gem exists in Westchester County off Watch Hill Road, Cortlandt Manor
This review is about the Sportsman Center Shooting Range.
For $ 7−9/hour, depending on range, you have access to several ranges: .22 rifle, pistol, rifle (100 and 200 yards), trap/​skeet, and archery.
When I have brought guests, Range Officers are helpful and love to coach new shooters about good technique and safe shooting skills.
Best days are Thursday and Friday when less crowded than Sat or Sun or holidays. Range is open other days for law enforcement only.
Out-​of-​county residents also welcome, though pay $ 2 more per hour. Access to rest of park is free though some parking areas require a fee.
Age restriction is 12 years or older. Entire families often come to the range.

i go mtn biking here almost every weekend! the best in the country, and nov thru march you dont pay 8.00 for parking

Wow… talk about a great place to have some family fun at the shooting range. I decided to go to their small bore range for shooting for my birthday a week and a half ago, and was happy to learn that they weren’t charging by the gun (I had just gotten a Remington Model 597 for my birthday, but I wanted to also shoot my mom’s Marlin, my dad’s Ruger 10/​22, among other guns). They were really cool about things at the front office… when we got to the range, the first range we went to (the one in the middle) was run by a complete and utter moron. A super snarky old man who was being a complete nimrod that almost ruined the whole day. Good thing they let us shoot in the range that was attached to the pistol portion, because they were a lot more awesome and accomodating. Great with being serious and teaching the non-​shooters some gun safety, but also really laid back (he even showed my mother that she’s actually left eye and left arm dominant, so she had a lot better time shooting her Marlin and at least holding the .410 shotgun after that). It was only $ 28 for 6 people to have a great day shooting for 2 hours. I definitely loved the experience and I hope to go again soon!

Blue Mountain Reservation is great for runners, bikers, walkers and sportsmen in the Town of Cortlandt/​Peekskill area. It’s not too remote so that even those not acquainted with northern westchester can locate it and navigate its paths, but its also sufficiently wooded and private to afford some respite from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding towns.
Besides being beautiful, it’s a great place to work up a sweat and get some exercise in without worrying about cars running you over, since Westchester suffers in general from a lack of sidewalks…

I’ve been to the Sportsman Center at Blue Mountain three times for the pistol range see
It’s a very nice public facility. The people are helpful and friendly. The range officers are willing to provide good advice. It’s a very nice setting and a lot of people seem to agree as I have seen a lot of crowds, so get there early.
I’ll be going back as often as I can. I can’t wait to try the trap stands!

Primarily known as a mountain bike park, this Westchester gem is about an hour away from Grand Central on Metro-​North and is a superb destination for getting out of the city for a day hike.
The park is over 1,500 acres and is open 7 days a week from 8am to dusk. Facilities include picnic area, ballfields, camping, fishing, shooting range and horse trails. Trailhead/​park entrance is about a 20 min walk through town from the Peekskill train station and is easy to get to.
Once there, there’s a total of 20 miles of various level hiking including beginners, intermediate and advanced and most are clearly marked. The peak of Blue Mountain itself offers a killer view of the Hudson Valley looking west so bring your camera.
I also highly recommend this spot for the post-​hike option of Peekskill Brewery which provides the perfect end destination before heading back.

Just a short drive from NYC, nestled in the heart of Westchester is a great little park that offers something for everyone. I go for the mountain biking so I never really paid much attention to its other offerings but I had some casual riders with me this weekend who were quick to notice all the other great stuff.
The park’s offerings range from family friendly picnic and playground to hiking, biking, horseback riding (although I’ve never seen a horse there) t shooting. At the heart of the park are two mountains; Blue mountain and Mt Spitzenberg. The park is ringed and crossed with jeep roads and woven with tight single track. There are ponds, streams, picnic areas and a playground. There is a shooting range in the park but it has its own entrance.
The single track is great. Most bikers park at the upper lot to avoid the family play areas. The offerings range from carriage roads with the occasional loose rocky patch, to tight AM single track that will put every inch of your suspension to use. The trails are well marked and a map can be printed off various mtn bike websites.