Butter Hill-Stillman Trail Loop

Storm King State Park is one of our go-to spots in the Hudson Valley. The Butter Hill-Stillman Trail Loop packs a surprising amount of scenery into just 4 miles. You get two summits, Hudson River views that rival anything in the region, and enough elevation change to feel like you actually earned it.

We usually park at the small lot off Route 218 and start up the Stillman Trail. The first climb is steep but short - maybe 15 minutes of real effort before the trail levels out along the ridge. Once you're up there, the views start opening up through the trees and don't really stop until you're back down.

The highlight is the overlook from Butter Hill. You get this wide-open panorama of the Hudson River winding below, with Breakneck Ridge and the Beacon skyline across the water. On a clear fall day the colors are insane. We've done this hike probably five or six times and the views never get old.

The loop connects Stillman Trail to Butter Hill Trail, which takes you along the ridgeline before descending back. The descent is rockier and steeper in spots - watch your footing, especially when it's wet. There are some sections where you're stepping down big rock slabs that get slippery after rain.

What we love about this hike is that it's never too crowded. Breakneck Ridge across the river gets absolutely mobbed on weekends, but Storm King stays relatively quiet. We've had the summit overlooks to ourselves multiple times. It's one of those "locals know" spots.

The whole loop took us about two hours at a comfortable pace with stops for photos. It's a great morning hike - we usually finish by noon and grab lunch in Cornwall or Cold Spring on the way home. Short enough to leave time for the rest of your day, but satisfying enough that you don't feel like you need more.

One thing to note - the parking lot on 218 is small. Maybe 10-12 cars. We've never had trouble on weekday mornings but weekends can fill up. There's no overflow lot, so if it's full you're out of luck.