Do A Day in Cold Spring

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Cold Spring is so close and so cute that I had to write a few words about it. I’ve only been the once, so I’m not quite an expert on Cold Spring yet; but here are some quick notes from our kick ass visit.

Why Cold Spring

Cold Spring is very, very pretty and picturesque and as I’ll let you know below, there’s some great things to do here.

Cold Spring is also very close to home. It’s in the south west corner of Putnam County, which means if you’re in northern or western Westchester, it should only take you somewhere between 20 and 40 minutes to get there. For us living in CT (aka we’re closer to the eastern portions of Westchester), it was still only about an hour drive.

Cold Spring is also a commuter town. Like nearby and popular Beacon, Cold Spring has a direct Metro North stop from the city. And in Cold Spring, that MNR stop lets you off right in the heart of the town’s shopping area.

What to Do in Cold Spring

Without really leaving the town’s limits, there are quite a few tourist attractions in Cold Spring (and there’s so much more within easy driving distance of Cold Spring, too).

Breakneck Ridge: A very popular hiking trail sits along this mountain range on the Hudson River. It has several summits and is supposedly a difficult trail. It’s such a popular hiking trail that Metro North runs limited direct trains right to the site.

Magazzino Italian Art: This stunning 20,000 square foot warehouse style museum is dedicated to educating Americans about post-war and contemporary Italian art. The grounds and museum itself are worthy of a visit no matter what art is currently on view. And if you spend some time on those grounds, you might spot a bunch of Sardinian donkeys living on site. Magazzino is free to the public.

West Point Foundry Reserve: Take a stroll in the great outdoors while learning about one of America’s premiere industrial foundries. The paths are free and open year round.

Where to Shop in Cold Spring

I’ve become a Hudson Valley obsessive, and so, I think I can say with a bit of certainty that Cold Spring has some of the best small shopping around. The main drag in Cold Spring, conveniently called Main Street, is small but packs a lot of punch. Here are some “don’t miss” shops.

Old Souls: An impeccably curated store for outdoor gear and accessories. It leans a bit more for men, but they carry women’s gear, too, and much of the merch is unisex.

Cold Spring Apothecary: Hair, skin, body and home products made without harmful chemicals. A wellness salon. And a coffee shop. All housed in one swoon-worthy space.

Cold Spring General Store: Housewares and food stuffs from local producers. I snagged a local natural cider I’d been swooning over on Instagram here.

Paulette: I wanted every article of clothing and home good in this store. And I also wanted to pull up a seat to its adorable coffee bar and stay awhile (alas, kids).

What to Eat in Cold Spring

Cold Spring is a small town, so it’s no eating mecca. But there are few places right on Main Street to grab a bite and you can always hit surrounding spots like Beacon, Fishkill and Garrison for eats.

Cold Spring Coffeehouse: Coffee and fresh baked pastries on Main Street.

Cold Spring Depot: I haven’t been and can’t speak to the food, but it’s got a great outdoor patio right next to the train station and the folks we saw sitting out there on our gorgeous day looked very happy.

Cold Spring Cheese Shop: Need I say more?

Hudson Hil’s Cafe: “The” Cold Spring spot for brunch and lunch. There’s also a market inside.

A Quick Note About Garrison, NY

Garrison is a town or two over from Cold Spring heading in the direction towards Westchester. There are two major tourist sites in town - Boscobel House and Gardens and Manitoga (designer Russel Wright’s home is high on my list, but alas not sure the kidz can handle a 90 minute guided tour). We didn’t hit either this visit, but we did have a lovely meal at Dolly’s Restaurant in Garrison Landing, right on the Hudson River.