Welcome to Clermont State Historic Site

Welcome to Clermont State Historic Site. . , Meet the Livingstons, one of America's most prominent founding families. Between 1728 and 1962, seven generations of the family made Clermont their home. It is the oldest of the great riverfront estates in the mid-Hudson Valley. Five hundred acres of fields, forests, formal landscapes, and gardens are connected by six meandering trails. Come back often and enjoy the site and experience the family-friendly events we offer throughout the year., During Your Visit ,

. See the film and exhibition in the Visitors Centers, where you can also buy your tickets. , . Take a guided tour of the historic house, which is interpreted to its ca. 1930 appearance. , . Explore colorful gardens designed by Livingston family members, picnic among ancient locust trees, and savor breathtaking views of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains. , . Discover the site's history through interpretive signage located around the property. , . Hike or horseback ride along miles of carriage trails and farm roads originally designed and used by the Livingstons.

, Visitors Center , This building originally accommodated the Livingston family's carriages, cars, and assorted recreational gear., Cutting Garden and Greenhouse , Cultivated since the 1850s, Clermont Livingston raised vegetables here, and Alice Livingston used it as a cutting garden in the 20th century., Clermont Cottage , Originally a farm managers' residence and later home to Alice Livingston, this cottage is now occupied by the Friends of Clermont., Arryl House Ruins , Once a palatial estate belonging to Chancellor Livingston, these brick and stone ruins are all that remain after a 1909 fire., Lilac Walk , This short path connects the mansion with the Locust Avenue and is at its fragrant best in May., Red Barn , Built around 1875, this barn was used to store hay and contained several stalls for working horses., Sylvan Cottage (Private Residence) , Originally a gatehouse, this 18th-century building was adapted from generation to generation and eventually became the home of Honoria Livingston McVitty and her husband Rex., Locust Avenue , This narrow grassy strip overlooking the Hudson River was once the carriage road connecting Clermont to the Chancellor's Arryl House., Children's Playhouse , Designed in 1911, this is where Honoria and Janet Livingston played and learned about gardening from their mother Alice, who created most of the Clermont's formal gardens., Wilderness Garden , Developed by Alice Livingston in the 1930s, this garden includes a lily pond, fish, and a path that connects the Cutting Garden and Greenhouse with the Walled Garden and the mansion environs., Walled Garden , Created ca. 1930 by Alice Livingston, this formal, enclosed garden combines Italian design with plantings suggested by early 20th-century English gardening authorities., South Spring Garden , This garden developed between 1908 and 1918, is the first to bloom each spring and was Alice Livingston's favorite.,

Hiking Trails. 🟪 Chancellor's Trail (1 mile) - This trail winds through the Chancellor's formal garden east of the Arryl House ruins (visible at the trail's entrance). Forests along this trail were once pleasure gardens and fields cultivated with hay and clover., 🟧 Bridle Trail (2.9 miles) - This trail follows sections of the trails that were used by several generations of Livingstons for horseback riding., 🟥 Rose Alba Trail (.85 miles) - The Livingstons enjoyed using portions of this trail for Sunday strolls. In the 1840s, Montgomery Livingston built a race track that circled this area for exercising his trotters and pacers., ⬜ Riverside Trail (.85 miles) - Running along the Locust Avenue and past the Arryl House ruins, this trail offers views of Saugerties Lighthouse and is one of Clermont's most popular. The gentler slopes were once wheat fields in which the Chancellor expiremented with gypsum and lime fertilizers., 🟦 Formal Garden Trail (.5 miles) - This trail meanders past gardens designed by Alice Livingston, including the Walled and Wilderness Gardens., 🟨 Farm Road Trail (1.25 miles) - Clermont was a working farm from the 1740s until the Great Depression. This trail takes visitors by the Red Barn, and by Sylvan and Clermont Cottages. Both cottages have original sections dating from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.