Mix & Match: Hike + Lunch Spots
Choose your own adventure with trails and farms
I love hiking — it can be done any season and any exertion level. While I do prefer a challenging hard all-day hike, sometimes a morning hike combined with farm lunch just hits the spot. Because there are a lot of farms on the west side of the Hudson, I often end up over there, for a hike and lunch combo.
Here’s a make-your-own morning outing. Pick a hike, pair it with a lunch spot. All hikes are under three hours, an hour or less from Irvington, not too hard. All have the most important payoff (besides locally sourced produce) — a view.
HIKES
Black Rock Forest - 8.4 mile loop
Privately owned, Black Rock Forest has 3,920 acres of trails open to the public. A fascinating combination of different ecosystems, steep terrain, stunning views, verdant lakesides and swampy woods filled with indigenous plants. Black Rock Forest is a hidden gem.
Popolopen Torne - 5.2 loop
Popolopen features a moderate trail with a hearty finish. Someone has added ropes in the tougher spots —thanks! It culminates with some of the most stunning views of the Hudson River including the classic image of Bear Mountain Bridge. Be prepared for a challenging descent over the first 100 yards or so, and then it's fairly straightforward as you head down to the Popolopen Creek, where you will have a long but easy walk back to the trailhead.
High and Low Tor - 5.2 miles out and back
High and Low Tor State Park is just north of Hook Mountain, but its terrain is much more hilly. With so many ups and downs, it makes a great workout but then provides the payoff of breathtaking views of the Hudson, Sing Sing and Ossining across the river.
Hook Mountain - 5.8 mile loop
When I don’t have time for a drive, Hook Mountain is the closest. Amazing views of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Take the clockwise loop for an initial challenge and end with a flat, chill stroll along the Nyack beach.
Neversink Unique Area - 4.4 mile loop with lots of options
The drive to Neversink Unique Area is a little bit further than the others on the list, and it feels it! The abundance of rhododendron, pine trees and moss keep the trails green all year long. At times, it felt like we were in a Costa Rican Rain forest. On our route, we saw two waterfalls and several rushing streams. Beautiful!
LUNCH
Blooming Hill Farm
Blooming Hill Farm is one of my all-time favorite spots. I first heard about it many years ago from my friend Jenny of Dinner: A Love Story. Blooming Hill Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner with a wood-burning pizza oven and, like any farm-to-table menu, a rotation featuring seasonal, locally-grown vegetables. The restaurant is occasionally closed for events like weddings, and it sometimes can be hard to snag a table, so try to reserve ahead of time. Plus, the farm stand is not always open and has short hours, so definitely check before you go.
Between the beautiful lettuces and chards in wooden baskets and colorful legumes in glass jars in The Farm Market, the whole place is the perfect backdrop for your next Instagram post. I often wonder if the perfectly-sprinkled dirt on the veggies is styled to make you feel like it was plucked from the earth just minutes before. That said, the quality of the produce is fantastic, and I am never disappointed with my haul.
Jones Farm
Jones Farm in Cornwall is known for their bakery (think: carrot cake and rhubarb lemon bars), but also hosts a country store and a little gallery. It’s one of the few farms in the area that is open year round, too. By the time we arrived after our hike at Black Rock Forest, they were starting to run out of most sandwiches, but I was very happy with my turkey reuben and crispy house-made fries.
All One One All Farm
We discovered All for One Farm after a hike when our beloved Blooming Hill was booked. A new-ish farm, AOOA is actually a non-profit regenerative silvopasture farm, doing their part to contribute to a healthier planet. Along with a farm stand there are lots of educational and cooking workshops, including Beekeeping, Sustainable Fashion and An Eggs-Only Cooking class with Ariane Daguin (the former CEO of D'artagnan and owner of AOOA). On our last visit we stumbled upon a chocolate-making workshop with Jaques Torres!
The daily harvest dictates what is offered on the farm stand menu. You can find items like herbed chicken salad and several varieties of egg sandwiches. We opted to share an “Egg in A Barn'' which was two scrambled eggs on focaccia with zippy barn sauce. On our way out, we bought a dozen eggs and three bags of “picked that morning spinach” from the super cute self serve stand.
DPNB Pasta
While this definitely is not a farm, I include DPNB Pasta & Provisions, because when it's too cold or it starts to rain (hello the last time we went to Hook Mountain!) DPNB has become my go-to stop whenever I am anywhere near Nyack. Roman dishes like Vignarola. Daily homemade pasta to sit down or takeaway, like saffron tripoline or squid ink paccheri. Hand cut, freshly-filled pastas can be purchased by the pound alongside sauces like broccoli rabe and hazelnut “pesto” or heritage pork ragu. I never leave without something for the freezer. Last time I picked up a white vegetarian lasagna and a baked pasta and ragu bolognese. Perfectly sized portions for two. And they even have a small selection of desserts like sesame polenta cookies and olive oil cake.
Banbury Cross Farm
While this stop definitely doesn’t count as lunch, Banbury Cross Farm is great for the non-vegetarians. We all know that eating less meat is better, but if you are going to partake, it's best to get it from a local source. And when you come across a good one, you stock up. Which we did. Banbury is another multigenerational, family-run farm. They raise beef, lamb, pork, chicken, ducks and turkey. Everything is grass-fed, antibiotic free, with no added hormones, and of the highest quality. It's the perfect time to fill your own freezer.
For hiking maps and more information, be sure to download the AllTrails app before you head out. And please let me know about your favorite farms.
Happy Hiking + Eating!
So happy you discovered AOOA Farm. That is my family's Depression Era farm and we are thrilled Ariane is now creating a beautiful place in Goshen. On another note, i'll be joining your sister in Sicily May 2024! Betsy Halaby