We visited Olana State Historic Site, the estate of artist Frederic Edwin Church, on the most perfect fall day. It was the exact moment of the fall season where the colors were the brightest, and we had such beautiful weather.  We hiked along the Lake Road up to the top of Crown Hill, then from the farm to the main house via the Farm Road and North Road.  Olana and Clermont have always been personal favorites of mine.  Our family has visited these sites so many times over the past several decades. And in the fall, it is the best place for leaf peeping in Upstate New York.

Olana State Historic Site

Olana Historic Site is a New York State park protecting the estate of the 19th century Hudson River School artist, Frederic Edwin Church.  Between 1860-1867, Church acquired the land that would make up his artistic estate.  Church chose the location for his home and art studio on a piece of land with a grand view overlooking the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains to the west.  His teacher and mentor, Thomas Cole, had his home and studio just on the other side of the river and they used to go here to to sketch.  The main house, itself, widely recognized for its unique Persian flair, was built between 1870-74.

Olana, the name given to the estate by Church and his wife, was purposefully designed by him to be a living landscape.  He wanted to bring the picturesque and pastoral, so notably illustrated in his works of art, into reality.  As such, there are rolling hills, meandering trails, trees, flowers, and gardens all across his estate.  Taken together with the buildings, and the crowning achievement of the main house, the estate is a pleasure to visit and walk through.

Crown Hill Trail

We decided to walk along the less visited Crown Hill trail that winds you through a quiet forest up to the top of Crown Hill.  There is a beautiful view across the park at the main house in the distance.  When Church and his wife first purchased this land, they lived in Cosy Cottage near “the Farm” just east of the lake and visible from the top of Crown Hill.

 

Where is it Located?

The Olana State Historic Site is located at 5720 Route 9G on the eastern side of the road in Hudson, New York, just south of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.

Maps

There are wonderful maps of the park layout and its trails located at the New York State Parks website here and here.