August 16, 2022 – Saugerties, NY

Difficulty: Easy

Length: Approximately 1 mile

Max elevation: 19 ft. – total elevation gain approximately 30 ft.

Route type: Out and back

Map: None available

Trailhead parking: Ruth Reynolds Glunt Nature Preserve – 168 Lighthouse Dr, Saugerties, NY 12477

Outdoor portable toilets are available for public use at the trailhead and lighthouse dock.

Please Note ~ Portions of the Lighthouse Trail experience mild tidal flooding on a twice-daily basis. Any high tide of 4.0 feet or higher may cover portions of the trail. Tides rise and fall at a rate of nearly 1/2 foot per hour. Allow enough time before and after high tide time for the trail to clear. For example, a high tide of 5.0 feet will cover the trail for 2 hours before the time of high tide and remain for 2 hours afterwards. To find out what time high and low tide will occur on a particular day, consult the Tide Table.

---

Overview:

The Saugerties Lighthouse, also known as the Saugerties Light, is a lighthouse on the Hudson River north of Saugerties, New York. A landmark beacon on the Hudson River, the Saugerties Lighthouse is a venerable aid to navigation, constructed in 1869 at the mouth of the Esopus Creek. The Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy maintains the Lighthouse and adjacent lands for the enjoyment of the public.

The restored, red-brick Lighthouse offers overnight Bed & Breakfast accommodations, public tours and special events. Furnished as it may have looked in the early 20th century, the Lighthouse contains a small museum, gift shop, parlor, kitchen, keepers’ quarters, and two guest bedrooms. The operational light-tower offers a panoramic view of the Hudson River Valley and Catskill Mountains.

The Lighthouse can be reached via the half-mile nature trail at the end of Lighthouse Drive in the village of Saugerties, New York.

---

History:

Two previous lighthouses in Saugerties were constructed in 1835 and 1850. The 1835 lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1848 and it appears that the 1850 lighthouse was replaced by the current lighthouse.

In 1867, Congress appropriated $25,000 for construction of the present lighthouse. Construction on the current lighthouse began in 1868 and it began operating a year later. Atop the stone remnants of the original man-made island, you will now find the Riverside Deck, where you can also view the fog bell from 1923.

The Saugerties Lighthouse was taken out of service in 1954. The building was sealed up and left to deteriorate, which it quickly did. A decade later, the Coast Guard planned to demolish the vandalized and dilapidated lighthouse, when in stepped Ruth Reynolds Glunt, wife of Chester B. Glunt, a former Coast Guard light attendant, stationed at Turkey Point near Saugerties. Mrs. Glunt, a longtime friend of many lighthouse keepers along the Hudson River, carried a passion for saving lighthouses and mounted a campaign to halt the demolition. Through her efforts and those of architect Elise Barry, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The preserve which the trail passes through, is named in her honor.

After extensive fund-raising and restoration, the lighthouse was officially recommissioned as an aid to navigation in 1990. The B&B was established not long after. It is the only Hudson River lighthouse which welcomes guests overnight.

The Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy was established in 1985 with the mission to restore and maintain the lighthouse. The following year the conservancy was able to purchase the lighthouse and surrounding wetlands for $1. The conservancy received a building on the verge of collapse, but managed in just a few years, to turn it into a beautifully restored lighthouse.

Roughly 10,000 old bricks, which had crumbled after being penetrated by moisture, were replaced. The lantern room was removed and refurbished. Stairs, handrails, floors, and walls were completely reconstructed. To top of the transformation, a solar powered light installed in the lantern room by the Coast Guard was activated on August 4, 1990.

---

The Walk:

Check the tide chart that is posted before proceeding into the preserve, unless you don’t mind getting your feet wet.

Follow the gravel path which soon gives way to wooden footbridges and boardwalks before reverting back to gravel.

Soon, the trail passes a tidal marsh with views of the Hudson River to the north.

After traversing another boardwalk, the trail crosses a sandy area with more views north of the river.

A short distance later, another boardwalk appears and you may be able to spot the tower of the lighthouse peeking over the tall grass.

In just under a 1/2 mile from the start, the trail reaches the Saugerties Lighthouse.

Proceed ahead on the floating dock to get closer to the lighthouse.

Behind the lighthouse is the Riverside Deck. A nice place to stop to take a break and have a snack (if you brought one with you).

On the Riverside Deck, there is a seating area where you can enjoy the nice views of the lighthouse and the Hudson River itself.

In November of 2011, a crew of volunteers tackled the herculean task of moving the three-thousand pound bronze bell into position on the Riverside Deck.

The Saugerties Lighthouse was built on a circular granite crib, with a depth of twelve feet and a diameter of sixty feet, that rests on fifty-six pilings sunk into the riverbed and topped with three layers of six-inch timbers. The two-story lighthouse has twenty-inch-thick natural colored brick cavity walls.

The sixth-order Fresnel lens from the original lighthouse were relocated to the new building, in the 46-foot tower. An automated, solar-powered LED was installed 1990.

When you are done enjoying your time here, retrace your steps on the Lighthouse Trail, back to the parking area, where the hike began.

---

Review:

A very scenic walk through a pretty nature preserve, with the payoff being the historic Hudson River lighthouse. The parking area is small and there is no other parking available. This is a great spot for a leisurely walk anytime of year, as long as it’s not High Tide.

Pros:

Historic Saugerties Lighthouse, Hudson River, scenic landscape.

Cons:

Small parking area, Interior of lighthouse is only accessible by occasional tours or renting it as a B&B.

---

Sources:

• Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy
• Saugerties Lighthouse
• Saugerties Lighthouse – Hudson River Lights

---