April 23, 2026 – Rhinebeck, NY

Difficulty: Easy

Length: Approximately 1 mile

Max elevation: 558 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 182 ft.

Route type: Circuit (can be done as an Out-and-Back)

Map: Burger Hill Trail Map

Trailhead parking: 3158 NY-9G, Rhinebeck, NY 12572

Gravel parking lot for 12-15 vehicles – No restrooms on site

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Overview:

Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill is a 76-acre hilltop preserve in Rhinebeck, NY, known for its wide-open fields, easy walking paths, and sweeping views over the Hudson Valley.

A gently rising mowed trail leads to a 558-foot summit where visitors are rewarded with expansive vistas stretching toward the Catskill Mountains and surrounding highlands.

Once farmland threatened by development, the landscape was permanently protected through a community-led conservation effort, and today it remains a simple, welcoming park for hiking, picnicking, birdwatching, and seasonal recreation in an open pastoral setting.

Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill is owned and managed by the Winnakee Land Trust, a local conservation organization dedicated to preserving open space and natural lands in the Hudson Valley region.

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History:

In 1697, Henry Beekman received an English royal land grant that included the area now known as Burger Hill. Two decades later, in 1717, a Palatine family originally named Burckhardt—later anglicized to Burger—arrived in the region when Elisabetha Burckhardt, a widow with her children, settled in Rhinebeck as tenants on what was then called Beekmansland.

The Burger family would go on to farm the land for five generations, leasing it continuously until 1830, when Beekman’s heirs sold the property to Elisabetha’s great-great-grandson, Frederick. Since the time of the original grant, the hill has remained in continuous agricultural use, shaping the open landscape that is still visible today.

In the 1990’s, the hayfields and wetlands of what is now Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill were under threat from proposed suburban-style development. In response, local residents partnered with the Winnakee Land Trust and Scenic Hudson to acquire and permanently protect the property.

A driving force behind this effort was Rhinebeck environmental attorney Drayton Grant, whose leadership and dedication helped unite the community around preserving the landscape for public use. After her passing in 2012 following a battle with cancer, the park was renamed in her honor to recognize her lasting impact. Earlier, in 2005, Scenic Hudson formally transferred ownership of the property to the Winnakee Land Trust in acknowledgment of its ongoing stewardship of the site.

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Trails Overview:

Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill features a simple but rewarding network of mowed trails that make exploring the property easy and intuitive. The main route is a broad, steadily climbing path that leads directly to the open summit, while additional mowed tracks loop around the hillside and through the surrounding fields. Together, they form a short but scenic circuit with minimal navigation required, where the focus stays on the rolling terrain and expansive views rather than technical footing or dense forest hiking.

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Hike Overview:

I’ve visited this park many times, and it’s consistently an enjoyable stop. It’s not necessarily a standalone destination, but it pairs well with several nearby spots such as Wilderstein Historic Site, Poets’ Walk Park, or Ferncliff Forest.

The walk itself is short and straightforward, climbing gently through open fields and rolling terrain. With little tree cover near the base and much of the hillside fully exposed, the route is largely sun-drenched from start to finish—beautiful on clear days, but best enjoyed when temperatures are moderate or the sun isn’t at its peak.

As shown in the elevation profile below, nearly all of the climb—about 182 feet of elevation gain—is reached within the first half mile.

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The Hike:

The hike at Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill is a short, straightforward hike, centered around a gentle climb to the open 558-foot summit. The wide mowed path ascends steadily uphill through former farmland, offering broad views that expand as you gain elevation.

To the left of the stone wall, a few benches sit tucked into the edge of the trees, offering one of the only shaded resting spots within the park and a quiet place to pause out of the open sun.

The views of the Catskill Mountains appear almost immediately as you follow the grassy mowed path toward the summit of Burger Hill.

A sweeping view of the southern Catskill Mountains and the distant Marlboro Mountains unfolding across the horizon as you gain elevation.

At the summit of Burger Hill, three stone slabs rest in the grass, doubling as both seating and a subtle etched profile of the mountain ranges that rise on the horizon. As you look out across the Hudson Valley, the carvings mirror the surrounding ridgelines, quietly linking the view in front of you to the landscape beneath your feet.

At the summit of Burger Hill, three stone slabs are etched with a simple map that helps orient the surrounding peaks, turning the surrounding panorama into a labeled horizon line carved in stone.

A broad view of the eastern landscape unfolds from the summit of Burger Hill, with rolling countryside stretching outward in layered fields and distant ridgelines.

A northwest-facing view from the summit of Burger Hill opens toward the distant silhouette of the Catskill Mountains, rising above the surrounding Hudson Valley landscape.

A southwest-facing view from the summit of Burger Hill opens across rolling Hudson Valley farmland, with distant ridgelines fading into the horizon.

From here, you can see the full Catskill section of the 350-mile Long Path unfolding across the horizon of the Catskill Mountains.

From the summit of Burger Hill, the loop descends along a second mowed path that gently follows the eastern flank of the hill, gradually easing toward the park’s edge where it meets the treeline before returning to the parking area where the hike began.

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Review:

Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill is one of those short hikes that consistently delivers far more than its mileage suggests. The open 558-foot summit where sweeping views of the Hudson Valley unfold in every direction, makes the ascent feel almost effortless. With its mix of expansive scenery, easy footing, and peaceful open fields, it’s an ideal spot for a quick escape, a quiet sunset, or simply a reminder of how rewarding a short walk can be.

Pros:

Short, easy hike with a big scenic payoff, wide well-maintained mowed paths with no technical terrain, expansive unobstructed summit views, great for sunsets, photography, and picnicking, family-friendly, easy to pair with nearby spots like Wilderstein Historic Site, Poets’ Walk , and Ferncliff Forest.

Cons:

Limited shade with most of the hike exposed to sun, small parking area that fills quickly, short trail length may feel underwhelming for those seeking a longer hike, can be crowded at peak times—especially sunset, minimal trail variety, open terrain offers little protection from wind or harsh weather.

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Sources:

• Winnakee Land Trust

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