Halloween on the Hudson

In various talks and pieces, I have explored the perennial draw of the Hudson River Valley for artists, musicians, writers, and thinkers beginning in the early days of the American experiment and continuing into the present. My recent book Midnight Rambles: H. P. Lovecraft in Gotham even touches upon the horror master’s trips up the Hudson during his New York years. During the autumn months, this region holds particular attraction for those looking to enjoy nature and fall foliage.

Earlier this October, my friend and I boarded a train in Grand Central Terminal, a storied site itself, and headed to the village of Cold Spring. An artist and writer respectively, we embraced the tradition of our (largely better known) creative brethren hoping for an inspiring and restorative experience in the Hudson River Valley. We were not disappointed.

After fortifying ourselves with a quick lunch, we ventured to Little Stony Point, a hiking trail on the outskirts of the village and part of the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve. The trail offered both a scenic overlook of the majestic valley and paths along the river’s shoreline. While losing ourselves in the twists and turns coursing through the woods resplendent with autumn colors, we spotted a variety of birds, including blue jays and bald eagles, and we happened upon a cavern mysteriously and ominously guarded by a pair of jack-o’-lanterns. Standing atop a rocky outcrop, we gazed at the mountains and water and wondered how the scene might have looked to man of letters Washington Irving or the Hudson River School painters when they traveled to the region before industrialization and sprawl in the nineteenth century.

When descending the apex of the trail, we passed by a young woman quietly sitting on a park bench. She was looking down the valley and painting the moment before her. The Hudson River had captured the imagination of another artist.