Dutchess County Parks

 Holiday Illumination Weekend at Wilcox Park

Our light partners, including municipalities, nonprofits, local businesses, fire departments, clubs and schools, have come together to create themed holiday light displays for our free, drive through light show at Wilcox Park in Milan on Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6. Gates will be open from 6-9pm both evenings for you to enjoy some holiday spirit from the safety and warmth of your vehicle. Please Note: Wilcox Park will be closed during regular business hours on Saturday and Sunday to allow for set-up and safety precautions. Gates will open at 6pm, please no early birds and no walk-ins as this will cause traffic flow issues for arriving light partners. Parking will not be permitted; drive-through traffic only.

• Holiday Illumination Weekend Visitor Information (PDF)
• Holiday Illumination Map (.pdf)

Lake Walton Preserve Master Plan Survey & Virtual Public Outreach Events

Dutchess County Parks hosted two virtual public outreach events as well as conducted a community survey as part of the first phase of the Lake Walton Preserve Parks Master Plan.  Recordings can be viewed by clicking on either date and survey results will be posted soon.

Virtual Public Outreach Events    

• Monday, October 19th at Noon (YouTube)
• Tuesday, October 20th at 6pm (YouTube)

The purpose of the Lake Walton Preserve Master Plan Survey was to gather feedback from the community on proposed features/structures at the Lake Walton preserve. Results will be posted soon.

Dutchess County Parks

The primary goal for Dutchess County Parks is to enhance the quality of life for all county residents by providing safe and supportive county services. The Parks Division accomplishes this by operating six active facilities: Bowdoin Park, Wilcox Memorial Park, Quiet Cove Riverfront Park, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trail, and Dutchess Stadium. A wide variety of activities and educational programs are conducted at these facilities including swimming, boating, picnicking, hiking, camping, miniature golf, 27 hole disc golf, pavilion rentals, playgrounds, splash pad, and athletic fields as well as community events.

COVID19 UPDATE: Many of our Dutchess County Parks are open and operating with some restrictions. Under the State's NY Forward phased re-opening plan, occupancy limitations are in place for many of our facilities to maintain social distancing. We encourage everyone to wear your face mask whenever you cannot maintain a 6-foot distance with others, please continue to follow CDC guidelines, wash your hands regularly and follow posted social distancing protocols. Our priority is to keep our park visitors and staff healthy. We appreciate your support.

• Bowdoin Park: Open 7 days a week, operating hours change seasonally.  November 1-December 31 8am-5pm. 
• Wilcox Memorial Park: Open 7 days a week, operating hours change seasonally. November 1-December 31: 8am-4pm. Camping and pavilion rentals are closed for the season. 
• Harlem Valley Rail Trail and William R. Steinhaus Dutchess Rail Trails: Open 7 days a week.
• Quiet Cove Riverfront Park: Now closed for the winter season as of November 2. 
• Lake Walton Preserve will remain closed to visitors until further notice.

While enjoying our parks, please practice safe social distancing

We do our best to share any new operating guidelines that will impact your visit to our parks during this pandemic. If you have questions, contact the park office during regular business hours at 845-298-4600. We thank you for your continued interest in Dutchess County Parks!