Hudson River Treasures

The Face of Storm King

It is Autumn here in the Hudson Valley; the time when a not so young girl’s heart turns to fancy… yes, I’ve “fallen” for him; he’s tall, dark, strong with rugged good looks and though scarred from battle; he has always stood his ground.  He is as old as the hills and he is royalty; the Storm King.  Alas, his heart belongs to another… the beautiful River that flows beneath his watchful gaze; she is one with whom I cannot compete…

"The Storm King"

Storm King Mountain in the Hudson Highlands of New York was known by some other names in the past. It was reportedly dubbed “Klinkesberg” by Henrie Hudson and his crew on his original voyage due to its wrinkled rocky ridges. The Dutch colonists later referred to it as “Boterberg”or, “Butter Hill” apparently because the curved mound resembled a lump of butter.  It remained so until the mid 19th Century when well known writer Nathaniel Parker Willis who had become a resident of Cornwall on Hudson proposed a new name in a Home Journal Editorial:

“The tallest mountain is … looked upon as the most sure foreteller of a storm. When the white cloud-beard descends upon his breast in the morning … there is sure to be a rain-storm before night. Standing aloft before other mountains in the chain, this sign is peculiar to him. He seems the monarch, and this seems his stately ordering of a change in the weather. Should not STORM-KING, then, be his proper title?”

This became the final and certainly more fitting name for the mountain overlooking the Majestic Hudson River.

Storm King Looking North Bannerman's Island

Pay a visit to the Storm King for the  Hike & Bike now through November 20th; Route 218 from Cornwall on Hudson to Highland Falls {West Point} will close to traffic every Sunday from 11am to 3pm with attended parking at both ends. This is truly a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the rocks; as well as viewing the Hudson River at one of the most stunning vistas in the Valley! Bring your camera and a notebook to record memories of your walk!

Storm King Highway Breakneck Across River