A hiker's paradise in the Hudson Valley

Answer: You get a hiker's paradise.

If the Hudson Valley lends itself to anything, it is to long afternoons spent ferreting out gorgeous vistas like so many golden nuggets. And best of all, almost all of the legwork for finding these places has already been done by a myriad of hiking clubs and natural conservation agencies, both private and state-run.

Groups such as the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, the Adirondack Mountain Club, the Hudson River Valley Greenway Conservancy, the Appalachian Mountain Club and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation all maintain, provide access to and dispense information about a latticework of trails state-wide.

In the Hudson Valley, a surprisingly short walk will bring a hiker to stunning views anywhere from the Bear Mountain Bridge to the North Lake Area. What follows is a small sampling of places to take your best hiking boots and a love for land as far as the eye can see:

Camp Smith Trail: This is a new addition to the network of trails overseen by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. The trail begins at a former toll house on Route 6 east of the Bear Mountain Bridge and heads 3.1 miles toward Anthony's Nose, a formation that gives awe-inspiring views of the Hudson, the Bear Mountain Bridge, Peekskill, and West Point.

Breakneck Ridge: Aptly named, this rock scramble is not for the unfit or anyone suffering from acrophobia. The trail starts two miles north of Cold Spring (Putnam County) and is a flag stop on the Metro-North Railroad line. A hiker can ask the conductor to stop the train at the trail head and then flag another train down on the way back. It's less than half-a-mile to the first level spot, but to reach the highest point requires a long, physical climb using both hands and feet.

Hubbard Perkins Conservation Area walk: If scrambling over rocks is not your idea of a relaxing hike, than this flat stroll through wooded paths might provide the right blend of scenery and leisurely pace. The trails start at the junction of Route 9 and Route 301 just outside of Cold Spring.

North Lake Area: No Hudson Valley hiking list would be complete without at least a couple of walks through the Catskill Mountain range, whose beauty inspired a group of landscape painters to create what later became known as the Hudson River school of painting. This particular stretch of escarpment requires just a short walk from the North Lake camp site in Haines Falls (Greene County). From the camp site, you can walk as little as a few hundred yards or as far as 20 miles and gaze the entire way eastward over the Hudson River Valley.

Slide Mountain: Eager to set your flag on the highest peak in the Catskills? Then this three-mile hike, 1,600-foot vertical climb is for you. The trials are accessed off of Ulster County Route 47, which runs north to south from Big Indian to Claryville. There is a parking area and information boards by the trail head. Slide Mountain is 4,204 feet high and has views to the east and north.

Balsam Lake Mountain: This one is a bit remote, but the payoff is a fire tower with extensive views of the Catskills. Take Route 17 to the Livingston Manor exit and then Johnston Hill Road north through Lewbeach to Beaver Kill Road. Follow Beaver Kill Road east into the Town of Hardenburg. The trail starts on the southwestern side of the town and takes you 3.5 miles and 2,000 vertical feet to the fire tower.

Shawangunk Loop: Minnewaska State Park outside of New Paltz is the sight of this ramble around Lake Minnewaska. Start at the parking lot, take Shore Drive to the southern side of the lake and then follow the Millbrook Mountain Trail to Millbrook Mountain. From there, continue on to a formation known as Gertrude's Nose and then loop back around to the Millbrook Trail. The highlights: stunning views of the lake itself.

For more information about these or any of the hundreds of trails in the Hudson Valley, contact any one of the following organizations:

- Appalachian Mountain Club (New York-North Jersey Chapter), 5 Tudor City Place, New York, NY, 10017.(212) 980-1431.

- Adirondack Mountain Club, ADK Headquarters Facility at 814 Goggins Road, Lake George, N.Y., 12845-4117. (518) 668-4447.

- New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, 232 Madison Avenue, Suite 401, New York, N.Y., 10016.(212) 685-9699.

- Hudson River Valley Greenway, 254 Albany St., Albany, N.Y. 12204. (518) 73-3835.

- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, 12205. (518) 457-7433.