Our first stop was at the rather picturesque and rustic visitors center where I picked up my copy of “Doodletown. Hiking Through History in a Vanished Hamlet on the Hudson“.

The center is named after former US Senator, Frank Raleigh Lautenberg. It was made possible by a $1.7 million gift from his family that will pave the way for a new visitors center at Sterling Forest State Park. At the time NY Governor George Pataki said of the New Jersey Democrat:

“As a senator, he stood with us in fighting for critical federal aid, And today, he stands with us as a citizen who recognizes that we can expand opportunities for recreation, and conserve precious natural resources, as we also expand economic development.”

The Sterling Forest Visitor Center serves as the gateway to a 15,800 acre wildlife preserve, an historic iron mine and foundry site and the largest bloc of unbroken deep forest habitat in the Hudson Valley region. The design program for the Visitor Center building called for a form and material palette reminiscent of State Park structures built in the 1930’s and consistent with Park Agency goals for resource conservation and responsible environmental design.

The building was sited at the head of a ravine emptying into the south shore of Sterling Lake. This location enabled the design team to include ground floor auditorium functions and ample archive storage areas while maintaining the “low slung” character of a rustic shelter. As you walk through the building to the Observation Deck, the grade drops providing a commanding, panoramic view of the lake. The floor plan offers the visitor unimpeded access to the Exhibit Hall and other public areas in full view of the receptionist. Administrative and educational functions occupy two wings extending east and west from the Lobby, to allow for future expansions.(From the Hudson Design Website who I assume were the architects of the Visitors Center.

Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II