Manitoga / The Russel Wright Design Center

Manitoga is the former home and 75-acre woodland garden of American industrial designer Russel Wright (1904-1976). Manitoga is a National Historic Landmark, an Affiliate Site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and one of the few 20th century modern homes with original landscape open to the public.

Over 70 years ago, Russel and Mary Wright acquired an abandoned quarry and surrounding hillside in the Lower Hudson Valley, and he slowly restored this land to a place of extraordinary beauty. Inspired by the legacy of the Wappinger people, the ancestral residents of the area, Wright called the emerging vision for these 75 acres “Manitoga” or Place of Great Spirit.

Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center stewards Manitoga as the embodiment of Wright’s design philosophy and life’s work and celebrates good design for living in creative harmony with nature through tours, programs, events, and free year-round access to woodland trails.

Woodland trails are open during daylight hours unless otherwise posted. Manitoga reminds you to take care on our trails and that all hiking is at your own risk. 

Suggested donation:  $5.00

Public Entrance: Manitoga, 584 Route 9D, Garrison, NY 10524. Manitoga's trails begin at the edge of Mary’s Meadow across the knoll from Visitor/Guide House.

Attention Hiking Groups: We welcome you to use the trails, but please notify Landscape Manager Emily Phillips at ephillips@visitmanitoga.org in advance of your visit so parking can be arranged.

The trails offer opportunities for moderate loop hikes of varying distances on the west facing slopes as well as access to extended hiking on the Osborn Loop Trail and Appalachian Trail in the adjacent Hudson Highlands State Park. In the summer there are pocket views of the Hudson River. These are called “osios” at Manitoga, from the language of the Algonquins.

Three trail loops, named for an historic trail segment, story, or event unique to that loop are marked with blue, red, or white markers.

The trails are co-aligned, following a single path from the start, with the Wickopee Trail Loop (Red) first peeling off to a short inner loop; then the White Pine Trail Loop (White): and finally, the Lost Pond Trail Loop (Blue) extending up the hill to an elevation of 650’ (400’ above the start). Loops reunite at Four Corners and are co-aligned for the descent to the meadow origin.

Look for 2020 dates for Quarry to Quarry and Osio Guided Landscape hikes at visitmanitoga.org Dogs are not allowed at Manitoga due to sensitive habitat. Manitoga has observed and determined that dogs, even on leash, threaten the character of the designed landscape. Stepping stones through fern meadows, moss carpets, and ephemeral pools that provide habitat for sensitive species are vulnerable to dog traffic and waste. To fully respect and contemplate the design and nature of the trails, please leave your pets at home.