Engagement sessions at Little Stony Point in Cold Spring, New York

Little Stony Point sits right on the Hudson River in Cold Spring: a beach cove, wooded trails, and clifftop views, all within an easy, mostly flat walk from the parking area. No permit is required, which makes it one of the more accessible spots in the Hudson Valley for a session. The key, however, is timing. The beach disappears completely at high tide, so a session here only works if it’s planned around low tide and good light together.

Photo by Matthew Rigby Photography

Why tide timing matters here

Meagan and Thomas were the first couple I brought to Little Stony Point. Based on my own experience hiking and kayaking in the area, I knew the beach would be underwater if we didn’t plan carefully, so I found an evening that worked for all of us and also had low tide during golden hour. It happened to be a hazy day because of smoke drifting down from Canadian wildfires, and instead of ruining the light, the haze turned the whole session a reddish orange that felt almost otherworldly. Meagan and Thomas later got married at the Cypress Ballroom at Villa Venezia, and the trust we’d built at Little Stony Point carried straight through to their wedding day.

Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography

Danielle and Steve: getting to know each other before the wedding

Danielle and Steve had already booked their wedding with me when they added an engagement session, and it came down to something I’d said in our first consultation: that a session is less about getting more photos and more about a chance for the two of us to get to know each other before the wedding. That idea stuck with them enough that they booked a session at Little Stony Point built around exactly that, walking the beach and trails together rather than performing for the camera. It came full circle later, when that familiarity showed up in how comfortable they were with me on their actual wedding day.

Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography

Couples who traveled for the views

Darien and Nick had booked me for their wedding in New Jersey, a ceremony at their family church followed by a reception at a ballroom venue. They knew my experience with church ceremonies and reception lighting would carry their wedding day, but for their engagement session, they wanted something different from home. On my recommendation, they made the drive up to Cold Spring for fall foliage at Little Stony Point. They came in more formal attire than most couples wear here, and the trails are manageable enough that it never felt out of place. The result had an elegant feel, with the foliage on the distant mountains highlighted throughout their images.

Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography

Cassie and Kyle met me at a wedding expo at Arrow Park and booked their wedding after that conversation, because the comfort they felt talking with me was exactly what they wanted for their actual wedding day. They live out of state now, so they traveled up the night before and stayed with family so they could do their engagement session at Little Stony Point in October, timed for fall foliage. Neither of them had been to the park before, and both said they’d be back the next time they’re in town visiting family. Their wedding, a year out at the time and set in the Catskills, was already shaping up around the same kind of scenic, outdoor feel that drew them to Little Stony Point in the first place.

Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography

Planning your own session here

If you want hikes worked into your engagement session, hiring someone who already knows the tide charts, the trail conditions, and where the light falls at different times of year makes a real difference in how the day actually goes. I check tide and sunset times together before locking in a date, and I keep an eye on trail conditions after rain so we’re not caught off guard.

Comfortable shoes matter more here than at a lot of locations. The trail is mostly flat, but it can get uneven near the water, and a few of my favorite spots require a short scramble over rocks.

Little Stony Point sits just a few minutes from downtown Cold Spring, so some couples stay after their session and make dinner plans. I always like to recommend a couple of our favorite restaurants, like The Bird and Bottle Inn and the Hudson House River Inn, to round out an upstate getaway and make the engagement session trip even more personal and meaningful. For more locations across the region, my full guide to Hudson Valley engagement sessions covers what to wear, permits, and timing for the whole area.

If Little Stony Point sounds like the kind of session you’re picturing, whether that’s a quiet walk on the beach or something built around fall color on the trail, I’d love to talk about what your own day here could look like.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for an engagement session at Little Stony Point? No. It’s one of the more accessible Hudson Valley locations for that reason.

What’s the best time to visit for photos? Golden hour, ideally lined up with low tide, since the beach is underwater at high tide. I check both before scheduling a session here.

Is Little Stony Point good for a hiking-based session? Yes. The main loop is mostly flat and manageable even in more formal clothing, though a few spots involve a short scramble over rocks near the water.

Is it a good spot for fall foliage photos? Yes, several couples I’ve worked with have specifically chosen it for that reason, with the trail views and mountain backdrop both changing color through October.