Carmel Hamlet is the county seat of Putnam County, New York, a small town set around the shore of Lake Gleneida, about an hour north of Manhattan in hilly, wooded country. The old county courthouse, with its white columns, faces the lake, and nearby stands a bronze statue of a young woman on horseback: Sybil Ludington, who in 1777, at the age of sixteen, rode through the night to rally her father's militia after the British burned the town of Danbury in Connecticut. Her ride covered some forty miles over rough country roads, and local people are proud of her.
Lake Gleneida and most of the other lakes around here are not what they seem. They are part of the New York City water system, reservoirs and controlled lakes that feed the Croton watershed, and swimming in them is forbidden. Local beaches and pools exist, but many are restricted to town residents. If you were hoping for a quick dip on the way home, the more realistic choices are public state park beaches further afield, or a cooling stop with a cold drink by the water. Lake Mahopac, just west, has a long history as a summer resort and some lakeside access, but check rules before planning to swim.
The landscape is classic Hudson Valley hill country: forested ridges, rocky outcrops, dry-stone walls, farms and reservoirs with long views across the water. The roads around Carmel, such as Route 52, Route 301 and the many smaller lanes through Kent and Patterson, wind along the shores and over the hills with plenty of corners and changes of elevation. Route 301 west toward Cold Spring and the Hudson is a particular pleasure, running through forest past the Boyd's Corner and West Branch reservoirs before dropping down to the river.
The surfaces vary from smooth to battered, with frost damage after winter and gravel in the bends. Deer are common, so ride carefully at dawn and dusk. Autumn is the finest season, when the forests turn red, orange and gold and the light lies soft on the water.
Carmel has fuel, delis, pizza places and coffee shops. Mahopac and Brewster, just nearby, have more shops and restaurants. On the way back to the city, the Taconic State Parkway is the scenic route south, though traffic builds in the evening as you approach Westchester.