Once the place where P.T. Barnum’s menageries weathered out winters, Pine Plains bridges Dutchess County’s westerly river towns with the Harlem Valley to its east, a vast expanse of mountain, meadow, and woods flecked with humble cabins and discreet equestrian estates. You’ll fall a bit back in time in the hamlet proper, where there’s a bed-and-breakfast, a Revolution-era tavern, and a historic theater — recently restored — that welcomes performers from near and far. Stissing Mountain is the towering landmark here, and the trail to its fire tower at its summit ranks high on the list of the area’s most popular hikes, an ascent rewarded with unobstructed vistas spanning for miles. There’s a sandy beach at Stissing Lake Park, perfect for when things start to heat up. And, with it all equidistant to most transit arteries in the area, Pine Plains is simply the perfect accessible wilderness paradise.