CATSKILL MTN STROLL
CATSKILL MTN STROLL
A day at the lake.
Make a cup of coffee at the house and go take a walk around most of the lake. No swimming no fishing but great walk. If you park at the first pullover bottom of cooper lake rd, lake in view, you can walk all the way to 212 then spin back around . So super nice at sunset. Bring a bottle of wine and just veg at the pullover. Limited parking so go early or late. Get wheels off rd. Couple places to do so.
31 lokal ang nagrerekomenda
Cooper Lake
Make a cup of coffee at the house and go take a walk around most of the lake. No swimming no fishing but great walk. If you park at the first pullover bottom of cooper lake rd, lake in view, you can walk all the way to 212 then spin back around . So super nice at sunset. Bring a bottle of wine and just veg at the pullover. Limited parking so go early or late. Get wheels off rd. Couple places to do so.
This is the nicest access to the rail trail. Way more scenic, especially if you are just walking it and not biking. Limited road noise.
52 lokal ang nagrerekomenda
Ashokan Rail Trail- Boiceville Bridge Trailhead
5080 NY-28AThis is the nicest access to the rail trail. Way more scenic, especially if you are just walking it and not biking. Limited road noise.
Close to house. literally just down the rd. First uphill boring up Nordic Drive but once there nice little loop. Good for a runner. Scenic old quarry mess.
Snake Rocks Preserve
WLC received this gift of 36 acres in 2004. Known locally as “Snake Rocks,” this preserve is located off of Yerry Hill Road in Woodstock and is a blend of mixed forest, an old quarry pond, walking trails, and open views of the Wittenberg Valley. Explore the abandoned bluestone quarry from the late 1800s that supplies bluestone for some of New York City's most famous buildings. If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a Northern Water Snake swimming in the quarry pond looking for a snack.
8 lokal ang nagrerekomenda
Snake Rocks
Close to house. literally just down the rd. First uphill boring up Nordic Drive but once there nice little loop. Good for a runner. Scenic old quarry mess.
Snake Rocks Preserve
WLC received this gift of 36 acres in 2004. Known locally as “Snake Rocks,” this preserve is located off of Yerry Hill Road in Woodstock and is a blend of mixed forest, an old quarry pond, walking trails, and open views of the Wittenberg Valley. Explore the abandoned bluestone quarry from the late 1800s that supplies bluestone for some of New York City's most famous buildings. If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a Northern Water Snake swimming in the quarry pond looking for a snack.
Take a break from the mundane! Everyone comes to Woodstock and invariably cruises the strip; stores galore! You can easily access 7 acres of trails right from the center of town once you’re done shopping, or better yet while your friends shop for your token tie die.
Comeau Drive is directly across from the police station and adjacent to the Woodstock Apothecary. You can drive or walk up and park for free. There are amazing views of Overlook, and the surrounding mountains as well as a streamside promenade.
The spot has in most recent times become somewhat of a dog park, mostly down by the stream part of the trail accessed beyond the soccer fields. I am particularly fond of the soccer fields (pickup soccer games there as well as ultimate frisbee). They are lovely, huge, and for the most part, underused. I enjoy this open expanse where one can simply throw down a blanket and kick back and recharge with a friend. Bring a picnic. Get the kids to run around.....Great for stargazing!
Not quite the Great Lawn just yet!
76 acres of meadows, woods, and stream front at the Comeau (Village of Woodstock).
Placed under easement in 2009, this property is owned by the Town of Woodstock and is the site of its municipal government offices. It offers open views and trails and is a popular public area long used for hiking, dog walking, soccer and enjoyment of nature. To learn more about the community-driven effort to protect Comeau and WLC's work on this project, see the Comeau Easement page.
31 lokal ang nagrerekomenda
Comeau Trail
Comeau TrailTake a break from the mundane! Everyone comes to Woodstock and invariably cruises the strip; stores galore! You can easily access 7 acres of trails right from the center of town once you’re done shopping, or better yet while your friends shop for your token tie die.
Comeau Drive is directly across from the police station and adjacent to the Woodstock Apothecary. You can drive or walk up and park for free. There are amazing views of Overlook, and the surrounding mountains as well as a streamside promenade.
The spot has in most recent times become somewhat of a dog park, mostly down by the stream part of the trail accessed beyond the soccer fields. I am particularly fond of the soccer fields (pickup soccer games there as well as ultimate frisbee). They are lovely, huge, and for the most part, underused. I enjoy this open expanse where one can simply throw down a blanket and kick back and recharge with a friend. Bring a picnic. Get the kids to run around.....Great for stargazing!
Not quite the Great Lawn just yet!
76 acres of meadows, woods, and stream front at the Comeau (Village of Woodstock).
Placed under easement in 2009, this property is owned by the Town of Woodstock and is the site of its municipal government offices. It offers open views and trails and is a popular public area long used for hiking, dog walking, soccer and enjoyment of nature. To learn more about the community-driven effort to protect Comeau and WLC's work on this project, see the Comeau Easement page.
Go to the Ashoka Reservoir Promenade. Google Ashoka Reservoir parking. If you are a shutterbug this is where you will get amazing photos of you and your friends with no effort. I’ve cross country skied the promenade and it is a go to spot for a great shot. If you are interested in a history of the area lesson watch Deep Water.
232 lokal ang nagrerekomenda
Ashokan Reservoir
Go to the Ashoka Reservoir Promenade. Google Ashoka Reservoir parking. If you are a shutterbug this is where you will get amazing photos of you and your friends with no effort. I’ve cross country skied the promenade and it is a go to spot for a great shot. If you are interested in a history of the area lesson watch Deep Water.
The rail trail, 10mn from the house, newly completed, although well trafficked, is an excellent place to take a walk or run and catch some views of the Ashokan Reservoir with a minimum amount of effort. There are points of interest that are documented along the way which fill you in on the history of the reservoir. Although, I find the road noise from Rt 28 a distraction, there is easy access, ample parking off peak hrs, and a nice flat well maintained surface to walk on.
Ideally, your best bet is to bring bikes and bike this. You can go all the way to Boiceville. Having done a lot of biking on the road in my youth, this is a godsend for people like myself that are no longer into the challenge of hill climbing or suv dodging. If you have a hybrid or a mountain bike you are in! In the event that the parking lot is full, there is parking directly across Rt 28, or park at the supermarket, Hannaford, on Rt 375 and bike from there, plenty of parking to the left of the store in the back area.
The sun sets are gorgeous, there is a lovely westerly view the whole way. If you go towards the end of the day, make sure to stop in at The Reservoir Inn, on Dike Rd, literally around the corner. There you can enjoy a delicious home cooked meal that will fill your belly after your excursion. Order a bottle of wine, quite affordable; try the Montepulciano. The building is historic and although no longer an inn, us locals are happy to see the doors open at 5:00pm Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat and at 3:00 on Sunday. Support a locally owned business and tell Tim Thirza sent you. Not a bad spot to sit at the bar, throw back a few and enjoy a meal and conversation. Karen, the bartendress makes delicious signature cocktails.
Project Background
Proposed in 2012, the Ashokan Rail Trail (“ART”) will create a world-class public recreational trail running 11.5 miles along the northern edge of the Ashokan Reservoir between Basin Road in West Hurley and Route 28A in Boiceville. The ART will be 10 to 12 feet in width and surfaced with a compacted crushed stone surface that is accessible for persons with disabilities and limited mobility. Once completed, the ART will be open to the public dawn-to-dusk, year-round for non-motorized uses, including hiking, bicycling, running, nature observation, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. The ART will provide the first public access to the incredibly scenic northern shores of the Ashokan Reservoir without a special DEP permit in more than a century. The ART will also be a key component of a developing interconnected rail trail system linking the Walkway Over the Hudson to the Catskill Park.
The ART will be developed on the County-owned Ulster & Delaware (“U&D”) Railroad Corridor pursuant to Ulster County Legislative Resolution No. 488 of December 2015 and in cooperation with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”). The ART segment of the U&D has not been used for train service in 40 years and was delineated for conversion to a rail trail as part of the County’s segmented “rail-with-trail” policy, which also allowed tourism rail operations in the Kingston and Mount Tremper segments of the U&D corridor.
Planning, preliminary engineering design, and environmental review for the ART began in June 2016, and a Public Information Meeting was held on December 1, 2016 to discuss preliminary design concepts and information on the corridor (videos and presentation available below.) The Project is slated to begin construction in late 2017 and will include removal of the rail and remaining ties, drainage improvements, re-grading of the former railbed, installation of signage and fencing, development of trail amenities, and connection to three major trailheads, which are being designed and constructed by the DEP. The construction will include replacement of the destroyed Boiceville Trestle and replacement of the failed major culvert at Butternut Creek as well as measures to protect water quality in the Ashokan Reservoir. The ART will also include interpretive signage regarding the history of the Ashokan Reservoir, Esopus Valley communities, U&D Railroad and Catskill Park.
Ashokan Rail Trail. Woodstock Dike Trailhead
1285 New York 28The rail trail, 10mn from the house, newly completed, although well trafficked, is an excellent place to take a walk or run and catch some views of the Ashokan Reservoir with a minimum amount of effort. There are points of interest that are documented along the way which fill you in on the history of the reservoir. Although, I find the road noise from Rt 28 a distraction, there is easy access, ample parking off peak hrs, and a nice flat well maintained surface to walk on.
Ideally, your best bet is to bring bikes and bike this. You can go all the way to Boiceville. Having done a lot of biking on the road in my youth, this is a godsend for people like myself that are no longer into the challenge of hill climbing or suv dodging. If you have a hybrid or a mountain bike you are in! In the event that the parking lot is full, there is parking directly across Rt 28, or park at the supermarket, Hannaford, on Rt 375 and bike from there, plenty of parking to the left of the store in the back area.
The sun sets are gorgeous, there is a lovely westerly view the whole way. If you go towards the end of the day, make sure to stop in at The Reservoir Inn, on Dike Rd, literally around the corner. There you can enjoy a delicious home cooked meal that will fill your belly after your excursion. Order a bottle of wine, quite affordable; try the Montepulciano. The building is historic and although no longer an inn, us locals are happy to see the doors open at 5:00pm Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat and at 3:00 on Sunday. Support a locally owned business and tell Tim Thirza sent you. Not a bad spot to sit at the bar, throw back a few and enjoy a meal and conversation. Karen, the bartendress makes delicious signature cocktails.
Project Background
Proposed in 2012, the Ashokan Rail Trail (“ART”) will create a world-class public recreational trail running 11.5 miles along the northern edge of the Ashokan Reservoir between Basin Road in West Hurley and Route 28A in Boiceville. The ART will be 10 to 12 feet in width and surfaced with a compacted crushed stone surface that is accessible for persons with disabilities and limited mobility. Once completed, the ART will be open to the public dawn-to-dusk, year-round for non-motorized uses, including hiking, bicycling, running, nature observation, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. The ART will provide the first public access to the incredibly scenic northern shores of the Ashokan Reservoir without a special DEP permit in more than a century. The ART will also be a key component of a developing interconnected rail trail system linking the Walkway Over the Hudson to the Catskill Park.
The ART will be developed on the County-owned Ulster & Delaware (“U&D”) Railroad Corridor pursuant to Ulster County Legislative Resolution No. 488 of December 2015 and in cooperation with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”). The ART segment of the U&D has not been used for train service in 40 years and was delineated for conversion to a rail trail as part of the County’s segmented “rail-with-trail” policy, which also allowed tourism rail operations in the Kingston and Mount Tremper segments of the U&D corridor.
Planning, preliminary engineering design, and environmental review for the ART began in June 2016, and a Public Information Meeting was held on December 1, 2016 to discuss preliminary design concepts and information on the corridor (videos and presentation available below.) The Project is slated to begin construction in late 2017 and will include removal of the rail and remaining ties, drainage improvements, re-grading of the former railbed, installation of signage and fencing, development of trail amenities, and connection to three major trailheads, which are being designed and constructed by the DEP. The construction will include replacement of the destroyed Boiceville Trestle and replacement of the failed major culvert at Butternut Creek as well as measures to protect water quality in the Ashokan Reservoir. The ART will also include interpretive signage regarding the history of the Ashokan Reservoir, Esopus Valley communities, U&D Railroad and Catskill Park.
I love this area! BUT only after the park closes around President’s Day and before it opens around Memorial Day. Juneau, my Alaskan malamute and I would skijore the lake when conditions were favorable or as we both got older just power walk around it. Feels like Alaska. Takes an hr to get there from the house, an hr to walk around the lake. All flat.
146 lokal ang nagrerekomenda
North-South Lake
I love this area! BUT only after the park closes around President’s Day and before it opens around Memorial Day. Juneau, my Alaskan malamute and I would skijore the lake when conditions were favorable or as we both got older just power walk around it. Feels like Alaska. Takes an hr to get there from the house, an hr to walk around the lake. All flat.
Go toGiant Ledge in the fall. Easy hike. Have ascended the peak on skis just a couple yrs ago when we got some good big dumps.
43 lokal ang nagrerekomenda
Slide Mountain Peak
Go toGiant Ledge in the fall. Easy hike. Have ascended the peak on skis just a couple yrs ago when we got some good big dumps.
ZENA CORNFIELD
SELF-GUIDED NATURE WALK Peter Koch & Sara Lynn Henry. 8/9/14
DO STAY ON MOWED PATHS AND ROAD because of poison ivy and nasty bugs.
1. From the Picnic Table.
What is the view? –see field, woods, mountains, sky?
What is the character of the mountains, compared to the Adirondacks, Rockies or any higher mountains you know?? Our Catskills were actually formed by the erosion of a plateau and are very old, therefore soft and rounded.
Looking at the woods behind the Picnic Table. What are woods like at the edges of fields?
Because of the sunshine there are more bushes, undergrowth; it is a place for birds, insects, and small animals. Above are oaks, maples, elms, basswood, and ash trees. Looking across the road you can see darker, denser woods, less undergrowth, with Cathedral-like vertical trees and light shining through from beyond.
2. The two streams. Walk on the road to the left toward the bridge and small house. You will see left and right at the bridge the small stream—the Fontayne Kill, a tributary of the Sawkill. Where does it join the Sawkill? Look right, turn right and about 40 yards down find the rocks on the right and the view. There are steps you can go down at the end of the rocks. You can see the convergence of the two streams. What is it like?
3. Retrace steps to the picnic table. On the way notice the big spray of grape vines to your right.
4. At the table join the nature path to the far right to walk along the field. Just beyond the first big telephone pole, find a huge stand of mugwort with its silvery backed leaves. Close up it has a slightly sage-like smell. Mugwort is an invasive species. What does that mean? Invasive species are plants that have been introduced from outside, propagate very fast and edge out the native flora.
See down below to the right of the mugwort, the lovely clematis vines with tiny white flowers.
5. Between the two telephone poles, find the numbered 5 spot.
See how many different kinds of vegetation you can count. You may find chickweed (with tiny white flowers that look like a daisy; it is called “chickweed”, because chickens like to eat it), jewelweed (with tiny orange flowers), and the taller milkweed (some with pods as you go; lots of the shorter plants in the field, which has been mowed.)
`
6. By and beyond the second telephone poll. Find the American hornbeam birches with grey bark and fluted trunks, draped with grape vines, which fall over the path and curve up gracefully, growing up under the trees.
As you walk further you will see more views of the Fontayne Kill to your right and another big stand of mugwort. Follow the path going right through the mugwort. What do you hear?
As you walk beyond that how much more of the mountains can you see?
7. A young white pine tree. Walking beyond the mugwort, come upon the medium sized white pine tree on the right with its spray of needles at the end of every branch. White pines can become 100 feet tall and live 200 to 250 years. There are some that live to 400 years old. White pines and cedars are the first come into open spaces as early species in the development of a forest.
8. Walk quite a ways to the last view spot of the Fontayne Kill.
You will see lots of bushy multiflora rose bushes along the way with their prickly branches. They are pleasant when they flower but are another invasive species.
At the mowed look-out spot, find to your right an American winterberry tree with its green berries. These berries will turn red in the fall!
Looking at the stream you can see stream grasses and a stony island.
From here you can continue on the path to the end where it curves around and returns. Or you can retrace your steps until you find the path that directly leads to the other main events. (You will have to cross a bit of unmowed meadow to get to that cross path)
ENJOY!!
Zena Cornfield
Zena RoadZENA CORNFIELD
SELF-GUIDED NATURE WALK Peter Koch & Sara Lynn Henry. 8/9/14
DO STAY ON MOWED PATHS AND ROAD because of poison ivy and nasty bugs.
1. From the Picnic Table.
What is the view? –see field, woods, mountains, sky?
What is the character of the mountains, compared to the Adirondacks, Rockies or any higher mountains you know?? Our Catskills were actually formed by the erosion of a plateau and are very old, therefore soft and rounded.
Looking at the woods behind the Picnic Table. What are woods like at the edges of fields?
Because of the sunshine there are more bushes, undergrowth; it is a place for birds, insects, and small animals. Above are oaks, maples, elms, basswood, and ash trees. Looking across the road you can see darker, denser woods, less undergrowth, with Cathedral-like vertical trees and light shining through from beyond.
2. The two streams. Walk on the road to the left toward the bridge and small house. You will see left and right at the bridge the small stream—the Fontayne Kill, a tributary of the Sawkill. Where does it join the Sawkill? Look right, turn right and about 40 yards down find the rocks on the right and the view. There are steps you can go down at the end of the rocks. You can see the convergence of the two streams. What is it like?
3. Retrace steps to the picnic table. On the way notice the big spray of grape vines to your right.
4. At the table join the nature path to the far right to walk along the field. Just beyond the first big telephone pole, find a huge stand of mugwort with its silvery backed leaves. Close up it has a slightly sage-like smell. Mugwort is an invasive species. What does that mean? Invasive species are plants that have been introduced from outside, propagate very fast and edge out the native flora.
See down below to the right of the mugwort, the lovely clematis vines with tiny white flowers.
5. Between the two telephone poles, find the numbered 5 spot.
See how many different kinds of vegetation you can count. You may find chickweed (with tiny white flowers that look like a daisy; it is called “chickweed”, because chickens like to eat it), jewelweed (with tiny orange flowers), and the taller milkweed (some with pods as you go; lots of the shorter plants in the field, which has been mowed.)
`
6. By and beyond the second telephone poll. Find the American hornbeam birches with grey bark and fluted trunks, draped with grape vines, which fall over the path and curve up gracefully, growing up under the trees.
As you walk further you will see more views of the Fontayne Kill to your right and another big stand of mugwort. Follow the path going right through the mugwort. What do you hear?
As you walk beyond that how much more of the mountains can you see?
7. A young white pine tree. Walking beyond the mugwort, come upon the medium sized white pine tree on the right with its spray of needles at the end of every branch. White pines can become 100 feet tall and live 200 to 250 years. There are some that live to 400 years old. White pines and cedars are the first come into open spaces as early species in the development of a forest.
8. Walk quite a ways to the last view spot of the Fontayne Kill.
You will see lots of bushy multiflora rose bushes along the way with their prickly branches. They are pleasant when they flower but are another invasive species.
At the mowed look-out spot, find to your right an American winterberry tree with its green berries. These berries will turn red in the fall!
Looking at the stream you can see stream grasses and a stony island.
From here you can continue on the path to the end where it curves around and returns. Or you can retrace your steps until you find the path that directly leads to the other main events. (You will have to cross a bit of unmowed meadow to get to that cross path)
ENJOY!!
The Woodstock Land Conservancy's Sloan Gorge Preserve opened to the public in June 2007. Located at the foot of Overlook Mountain on the Woodstock-Saugerties town line, the 88-acre Preserve is a treasure trove of mixed hardwood and coniferous forests, vernal pools, a seasonal stream, and bluestone quarries, and has the first interpretive “geology trail” in the area. It is home to bear, fox, deer, raccoon, possum, porcupines, and a wide variety of birds and woodland flora. Read more about Sloan Gorge in the article by Robert Titus in the Spring 2007 issue of Kaatskill Life.
Visitors to the Sloan Gorge Preserve are greeted by two half-hip, pony-style trusses from a 24-foot-long bridge built by the King Bridge company owned by Allan Sloan’s wife’s family in 1887 located across Black Creek in the town of Byron, NY. The trusses were donated to the Woodstock Land Conservancy by the Sloan family. It is reputed to be one of the oldest wrought-iron bridges in New York State.
The loop trail leads to a bluestone quarry that was active during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The trail then continues along a picturesque stream (which flows intermittently throughout the year) through a dramatic gorge with rock formations created during the Ice Age. The trail then winds back past vernal pools and through stands of hemlock, mountain laurel, and blueberry bushes.
sloangorgetrailmap
Enjoy a self-guided Geology Trail walk using our "Field Guide to the Geology fo the Sloan Gorge Preserve Nature Trail" by Robert Titus, PhD. The brochure will walk you through 9 stops in the preserve that will take you on a journey into our region's geologic history as an ancient river delta complex bigger than that of the Mississippi. The brochure is available at the Sloan Gorge trailhead kiosk.
Directions to Sloan Gorge: The Sloan Gorge parking lot and trailhead is located at 487 Stoll Road, Saugerties, NY. From the center of Woodstock you can drive to Sloan Gorge by taking Rock City Road .6 mile, then turning right on Glasco Turnpike. Go 1.7 mi and then turn left on West Saugerties Rd. After 1.1 mi, turn right on Goat Hill Rd. Bear right at the corner again for .1 mi to Stoll Rd. Turn left on Stoll Road. After .2 mi you’ll see the WLC kiosk on the left. Please park only in the Sloan Gorge parking lot. View map here.
26 lokal ang nagrerekomenda
Sloan Gorge Preserve
487 Stoll RdThe Woodstock Land Conservancy's Sloan Gorge Preserve opened to the public in June 2007. Located at the foot of Overlook Mountain on the Woodstock-Saugerties town line, the 88-acre Preserve is a treasure trove of mixed hardwood and coniferous forests, vernal pools, a seasonal stream, and bluestone quarries, and has the first interpretive “geology trail” in the area. It is home to bear, fox, deer, raccoon, possum, porcupines, and a wide variety of birds and woodland flora. Read more about Sloan Gorge in the article by Robert Titus in the Spring 2007 issue of Kaatskill Life.
Visitors to the Sloan Gorge Preserve are greeted by two half-hip, pony-style trusses from a 24-foot-long bridge built by the King Bridge company owned by Allan Sloan’s wife’s family in 1887 located across Black Creek in the town of Byron, NY. The trusses were donated to the Woodstock Land Conservancy by the Sloan family. It is reputed to be one of the oldest wrought-iron bridges in New York State.
The loop trail leads to a bluestone quarry that was active during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The trail then continues along a picturesque stream (which flows intermittently throughout the year) through a dramatic gorge with rock formations created during the Ice Age. The trail then winds back past vernal pools and through stands of hemlock, mountain laurel, and blueberry bushes.
sloangorgetrailmap
Enjoy a self-guided Geology Trail walk using our "Field Guide to the Geology fo the Sloan Gorge Preserve Nature Trail" by Robert Titus, PhD. The brochure will walk you through 9 stops in the preserve that will take you on a journey into our region's geologic history as an ancient river delta complex bigger than that of the Mississippi. The brochure is available at the Sloan Gorge trailhead kiosk.
Directions to Sloan Gorge: The Sloan Gorge parking lot and trailhead is located at 487 Stoll Road, Saugerties, NY. From the center of Woodstock you can drive to Sloan Gorge by taking Rock City Road .6 mile, then turning right on Glasco Turnpike. Go 1.7 mi and then turn left on West Saugerties Rd. After 1.1 mi, turn right on Goat Hill Rd. Bear right at the corner again for .1 mi to Stoll Rd. Turn left on Stoll Road. After .2 mi you’ll see the WLC kiosk on the left. Please park only in the Sloan Gorge parking lot. View map here.