The scenic Hudson Valley of upstate New York offers four seasons of outdoor activities including hiking at Mohonk and Minnewaska, biking our rail trails, rock climbing the Gunks, and the best skydiving in the northeast. Historic New Paltz and Kingston are nearby with small privately owned shops, diverse restaurants, antique stores, and more.

IN HIGH FALLS (5 MILES AWAY) YOU CAN:

FARMSTANDS & FRUIT PICKING & WINE TASTING

HIKING

Bring water, a day pack, a map and wear good comfortable hiking boots. Always check for ticks after any time spent in the woods or tall grass. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. Carry in/ carry out.
Mohonk Preserve:  

  • Clove Chapel & Undivided Lot Trails: under 2 miles away. Start at the Clove Chapel where you’ll begin by walking on planks into the woods. You’ll climb gradually and there are some nice view payoffs along the way on the trail to your right. 
  • Spring Farm Trails: about 4 miles away. Start here to hike many trails including to Bontique Crag. 
  • Coxing Entry trails: Split Rock Swimming hole is at the start of the trail here. You can get to the Lost City from here. 
  • Trapps Entry: to hike along the climbing area above Rt 44/55. Great views of the cliffs and valley. You can watch the climbers or be a climber here. Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center: A good place to get started (on Rt 44/55 below the hairpin curve).

Minnewaska State Park Preserve (7 mi away)

  • Main Entrance: If you can, park up top and take a walk on the carriage road around the glacially formed Lake Minnewaska. 

*The Beacon Hill foot trail is great for spotting glacially polished quartz conglomerate rock and the views of the Wallkill Valley. *The hike to Castle Point on the blue carriage trail is full of great views. *Take the green trail to Lake Awosting & swim there. *Try the foot trails instead of the carriageways for a more intimate experience. You can mountain bike on any of the carriageways at Minnewaska. Helmet required. Swimming is generally open from Memorial to Labor Day. 

  • Peterskill entrance: There is a great trail there that winds along next to the Peterskill Stream. There is rock climbing at this entrance too. 
  • Sam’s Point Area (in Cragsmoor): Dwarf Pine Ridge & Ice Caves: *You’ll stroll the trail on top of the world, & stand taller than the trees. The Ice Caves usually have ice in them until early-mid summer!

HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS

  • D& H Canal Historical Society Museum, Mohonk Rd, High Falls (845)687-9311 Learn how coal from Pennsylvania and cement from Rosendale were transported to NYC via this canal completed in 1828 and spanning 108 miles. Take a tour of the canal and locks which run through the middle of High Falls. 
  • Huguenot Historical Society of New Paltz 18 Broadhead St, New Paltz (845)255-1660 See where & how the founders of New Paltz lived! Seven of the twelve original 1700’s Dutch Style Stone houses are preserved as house museums.
  • Mohonk Mountain House   located on the ridge half way between Clove Cottages and New Paltz is this amazing historic hotel with top rated Spa, 5 star restaurant and formal gardens.
  • Snyder Estate – Century House Rt 213 Rosendale (845)658-9900 Cement was discovered in Rosendale in 1825. The Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty both sit on Rosendale Cement. The Century House Historical Society is dedicated to the industrial history of the Rosendale natural cement region.  The Snyder Estate Natural Cement Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Stockade Historic District Uptown Kingston: With its many stone houses, the Stockade Area is one of the oldest neighborhoods in America.
  • Senate House Museum www.senatehousekingston.org 312 Fair St Kingston (845)338-2786. 1676 house. During a British invasion in 1777 New Yorkers met here to form a new state government. They fled when the British burned Kingston on Oct 16, 1777 (which each year is reenacted).
  • Culinary Institute of America www.ciachef.edu (about 45 mi away)The CIA operates five award-winning, student-staffed public restaurants.  Reservations call 845-471-6608, Visitors can also enjoy breath-taking views of the scenic Hudson River from a 30,000 square foot terrace.
  • Mohonk Mountain House www.mohonk.com
  • Woodstock Farm Sanctuary www.woodstocksanctuary.org Visitors can come face to face with the animals 845-247-5700

MUSIC, ARTS, AND THEATERS

  • Bard College, Fisher Center for the Arts Annandale on Hudson (845) 758-7900
  • Bardovan 1869 Opera House ,Poughkeepsie (845) 473-2072 and Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) 601 Broadway Kingston 331-1613: the Hudson Valley’s leading performance venues, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, Woodstock. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
  • OPUS 40 & Quarryman’s Museum, Saugerties 246-3400. Four-season concerts at a six-acre stone sculpture.  Amazing!
  • Rosendale Theater (movies) 15 min away Main St Rosendale 658-8989
  • Shadowland Theater, (performance) 30 min away 157 Canal St, Ellenville647-5511
  • Storm King Art Center: (45 min away)500 acre outdoor sculpture park and museum, Mountainville, NY (845)534.3115
  • SUNY New Paltz
    • Summer Repertory Theatere 257-3880 for more info. Admission is $12-16
    • Samuel Dorsky Museum Great rainy day activity
    • Piano Summer $27- 37 McKenna Theater
  • Tinker St Cinema 132 Tinker St (rt 212) Woodstock 679-6608
  • Upstate Films (movies)Rhinebeck on Rt. 9 (845) 876-2515

RAIL TRAILS – RAMBLE OR RIDE YOUR BIKE

  • New Paltz Go south to Gardiner or north to Rosendale along the Wallkill River. 
  • Stone Ridge/High Falls: follow first set of directions to High Falls. At the light, go straight. Make next left onto Leggett Road. A short way up on the Right is a parking area in the woods.  
  • Wallkill Valley Rail Trail www.wvrta.org
  • River to Ridge Trail River-to-Ridge Trail - Open Space Institute

BICYCLE RENTALS

  • Table Rock Tours & Bicycles www.trtbicycles.com (845) 658-7832 Main St (Rt. 213) Rosendale. Bike rentals $50/day. Our friend Christian Favatta is the owner. Say ‘Hi’ from Noah and Michelle, too.
  • Bicycle Depot www.bicycledepot.com (845)255-3859  14 Main St New Paltz  

SWIMMING

  • From your cottage, wear sturdy shoes and hike about 1 mile (about 15 minutes) through the woods on an old quarry road.  Refresh and relax, then prepare for the up-hill return! Or you can drive to this spot, the Peterskill Swimming hole on Tow Path Rd.
  • Split Rock Mohonk Preserve at the Coxing kill entry
  • Minnewaska State Park.  Beaches are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  Entrance fee per car.  Swimming in designated places only at Minnewaska Lake (close to the upper parking lot) and at Lake Awosting (five mile one way hike or bike).
  • Ulster County Pool, New Paltz.  At the county fair grounds. scenic views of the cliffs. Showers, changing room, picnic tables and snack bar.  First day of summer to Labor Day.

HORSEBACK RIDING

WINE TRAIL

Shawangunk Wine Trail is home to 15 wineries nestled between the Shawangunk Mountains and the Hudson River.