I most recently spent a few healing, soul-searching days at Kripalu, and on the last day, I hiked…read moreto this beach to meditate. (Go ahead and tell me I'm granola as $hit.) About the beach itself, it resides on a sizeable property, and they have a few chairs for sitting and relaxing while watching the calm lake in front. The sand seems smooth, so during the summer time I'm sure it's a fun place to swim and sunbath. There is a building with canoes and other types of boats on the property, but when I visited it was closed. Def a place to check out if you're ever at Kripalu.

Ahhhh.. Umpachene - how do I bottle you and bring you home?…read more Delightful 18 minute ride from where we were staying in Sheffield. Suggest loading GPS or navigation app before losing signal in the mountains. Of note, and quite a surprise after a score of years closed, the bridge on Umpachene Falls Road has been rebuilt and is open. Yesterday, the falls were rushing abs bracingly cold! While I didn't fully submerge or hide behind the water curtain, I sat in the flow and was transfixed and refreshed for an hour. Remains a Berkshire treasure!

Beautiful place. Nice picnic area. Very relaxing. Great place to go to unwind and enjoy nature…read more Highly recommended!

The falls are truly incredible…read more The trail down to the bottom of the falls, is a bit tricky. But so incredibly worth it. I would suggest not to believe the sign saying 189 steps.... it is definitely more! Take drinking water because you'll need that for sure. We went back in August and the heat was definitely there. The parking lot was pretty packed but throughout the trails people were pretty evenly spaced out. Not so much at the base of the falls themselves but there was still plenty of room to move around freely.

One of the tallest waterfall in NY, similar height to Taughannock Falls. Physical requirement is…read moredifferent tho, Kaaterskill Falls has about 500foot of elevation change and a lot of slippery stone steps at the end, if you come here when the weather is still cold. Parking: most people park at the Laurel-House Road parking area, because it is the closest. Or you can park at Mountain Top Historical Society, the old train station, which an extra mile. Starting from the old railroad station is nice, you can still see some old tracks on the ground. Walk to the overlook is fairly easy, once you get to the start point of Lower falls junction, it is where you need to be prepared. I recommend hiking shoe, especially in colder months where the ground is wet and iced. When you reach to the stone steps, they can get slippery. I am surprised no one fell in late March. Half of the steps were cover in ice and people were wearing regular sneakers. Once you reach the base of the two tier falls, the view is tremendous. If water levels are high, you can feel the energy of the water. There is a lot of spray from the falls when you get close. There is short trail to the middle tier pool. It was iced up during winter, spikes will definitely be useful. The end was amazing too. So close to the lead of the waterfall. You can keep going and follow Escarpment trail and follow the edge of the valley. There is monument for fireman Frank Layman who died during firefighting in 1900, at his monument, you can see route 23A bend around mountain. And if you keep going, there are a couple viewpoint to overlook the valley. Nice break points to enjoy the view and rest your legs.

The nicest sandy beach that I've found in the general area. Safe roped off area for the kids,…read morelifeguards in season and 2 floating docks. Clean, peaceful and accessible without a fee. How I would love a home on this little lake. No cell service, only wifi. Boat launch, porta potty but no other facilities or food.

Cute little beach in the heart of Monterey that never really gets crowded. I assume this is because…read moremany of the residents of Monterey actually have lake front property and don't really need to go here. Great spot if you have kids and they like sandcastles. Plus...having a lifeguard means you can finally read that trashy summer novel that you keep in your beach bag.

We found this to be a well-kept, well-managed park. It was my first time camping here and we had a…read morelarge, quiet site. Quiet hours were listed and enforced, which I loved. Our grandkids loved the beach and play ground and we all enjoyed the beauty of the area. Hot showers were available, at no extra cost, for campers and the rest room were clean. We used the fire pit each morning and evening and thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience in the large and beautiful state park.

Lake Taghkanic State Park is an expansive area with a pavillion, large beach, water activities,…read moreboat rentals, picnic tables, tent, trailer and RVcampsites; hiking, biking, crosscounty and snowmobile trails; short and long term rental cottages yearround. The park area is about a mile off the Taconic Highway in a relatively secluded area of Columbia County in New York State. Beautiful spot for a day visit or cabin rental for a summer vacation with the family.

Peaceful and calm setting. Beautifully designed rooms (cabins) with plush towels, comfortable…read morebed, Scandinavian minimalism. There's also a lake, pool, sauna, tennis, restaurant. I'm writing this while here and Prospect Berkshire is only open under new ownership for 5 weeks. Staff is very friendly. About 15 min drive to Great Barrington.

this place is literally out of a fairy tale and it's so worth a visit. the water, the pool, the…read morepeople everything is amazing. the sauna!! the tennis courts the food!!

This was our first time up in the area. We spent the day at the "beach " area here. The views were…read moreabsolutely spectacular. In addition, the water was super clean and clear. As other reviewers wrote, the area is very no frills. My 2 complaints were 1) the bath House was not open so we used the port-a-johns. They looked like they had not been cleaned out in months. All 4 were vile. 2) there were no signs about rules of the lake. Our children were using tubes and a plastic kayak. After 3 hours of using them by the beach, we were then reprimanded for using these items in the swimming/ ropes off area. Just wish that there was a sign that informed us as to what was and not allowed. Overall, had a wonderful day.

Campground is nice, especially for tents. Not much for RVs although there are a few sites that…read moreaccommodate... only one or two for waterfront and always booked. People that work here are super friendly. Kayaking in the reservoir was awesome!!! Beautiful coves and back bays. We even saw 2 eagles and a beaver swam right in front of us!! Down side... dump station and fresh water refill were closed. We had to travel 25 minutes and pay $10 to dump! Also Warning!!!!!.....TAKE EVERYTHING WITH YOU OR LOCK IT ALL UP IF YOU LEAVE FOR THE DAY. We spent a day sightseeing and came back to all of our wood, our tablecloth, tablecloth clips..all gone. We almost left our camp chairs and table behind but luckily decided to pack them and take with us for the day. So this is a family friendly campground and during the week we had no problem but obviously some low-life thieves came for Saturday night. Put a damper on our last day of vacation. Usually people who camp are cool but you always get a couple of jerks. Just beware. So updating my review. We found the thieves. They're so stupid they had our stuff out in the open. Anyway confronted them (they said they thought we had left... Really? So you take our stuff before 7 PM and then you don't say anything when we return ....and you're right across the street ??wow!!) . Hopefully they won't steal next time! they're back at this campground

Super fun summer activity. Called the number on their website in the morning to check hours of…read moreoperation. It was an automated message with clear instructions. Arrival, parking, paying, and the waiver process was easy. For $30, I had a lot of fun and thought it was worth it. Sort of want to buy my own tube and life vest for the future

When I wake up early in the morning Lift my head, I'm still…read moreyawning When I'm in the middle of a dream Stay in bed, float up stream (Lennon / McCartney) I wonder how many cars cruising up Route 44 have screeched to a halt when they see a bizarre sign proclaiming they have entered Satan's Kingdom! So what exactly is Satan's Kingdom?  Well, it's  a one acre state operated public recreation area on the Farmington River used for hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and tubing down the river's three sets of rapids courtesy of Farmington River Tubing. Where did that devilish name come from? I read that construction of a nearby railroad in the 1870's proved so difficult the railroad workers named it "Satan's Kingdom" In 2012 the recreation area gained Connecticut State Park status. We walked along the deserted grounds (tubing is closed for the season) and saw some very nice scenery and river views, Not one devil in sight.

Falling waters is a good, easy going trail for novices and walkers. Located off 9W, it's pretty…read moreeasy to get to. As the name would suggest, there's a few small waterfalls along both ends of the trail which are pretty and good for kids. Rainfall has been be decent for them to really be going, and even at their heaviest they're not too crazy (this is not Kaaterskill). It's also right on the Hudson River, so you get good views too. If you want just a quick walk or you have a stroller, the way down to the water is the way to go (yes, you still get the obligatory waterfall). If you take the longer path, you get the bigger waterfall, sweeping views of the Hudson, and also steep up/down hills along the water. Either way this should take terribly long and isn't far from civilization, so it's a good option for families.

Beautiful peaceful place to hike. I love the scenery, it's history. Convenient location.read more

This is a great state campsite in Rensselaer County in the Taborton Mountain area. iIt's a Windee…read moreride up the mountain to find it but there's something for everyone here-hiking trails, boating, swimming, picnicking beach for swimming,basketball and a modern playground for 2-5year olds. It's a carry in carry out facility-they do sell ice but there's nothing close as far as stores so bring everything you need. The campsites are mainly shaded areas but they come with fireplaces in picnic tables I don't believe RVs are allowed. Six dollars a day to park if you're just using the day facilities.

Cherry Plains is a little gem of a state park. It encompasses 175 of forest, pond and trails. The…read morepark has a sand beach, picnic pavilion, hiking trails and 20 campsites. 10 of the campsites are drive in sites appropriate for both tents and small campers, the other 10 sites are walk in tent only sites. The park is surrounded by 4,153 acres of wildlife management area. The black river pond is small but pleasant for paddling, with rowboat pedal boat rentals at the park. It's so much quieter than the other state parks in our area, and just beautiful.