This was such a lovely surprise -- an easy nature trail with gorgeous waterfall views located right…read morein the city of Troy. It's even next to a bus stop -- the Vandenburg/Campbell Ave stop is about a two minute walk from the trailhead. Though this won't present much of of a challenge to someone looking for a serious hike, and the trails could be cleaner and better marked (at one point we ended up accidentally wandering off the path and into a litter-filled clearing), this is mostly just a delightful mini nature escape that more locals should definitely know about.

This IS a beautiful spot. Tucked in between urban areas, you'd never even know it was there! Well…read moreworth a visit. (As a single female, I don't feel comfortable walking this alone- so, go with company.)

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.

What a gem. Lovely views, so many birds, charming gazebo, beautiful pond. Mowed paths are well…read more-maintained (though currently drenched after this crazy spring). The maps at each intersection are fabulous! Would love to have more places be that easy to navigate. Thank you!

The property was beautiful and the walking paths were well carved out. The gazebo was a nice touch.read more

This trail is hidden in plain sight but definitely worth finding. First you have to park at the…read moreymca next to the elementary school. Then creep around the playground and find the sign and steps on your right. They will lead you across a small bridge. Then you end up in a neighborhood and super confused. Keep going straight. At the end of the next block you will see a sign which I've attached. Follow this street to the dead end and that's where the trail really starts. It's super interesting from the beginning and starts off easy. It follows the river. As you get closer to the waterfall (yes an amazing waterfall) it gets more challenging. We climbed up the rocks to the base of the waterfall where this is a little pond. A true hidden gem and worth the effort.

Great little hike to the cascades which were beautiful. At the peak the pools are deep enough to go…read morein about knee deep. Water is cool and refreshing.

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.

Helpful staff and a beautiful place to visit. We took the left trail to the summit. Pretty steep…read morefor a couple of old folks but worth it.

Great site for birding! The all persons trail is handicapped accessible and suitable for all…read moreability levels

Amazing easy/moderate hike in. No idea it existed and not that far away from Troy/Albany…read more Surprisingly big waterfalls and rock formations. Was told cause of all the rain it was not normally as high. Really peaceful. Thankfully no trash or other distractions from people. Will be back many times I'm sure.

I almost don't want to write a review for this conservation area because then it could become…read moreinundated with people. Simply put, you don't have to walk very far for some incredible views. We visited right after a heavy summer rainstorm so the trail right down to the falls was a bit hard to traverse (high water, slippery rocks, etc) but it was worth the treachery. But you don't have to hitch yourself down to get the full magic of these falls, you can also go for a slightly longer walk to see them at eye level. If you're visiting close to the Hudson area, a visit to the High Falls Conservation Area should be on your list! Then grab a drink in town.

This small cider/winery is an excellent stop on your tour through the Berkshires. They have some…read moreinventive ciders and wines that don't follow the "rules" of flavor profiles. Using grapes shipped from CA and mixing with apples crown on site, this small batch operation is a delightful stop. Specifically, I want to shout out our wine guide who took us through several of their wines. She made our experience there memorable with her amazing personality, charm, and humor. The space is small but offers a variety of options to hang out and enjoy their wines and ciders - inside by the fireplace, outside on the screen porch, or outdoors on the patio. We loved our time at Hilltop and hope to return.

Sara is the best! She is friendly and very knowledgeable about all of the wines. We loved the…read moreunique flavors and the story behind them all. Once we had tasted a bunch and decided on a glass she suggested that we take a walk through the Orchard up to the top of the hill, which was so peaceful and scenic. Of course we got a few bottles to go and the delicious donuts. We would love to come back.

Nice spot for beginners that want to hike a trail/mountain. It's a very very short journey. Also,…read moreif you want to cool down and take a dip afterwards, there are several points along the falls. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, everyone is looking to go here and it's unusually packed. And to no one's surprise, they will squeeze in and ignore social distancing. Otherwise, it's a nice dip that I'll occasionally come to because of the 2 hr drive.

This is a hike worth driving out to. It's a manicured easy trail to the falls. It's a series of 3…read morewaterfalls found across the street from the small parking area. There is also a summit and rock climbing. Pony mountain. Note: You should stop by the close by Williamsburg General Store for the scratch made fresh baked pastry.

Love hiking here! If…read moreyou're in this part of the Catskills, I highly recommend this trail. It's easily accessible and an easier hike to do. The trail is well-groomed and very walkable. There aren't any scrambles or large boulders, which is good.. The view from the top is pretty epic, and the fire tower which has been closed every time I've hiked the mountain has great views too. I would highly recommend this hike.

This place is absolutely amazing! I've hiked all the Catskills mountains three times over through…read morethe years and I had never been to overlook because there was no reason to but I had heard so much about this location I just had to visit and satisfy my curiosity on why this place is so popular. First off the parking lot is medium sized and parking on the road (even off the road) is risky because certain spots you are not allowed to park so arrive early, get a legit parking spot and save yourself the wasted trip or the hassle of returning to your vehicle to a ticket or it completely gone (towed). The hike up and back for Overlook is approximately 5 miles so everyone is spot on mentioning the distance. It's fairly steep all the way up and while you don't have any views on the way up, you do encounter some old ruins which is a neat break along the way. Once you do make it to the top you are met with a small shed that has some very minor historical information inside and on peak weekends you'll find stewards that can assist with information about the area and hiking tips. The fire tower can't be missed to the left after the small shed and the view is to the right of the shed. I have to say, I've been atop many mountains and it's been a long while since I've had my breath taken away but when I saw the view at Overlook it was breath taking. What made the view so beautiful and different than other mountains I've hiked is that the view is expansive with no mountains obstructing so you can see as far as the eyes can see. It's truly a remarkable view being so high up and seeing so far out. This mountain is known for its rattlesnake population. Sadly I never got to see one because I always hike in the early morning hours and they normally come out at around high noon when the sun is the hottest.