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

Stumbled upon the Somerset Reservoir while we were out one day driving around the area; a couple of…read moreour friends were headed there to take their dog for a swim, so we decided to meet them. It is VERY much off the beaten path and once you turn on Somerset Rd., it's a good 3 or 4 mile drive to get to the general parking, picnic area near the water. Oh yeah, the road isn't paved either so it's best to have a 4x4 or some sort of vehicle with tires that can handle the trek. The general parking area is a decent size, there are a few picnic tables and a port-a-potty which was surprisingly clean. The reservoir itself is huge and great for kayaking or canoeing, neither of which we did, but I did see quite a few people there enjoying themselves on the water. There is one general walking direction which takes you to several different hiking paths and there is even a cute little bridge overlooking a beautiful stream. It had rained that morning and with leaves falling, the trails were a little slippery at points, but nothing that made me feel unsafe. I'd definitely recommend wearing sneakers or hiking boots of some kind. Between the group of us, we had 3 dogs and none of them were on a leash; people really didn't seem to care and everyone was friendly. The dogs enjoyed swimming in the water and I enjoyed looking at it. I'd most definitely go back to Somerset Reservoir with a camera and a light lunch to kick back and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Camped here haha lol at the airfeild, it was just so good. FOOD WAS GREAT. Those burgers and and…read morepattys were out of this world, they were cooked good. Such a good place for my family. I have a good palette so I love good food lol

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.

It was a bit difficult to find accurate directions to arrive at the trailhead, which is located at…read morethe end of a residential road. Online sources say to park at the YMCA nearby. The YMCA is permanently closed, and instead we found an elementary school where you can park, alongside which you begin through a short woodsy path and then must walk maybe 1/4 mile through the neighborhood before discovering the trail. The hike is a beautiful gentle up and down through the woods and along a river. It's only about 2 miles in-and-back, mostly very easy, but has a few tricky but fun spots where you may have to navigate over a tree trunk or carefully walk over rocks/uneven terrain at the edge of a shallow point in the river . The waterfall is a nice feature where you can sit and enjoy the sound and vibe before you turn around to head back.

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.

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.

It has been quite a few years since I've been to the Preserve, originally when I went it was a…read moreshort walk down to the Black Brook but not much else. It's changed a lot in those years, it's expanded to almost 60 acres, there's a bridge over the brook and benches along it where you can sit and contemplate your surroundings. There's now a full trail system that's really well marked and they seem to be adding another. The brook becomes a trickle in the heat of the summer but when I visited it was rushing over little falls and had some deep pools that were great for letting the dog take a swim.

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

It didn't matter that it was 2° up in the Berkshires- because all hubs (and I) wanted to do is trek…read morefor a bit- even if we called it a day in 15 minutes because of the numb-feeling temperature. Hubs had located one of the many, many, many trails within the the area In Lenox and noticed the Yokun trail. Be warned though and drive slow to get here- as some roads in the area are insanely narrow right next to dropping woody hillsides. Breathe. From the little bit we experienced, trails around the area offer walking and hiking options to suit all levels. Even though we were suited up for the trek, it was still freezing and difficult to walk on the cracked ice so we cut our walk short. Real short. We ventured a bit more and drove to the main office where Rosie(y?) helped and answered all our questions. We liked it here- but I'm sure it's magnificent in the Spring and Summer mostly where you can see all the lushness and some wildlife. What I also liked about Yokun Trail is that it's well-formed and signposted. You could try to tackle and get to the tallest peaks in the area to see the beautiful landscape- but for that, hubs and I will wait for better temperature to explore more of the wilderness.

Beautiful trails and an amazing view from the top. We arrived around 11AM on a fall Saturday and…read morethere were only a few spots left in the parking area. There is a $6 fee for parking, and the machine takes credit cards. We hiked up to the summit on the Blue trail which connected to the red trail. Trails were clearly marked and not too difficult. We even found a few geocaches along the way. Be sure to take the short spur trail to Devil's Pulpit for a spectacular view. Even though the parking lot was nearly full, there are enough trails to that we never felt crowded. It took us about 2 hours total for our climb up and down the mountain, with some time spent enjoying the view from the summit.

Finally came here after having it bookmarked for years. Medium lot fills up quick. Paid parking. 9…read morebucks. There was a DCR worker there helping people figure out which trail was better for them. He was very polite. There are 2 trails to get to the top. You can take the steep shorter trail or a longer trail that wasn't as steep. I opted for the steep one. Definitely a good little hike. I was out of breath. The top has a phenomenal view. Absolutely breathtaking. Definitely a place you need to put on your list of things to do.

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.

It's getting harder and harder to find places to get outside that aren't crowded with people trying…read moreto do the same thing. My husband and daughter have been there multiple times but today was my first trip. The preserve is 85 acres with multiple trails, one that go up hill and back down with a rope strung between the trees to grab on to, while another is a gentle meander along the Kinderhook creek with benches and swings to relax on. There's a trail for almost every ability The parking lot is small, only 15 cars and parking on the road is not permitted so please don't do it.

This is one of my favorite places around to spend a summer afternoon. It's a huge nature preserve…read morewith lots of trails, but the spot where two streams intersect not too far from the parking area is beautiful and perfect for cooling your feet in the water, bird watching, or having a picnic. There are two picnic tables close to the water, plus a cute swing to take a rest on. If you do picnic here, make sure to bring something to put your trash in -- there are no garbage cans (or restrooms) available.