Walk the High Falls Conservation Area

  |  July 24, 2014
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Your intrepid blogger recently took a jaunt out to Columbia County to lay eyes on the county’s tallest waterfall at the High Falls Conservation Area. We had no idea what was in store, since we had only recently discovered it by stumbling upon it on a map. High Falls (not to be confused with the one in Ulster County) is located in Philmont just outside of Hudson and is part of the Columbia Land Conservancy. The preserve consists of 47 acres of land and 2 miles of easy trails, perfect if you’re looking for somewhere to take the little ones or just want a laid-back stroll through the woods. But the area’s crowning glory is the waterfall itself, which we heard long before we encountered it while taking the green trail, the quickest route to falls viewing. As we came around a corner, the 150-foot waterfall suddenly loomed before us beyond a fenced viewing spot. From our perch, we sat silent for a while, staring in awe of the magnificence of it all, thinking, “Why didn’t we know about this place sooner?” Looking at the map, we realized that we could take the blue trail down along the Agawamuck Creek and follow the creek almost to the bottom of the falls. However, as we got tantalizingly close to the falls, the trail ended, so we did what any Merrell-wearing Upstater would do: We got our feet wet and traversed the creek all the way to the falls, where the thunderous noise of the water hitting the rock below almost drowned out any conversation.

Now, you’re going to want to swim when you get there. It’s so inviting, that big clear pool at the bottom of the falls. Sadly, swimming is not allowed. But we will tell that, unlike Bish Bash Falls, there’s no ranger waiting to write you a ticket if you do. In fact, when we ventured out there on a Friday afternoon, there was nobody there at all except a couple of guys sitting on the far edge of the pool. So did we go in? That’s classified information, but swimming or no swimming, we will definitely be back. Next time you’re in Hudson, wolf down your falafel platter and take a short drive to Philmont to experience the falls. You will not be disappointed. Photos of our excursion after the jump.

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About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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