Unwind with a Visit to Columbia County New York.
If you are looking for a perfect weekend getaway or vacation destination, Columbia County, NY is an ideal place to visit. Nestled between the banks of the Hudson River and the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the county offers breathtaking vistas and unsurpassed rural beauty. Pick a country road and see where it takes you. You are sure to pass country stores and farm markets brimming with local produce and baked goods. Stop and pick your own apples, berries, peaches and have a taste of what “fresh picked” truly means. Or follow the Berkshire Hudson Beverage Trail and sample local vintners and brew masters’ finest wines and spirits.
Easily accessible by car or Amtrak train, Columbia County is packed with events, attractions and activities to keep everyone entertained.
For outdoor enthusiasts, there are over 25 miles of trails for hiking and bird watching or acres of state parks and campgrounds to pitch a tent or bunk in a cabin. Meandering country roads lead the cyclist through hills and dales and small villages and hamlets loaded with characteristic charm. Bring your kayak and paddle Henry’s namesake, the Hudson River or commune with nature in one of our public conservation areas or public parks. Into adventure? Challenge your climbing skills within the treetops at Catamount Adventure Park in Hillsdale.
Columbia County also has a vibrant cultural scene. With over 24 performing arts groups within our borders, there is an abundance of theater, dance and music options. Twilight movies, waterfront concerts, summer stock theater, even an outdoor performance tent fill the vacation season with non-stop entertainment. If art is what piques your interest, spend a day gallery hopping in Hudson or Chatham, take a tour of famed Hudson River School painter Frederic Church’s Moorish style homestead, Olana or visit one of the county’s most unique art venues, the sculpture garden at The Fields at Omi in Ghent. And, if shopping is your passion, Hudson offers a diverse array of one of a kind boutiques and some of the finest antiquing in the Northeast.
For those interested in history, the county is home to over 50 heritage sites. Monuments, museums, and historic resting places capture Columbia County’s distinctive place in U.S. history.
Clermont, the riverside estate of Robert Livingston, Jr., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, offers a glimpse of life along the waterfront circa 1728. Further up river sits the one time whaling port of Hudson, NY where seasonal tours of one of the few remaining Hudson River lighthouses are launched. Columbia County is privileged to be home of the 8th President of the United States, Martin Van Buren. His post presidential estate, Lindenwald, in the town of Kinderhook depicts his life and rise to political fame as well as being a prime example of an Italianate architecture. Enjoy a walking tour through historic Kinderhook Village among others and view some of the finest examples of Federal, Georgian, Greek Revival and Gothic architecture in the Hudson Valley.
Perhaps a restful stay is on your mind. Relax at one of the county’s many boutique country inns or cozy bed and breakfasts. Or for something completely different, experience the Farm Stay at Kinderhook and view firsthand what it means to be a working farm.
So come and “stay a spell” or escape for the weekend. Columbia County is just 2 hours from NYC, 30 minutes from Albany and minutes from the Berkshires. Visit www.columbiacountytourism.org for a complete event listing and additional travel information. Explore the heart of the Hudson Valley, this year!
Chenango County is also rich in imagination when it comes to our festivals and events. Indulge in the speed of the World Championship Motocross, top-notch entertainment at the Chenango Blues Festival, or the color and pageantry of the Sherburne Pageant of Bands. Or, imagine if you will basketball courts up and down the main street of town during the Gus Macker Basketball Tourney.
