Copake Lake
is a community that includes one of the largest recreational lakes in
Columbia
County and is part of the Town of Copake. Its population in the 2000 census
was 762, with many having weekend or summer residency. The lake claims 7% of
the total available area and is noted for swimming, boating, water-skiing
and fishing, especially black and large-mouth bass.
Harlem Valley Rail Trail
will ultimately be a 45.7-mile walking-bicycle trail on the old rail
bed
between Wassaic and Chatham, NY. Presently it consists of 22.7 miles of
paved and open trail between Wassaic and Copake Falls divided into 5
sections with lengths from 2.6 to 8 miles. Scenic views of the Catskill
Mountains, varieties of fern, a Butterfly Garden, the “vertical wetlands” –
typical wetlands plants growing on vertical rock cuts – creeks, Beaver Pond,
cinder flora habitat, cedar, cottonwood, maple and many other flora and
fauna exemplify the trail’s attractions. The Rail Trail is divided into five
sections for convenience, described in detail (entrance/exit, parking,
history, flora, and fauna) on its website accessed above.
Copake Country Club Golf Course
presents 18 holes that pars 72 over 6129 yards. It
overlooks
Copake Lake and looks onto the Berkshire Mountains, scenery as satisfying as
the course is challenging. The club’s Green Restaurant is open seven days
for lunch and dinner.
Undermountain Golf Course, Inc.
features a 3263 yard, 18 hole course off Route 22 on
Under
Mountain Road. The scenic beauty and serenity provided by the Taconic
Mountain Range to the east and the Catskill Mountains to the west will
intrigue players of all levels.
Campbell’s Hillside Driving Range
(No website available) is in Craryville, just off route 23 and invites you
to its 300 plus yards, mats and elevated tees.
Catamount Ski Area
has been owned and operated by Bill Gilbert and Don Edwards since 1974.
They
have a fifty year plus history in the operation of ski resorts as well as
the development of snow-making equipment and lift safety. Catamount
straddles the New York-Massachusetts border and presents 119 skiable acres
with 32 trails from super-gentle to super-steep. Snow-making covers 98% of
the trails and 15 are open at night. A 400-foot half-pipe tests the
adventuresome. Instruction is available for all skill levels of skiing and
snowboarding.
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
is an 80 year old volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to the
conservation of the 2175 mile Appalachian Trail (the longest foot trail in
the country) from Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia. ATC is an
excellent place for maps, information and news about the entire trail
including those parts nearby in Massachusetts and Connecticut. 90 miles pass
through the Berkshires with elevations from 650 to 3491 feet including Mt.
Greylock and Mt. Everett. The
Appalachian Mountain Club Berkshire Chapter can provide a wealth of
information about this section of the trail. On leaving Massachusetts, the
trail passes through the northwest corner of Connecticut for 52 miles with
an elevation range of 260 – 2316 feet. The Housatonic River Valley and the
Taconic Range are especially scenic. The
Connecticut Chapter - AMC is very knowledgeable about this part of
the trail. Both clubs are excellent reference sources about many other
trails, streams and camping throughout their respective areas.
Berkshire Hiking
invites you to take a break from the daily grind, spend an afternoon in
quiet surroundings and just relax. Show your kids forests, waterfalls and
open spaces with deep blue skies. If you have interest in a guided hike,
bike tour, kayak outing or a scenic ride through western Massachusetts or
Connecticut, get in touch with Berkshire Hiking.
New York-New Jersey Conference
is an excellent New York reference for maps, trails and current news,
especially for the Appalachian Trail.
Edna St. Vincent Millay Poetry Trail at Steepletop
is a half-mile
long woodland road
leading
to the gravesite of Millay and her husband, her sister Norma and her
husband, and Cora Millay, the mother who raised her daughters to love
poetry, literature and music. Panels on cedar posts along the trail display
nature poems by Millay, the first woman poet awarded the Pulitzer Prize. The
trail is for walkers and wheelchairs only. Turn off route 22 close to the
Austerlitz Post Office onto East Hill Road. Look for a “Millay Poetry Trail”
sign about 2 miles after the turn-off and just beyond the entrance to the
Millay Colony on the right.
Millay was at home at
Steepletop from 1925 until she died in 1950. Steepletop was named after the
tall wildflower that grew in abundance on her farm.
Harvey
Mountain State Forest
(No website available) consists of nearly 1600 acres of
hemlock
and birch, hosts in turn to yellow-bellied sapsuckers, Red-breasted
nuthatches, blue-headed vireos and many other entertainments for the avid
birder. The entrance is in Austerlitz, about one-fourth mile after turning
onto East Hill Road from Route 22.
Butternut Ski Area
is located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and presents 22 ski trails on
110
acres
with 10 lifts and a 5 lane 500-foot Tubing Center. Snowmaking equipment
covers 100% of the trails. Channing and Jane Murdock started the development
of Butternut (named for the prevalence of the tree) in 1963. With almost
annual improvements, staff honors from Professional Ski Instructors of
America and Ski Magazine which also featured Butternut and GB as “a
ski destination town”, Ski Butternut welcomes all ages and all skill levels
to enjoy all its winter sports.
