AN INCOMPLETE GUIDE TO THE CATSKILLS
WHERE WE LIKE TO GO AND WHAT WE LIKE TO DO
OUTDOORS
Windham Path (2 min) - A mostly flat, hard packed trail perfect for walking your pup or going on an easy run. It’s uncommonly peaceful and beautiful, winding along the Batavia Kill with open views towards Windham Mountain.
Kaaterskill Falls (24 min) - The biggest destination in the Catskills for good reason. Drive to the upper viewing platform and hike down to the bottom without having to worry about the crowds that come from the other side.
Sunset Rock (24 min) - Our favorite hike in the area. Sunset Rock may be the destination but the journey is worth the trip alone. Start at the Catskill Mountain House Site and continue along, stopping at every overlook you can find. There's an unbelievable view of North-South Lake from Sunset Rock. This is the hike to do. Moderate difficulty, it should take around 2 hours roundtrip (also very easy to loop in with Kaaterskill Falls).
Black Dome (12 min) - Difficult and strenuous but not terribly long. Absolutely the best views of any hike in the area but you have to earn it. There are plenty of side trails and different ways to go up so do a little research beforehand.
Elm Ridge Park (3 min) - Our favorite trail run but also so much fun for serious mountain biking. There’s no real peak to hit, just strands and loops of undulating terrain. Find your way to Run Noot and Gold Mine and have a blast barreling down.
Mountaintop Arboretum (14 min) - Tranquil and pastoral, a restorative walk through woodland and meadow with inspiring mountain views and varied plant and wildlife.
Hunter Mountain Fire Tower (16 min or 30 min) - If you’re looking for the best view in the Catskills, nothing compares to the top of the fire tower. Enter from the ski side at Becker Hollow for a relatively easy 2.35 mi roundtrip hike or go full send and hit it from the 7 mile Spruceton trailhead and enjoy some well-earned beers at West Kill afterwards.
Mountain Brook Horseback Riding (15 min) - Horseback riding in the heart of the Catskills through 2 kilometers of trails and sweeping mountain views
SWIM
CD Lane Park (7 min) - There's an actual sandy beach and a really nice walking path above the reservoir which makes for a nice, easy outing in a gorgeous surrounding. There’s also free kayak and SUP rentals and roped off swimming lanes.
Colgate Lake (15 min) - Pack some food, pack some wine, pack your bathing suit. Go here on a warm day and lay in the grass and swim in the lake and marvel at how beautiful the Catskills is.
SPA
Skin Concept Esthetics and Wellness Spa (3 minutes) - Luxury wellness specializing in facial treatments and massage!
The Windham Spa (5 minutes) - Endearing mountain wellness boutique specializing in personalized fully body massage treatments and even full-spectrum Cannabinoid therapies.
SHOP
Tannersville (17 min) - Close to the inn, the town is small but dense with antique shops and little bakeries and coffee shops. It’s kind of that ideal mountain town that only exists in movies.
+ Last Chance for beer, Sundry for home goods, Bear & Fox for coffee, Tannersville Antiques for curios, Fred’s for donuts.
Hudson (34 min) - The town is full of charming shops and cafes. A slow, meandering walk in and out of each storefront is a pleasant way to spend a day if the weather is tepid and/or you’re not feeling so outdoorsy.
+ Talbott & Arding for muffuletta, Mel The Bakery for bread, Cafe Mutton for lunch, BackBar for drinks
Antique Warehouse (34 min) - A massive warehouse full of, well, everything vintage and antique (including clothing!). It’s the kind of place you’ll be happy to just roam around in, snaking through all the nooks and crannies, marveling at the life-size giraffe and endless assortment of furniture and art.
Gardenheir (2 min) - Just down the road, for those tools and candles and blankets and cool home stuff you really can’t find anywhere else, with a strong focus on gardencore sophistication.
+ Briars & Brambles Books, Skin Concept
Windham Mountain Outfitters (2 min) - Every mountain town needs an equipment hub. Ski and snowshoe rentals, mountain bike repairs, clothing, supplies, and knowledgeable staff for all your outdoor adventure needs.
Story Farms (26 min) - Family run farmstand with a lovely selection of organic fruits, vegetables, and assorted local products. This would be a really great stop when you’re headed back home to stock up!
Elevated Wine (12 min) - Charming selection of wines and spirits with a deep appreciation for natural wines from around the world. If you’re looking for a bottle to take to the lake, this is the place.
look for ‘+’ for surrounding area favorites
HIDDEN GEMS
The Catskills is wide reaching and wonderfully layered. There are tiny little gems of towns scattered throughout the region with every version of small-town warmth you can imagine. Take a long drive and get lost! The roads are quiet and the views are breathtaking and, really, you have nowhere else to be, and nothing else to do, but take it all in.
You are exactly where you’re supposed to be.
WELCOME TO HENSONVILLE!
The population of Hensonville sits at 378 people, give or take a few. We’re a tiny hamlet of Windham in the middle of a much larger and far reaching region. If Windham is famously known as The Gem of The Catskills, we like to say that Hensonville is The Gem of The Gem of The Catskills.
Stay at the inn and take a short stroll down the hill to main street, where you’ll find our specialty grocery shop, Paracasa.
Get in your car and drive 6 minutes over to CD Lane Park and lie on the beach, swim in the lake, and take a leisurely walk around the reservoir - or continue another 3 minutes to Black Dome Mountain for unbelievable hiking.
Jog a couple of loops around Windham Path, or challenge yourself to a trail run at Elm Ridge Park. Our favorite lazy day in The Catskills? 10 minutes gets you to Colgate Lake, soft grass, and a rippled mountain vista. Another 10 and you’re at the number one hiking destination in The Catskills - Kaaterskill Falls and North-South Lake. And don’t forget skiing in winter - 4 minutes to Windham Mountain and 10 to Hunter.
Of course it doesn’t end there! We’re perfectly situated in heart of it all! There’s a reason they call this region The Great Northern Catskills.
Need some more recommendations? Check out the area map we’ve left in your room for all our favorites. And if you’re looking for something specific, it would be our absolute pleasure to be your guide.
Thoughtfully curated pantry and provisions for home and away.
Conveniently located in Hensonville, NY, a short walk down the hill from the inn.
Featuring a wide range of products sourced both locally and abroad, Paracasa is a specialty grocer to stock up for intimate dinners, large parties, picnics by the lake, delicious pastries, and grab & go essentials.
