"High Falls Panoramic"

After seeing photos on line and reading up on this beautiful area, my friend and I drove 92 miles to reach this destination, and it was worth every single mile driven!

Three images were stitched together to create this panoramic image...


Some background information:

The Columbia Land Conservancy was pleased to announce the opening of the High Falls Conservation Area back in 2006. The 47-acre property is open to the public free of charge, year-round from dawn to dusk for non-motorized recreation including fishing, hiking, bird watching and cross-country skiing. As with all the Conservancy's conservation areas, it is also managed for wildlife habitat and used as an outdoor classroom for people of all ages.

Following approvals from the Claverack ZBA and the Philmont Planning Board that summer, the Conservancy staff and many local contractors completed numerous site improvements including safety fencing at the overlook, boundary fencing, a bridge, gates and landscaping. A newly installed gravel parking area located on Roxbury Road provides access to the trails and includes an information kiosk with trail maps and site history information.

The High Falls Conservation Area, a 47-acre property located in the village of Philmont, with access from the town of Claverack, is owned and managed by the Columbia Land Conservancy. High Falls, Columbia County’s highest waterfall, cascades 150 feet before culminating in a large pool. The water flows northwest until eventually reaching the Hudson River.

The trail leads visitors from a parking area to an overlook of the falls. The trail begins at an open, sunny locust grove and then shift to a cool, dark hemlock ravine.

The trail proceeds upstream towards the main view of High Falls. The sound of the Falls draws visitors towards this destination. The return trip winds through the mixed deciduous woodland interspersed with stone walls that reflect the site’s lumbering and agricultural history. A spur trail takes visitors down to the edge of the Agawamuck Creek to a picnic area, streamside trail and fishing access.
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