You'll discover the ruins of The Overlook Mountain House which loom from the forest like the bones of an ancient dinosaur. The views from Overlook are breathtaking. Half way between Woodstock and Saugerties is an environmental bluestone sculpture rising out of an abandoned quarry which covers more than six acres. Opus 40 was built over a thirty-seven year period by sculptor Harvey Fite. Visitors are astonished by the amount of stone that was quarried, dressed and moved into place to form the plateaus, steps and monolith.
Stones curl around the trees, pathways wind around fountains and wishing ponds abound.
Open May through October. If you want to try tubing, wait until the mercury hits about ninety degrees and head to Pheonicia, NY to spend the day along the banks of the Esopus Creek. This is a great activity for older kids as well as adults who will enjoy bouncing along the rapids in a large inner tube. This sweet and small state park just outside of Woodstock village has a shallow lake with a lovely sandy beach. I prefer the one mile ribbon of blacktop that winds it's way through a beautiful pine forest.