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Catskills, New York
Woodstock, New York
An artists' colony since the early 1900s at the foot of Overlook Mountain: Tinker Street's shops, the Woodstock Artists Association, Maverick Concerts, the Overlook fire tower and Opus 40's quarry sculpture nearby. (The 1969 festival was held in Bethel, about 90 minutes away.)
Photo: Overlook Mountain fire tower, Niranjan Arminius, CC BY-SA 4.0
Woodstock was an artists' colony long before the music festival that borrowed its name. Byrdcliffe, one of America's oldest arts-and-crafts colonies, opened here in 1902. Today Tinker Street is lined with galleries, cafés and record shops.
Above town, a trail climbs Overlook Mountain past the ruins of a grand old hotel to a fire tower with views over the Hudson Valley. Nearby, Opus 40 is a vast stone sculpture built in a bluestone quarry, and Kaaterskill Falls tumbles in two tiers. The 1969 festival was actually held in Bethel, about an hour and a half away.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Byrdcliffe Arts Colony
A historic arts-and-crafts colony founded in 1902.
Saugerties Lighthouse
A lighthouse at the mouth of Esopus Creek on the Hudson.
Maverick Concerts
America's oldest continuous summer chamber music festival.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Opus 40
Sculpture park admission.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Maverick Concerts Show
Part of our Hudson Valley and Catskills guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- The fire tower hike and Opus 40 are each a half day.
- Concerts at the Bearsville Theater and Maverick fill summer evenings.
- Kaaterskill Falls and Saugerties make a perfect second day.
Nearby and worth the drive
Beacon, Hudson and art.
Cooperstownabout 2 h · Guide ↗Baseball and Otsego Lake.
Ready-made trips with Woodstock, New York
Good to know
- Trails: Overlook and Kaaterskill trail info: NYS DEC.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Overlook Mountain fire tower, Niranjan Arminius, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ashokan Reservoir and Burroughs Range, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Opus 40, Saugerties, Manuela Michailescu, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Saugerties Lighthouse, petitebettie, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Tinker Street, Woodstock, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0