New York's Overlooked Village Near Albany Is A Scenic Escape With A Trail Leading To A Beautiful Waterfall

New York's Hudson Valley is famous for its historic villages, undulating hills, scenic farms and orchards, and river and mountain views. It's such a popular city escape that it can feel too crowded at times. But there are some spots, like Philmont, that surprisingly haven't been widely discovered yet. This hidden gem even has a network of peaceful trails that lead to a stunning waterfall.

The Hudson Valley, New York's bustling river valley, contains 10 counties that straddle the Hudson River, the 315-mile river that extends from the Adirondack Mountains down to New York City. The Upper Hudson Valley is the location of Albany, New York's oldest city, and the current capital of the Empire State. However, it's also home to Columbia County, a rural area known for its beautiful scenery. Columbia County is where you'll find the small village of Philmont, which is home to less than 1,500 people.

Philmont was built on the land of the Mohican people, who once inhabited vast parts of New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The Dutch first arrived in the area, naming it Klaver Rack (later to be altered to Claverack), in the mid-17th century. They were followed by the English before the State of New York was formed in 1788. In the town of Claverack, Factory Hill was the section full of wool factories. Its name was changed to Philmont, in honor of George P. Philip, who built a reservoir to power his mill, and it was officially established as a village in 1892.

The village of Philmont is small in both population and size. Since it only covers 1.2 square miles of Claverack, it's easy to get your bearings when you arrive. Philmont's Main Street is part of Route 217. It's lined with locally-owned restaurants and buildings from Philmont's wool heyday, including the Harder Mansion, the former home of a prominent knitting mill family and now part of the Philmont Historic District. Main Street also runs alongside Agawamuck Creek, the source of Claverack Creek, which eventually empties into the mighty Hudson River.

As Agawamuck Creek flows through Philmont, it moves into the High Falls Conservation Area. This 47-acre area, protected by the Columbia Land Conservancy, is where you'll find High Falls, the tallest waterfall in Columbia County. It also features picnic tables and color-blazed trails. One AllTrails user says it's "easy hiking and great scenic trails."

From the parking lot of the High Falls Conservation Area, you'll pass through a wooden fence, by an information stand, and then cross a wooden footbridge to start hiking. The Green Trail is the main trail up to the waterfall, while the Blue and Red Trails lead to other overlooks. If you follow the 1.5-mile High Falls Conservation Area Green and Blue Trail, you'll be able to see High Falls from multiple vantage points. The trail might be steep at times, but the hike is worth the breathtaking views along the way.

Though High Falls is usually considered a single, 150-foot waterfall, it's actually two waterfalls that tumble into the pool of water below. A dam, made for Philmont's old mills, sits above High Falls. The water from this first tier drops 10 to 20 feet onto a second, natural landing. From here, it plunges another 70 to 100 feet.

The best spot to enjoy High Falls is now the new Levy Lookout. The wooden deck, made from black locust trees from the High Falls Conservation Area, opened last fall. It features a protective railing and wooden benches for visitors to relax inside the forest. Best of all, it has an uninterrupted view of the thundering waterfall. If you're lucky, you might even have this spectacular spot all to yourself for a little while.

To reach Philmont and its beautiful waterfall, you can fly into Albany in the Hudson Valley. Albany International Airport (ALB), which receives nonstop flights from all over the country, is less than one hour away. They are also a relatively easy drive from both Boston and New York City. From Boston, it's a two-and-a-half-hour drive across I-90, the longest interstate in the United States. In about the same amount of time, you can drive up the Taconic State Parkway, one of the best scenic byways in New York for an unforgettable road trip, from New York City.