Looming behind Woodstock [1] is Overlook Mountain, the summit of which offers splendid views of the valley and river below. To reach the mountain from town, take Rock City Road to Meads Mountain Road; the trailhead is opposite Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (845/679-5906, www.kagyu.org [2], shrine room 1:30–3:30 p.m. Sat.–Sun.), a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. In its shrine room is a 13-foot-high statue of the Buddha, which was used by Martin Scorsese in his film Kundun, about the life of the Dalai Lama.
The two-mile walk to the top of the mountain follows an old roadbed, is of easy-to-moderate difficulty, and takes about an hour. Along the way you’ll pass the ruins of the Overlook Mountain House, once a popular resort that was anchored to the mountain by strong cables to keep it from being blown away. Plaques tell of the resort’s fascinating history.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-york-state/the-hudson-valley/mid-hudson-valley/the-catskills/woodstock
[2] http://www.kagyu.org