Agriculture, historic architectural styles, and a marker connected to Kingston offer different points of interest for a stay in Lake Katrine. Those interested in the history of farms will find different themes here than at the historic marker. In the Town of Ulster, recreational spots with their own amenities add to the options. This makes it possible to choose based on specific interests rather than combining the different places into a single tour.
Farming history and historic buildings
The Healing Acres is a farm in Lake Katrine in New York State's Catskill region. The farm's apiary produces honey. Honey production is therefore a specific part of the agricultural history to discover in Lake Katrine.
Another perspective on rural heritage can be found at the De Meyer-Burhans-Felten Farm. A stone house and a 19th-century half-timbered house stand there alongside a New World Dutch Barn. The named buildings bring together different architectural styles in close proximity. Those interested in cultural history may wish to distinguish this architectural aspect from the history of agricultural use.
The farm known as De Meyer-Burhans-Felten Farm was worked by successive Kingston families for almost three centuries. These families participated in the Hudson Valley market economy. The long continuity of farming and the 19th-century buildings offer two different perspectives on the property's history: its use by several generations and its specific architecture. Together, they give rural heritage a chronological and architectural context without reducing its history to a single house.
A marker with a view of Kingston
The historic “Kingston Area” marker is located at the Ulster Travel Plaza on the New York Thruway (Interstate 87). It is on the right when traveling south. This orientation helps pinpoint the marker's location, while its content turns attention to Kingston.
The marker explains the Dutch settlement history of Wiltwyck, later Kingston, and the proclamation of the New York State Constitution in Kingston on April 20, 1777. It covers both settlement history and a precisely dated event in constitutional history. For travelers interested in the region's history, this is a different focus from the farming and architectural history in Lake Katrine: the marker tells the story of Kingston but is located in Lake Katrine.
Recreational spots in the Town of Ulster
Several recreational spots in the Town of Ulster differ mainly in their facilities. Charles Rider Park has a concrete boat launch and parking for 50 vehicles. On Sandy Road near Washington Avenue, Esopus Creek has a kayak launch, parking, a fishing platform, and picnic tables. The details about the launches help distinguish a site with a boat launch from one with a kayak launch; both locations also offer parking.
Robert Post Park offers a wider variety of amenities: picnic tables and charcoal grills by the water, a playground, and basketball, soccer, volleyball, and bocce courts. There is also a fishing platform, restrooms, and two pavilions. Dogs are allowed and must be kept on a leash. The different facilities make it possible to choose based on your plans: water and picnicking, play and sports areas, or a launch for boats or kayaks. The three recreational spots are located in the Town of Ulster; the historic farm and marker stories, by contrast, establish the Lake Katrine connection for the cultural themes.
Discover more destinations: Kingston, Clintondale, Accord, Wallkill, Hurley, High Falls, Saugerties, Ellenville.
For the main travel guide: Ulster.
