What's nearby for activities and dining?
Most guests spend their stay enjoying Hollow Sky itself — the trails, the ponds, the hot tub, and the privacy of 110 acres. For anyone who wants to venture out, here's what's nearby, organized by restaurants and activities. Drive times are approximate and will vary with traffic, weather, and season — please confirm hours, pricing, and availability directly with each destination before making the trip, especially for anything requiring advance tickets, parking reservations, or with seasonal closures.
Restaurants
Hamlet at Union Hall at 1462 Main Street in Rensselaerville serves a seasonal, locally sourced dinner menu. Open Thursday and Sunday, 5–9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 5–9:30 p.m.; check its website for reservations and current information. Prominence Restaurant in Windham (about 25 minutes) is our favorite spot for dinner — Italian and steakhouse classics. The Tasting Lab in Greenville (about 20 minutes) for great tasting burgers in a relaxed setting. Catskill Mountain Country Store in Windham (about 25 minutes) is our favorite place for breakfast (served all day), and a good lunch stop too. Tap House Grille in Windham (about 25 minutes) for pub fare and a good beer list. Schoharie Valley Farms — The Carrot Barn in Schoharie (about 30 minutes) for great sandwiches, fresh meats, and a market worth stocking up at. For ice cream, The Ice-Burgh in Middleburgh (about 20 minutes) is the local favorite — it's seasonal, so check their hours before heading out.
Activities
Hiking: The Rensselaerville Forest trailhead is within walking distance of the house — maintained paths through old-growth hardwood and creek-cut terrain, no drive required. Vroman's Nose in Middleburgh (about 24 minutes) is a short, moderately steep hike to a rock outcrop with sweeping views of the Schoharie Valley — under two miles round trip, with a grassy lot at the trailhead. Free, no facilities on site; a small section of trail near the summit closes February–July for peregrine falcon nesting season, though the rest of the trail stays open.
Skiing: Windham Mountain is 25 minutes away with consistent snow and less crowding than Hunter on weekends. Hunter Mountain is 35 minutes and has the largest vertical drop in the Catskills.
Scenic chairlift: The Hunter Mountain Scenic Skyride (about 40 minutes) is an 11-minute chairlift ride to the 3,200-foot summit, with views across the Catskills into the Berkshires and Vermont — especially striking during fall foliage. Runs weekends only in fall (roughly early September through mid-October), 10am–4pm, weather permitting; tickets are sold at the lodge, so confirm current dates, hours, and pricing before visiting.
Shopping & culture: The town of Catskill (25 minutes) has independent shops, restaurants, and galleries. Hudson (under an hour) has world-class restaurants, antique dealers along Warren Street, and art galleries — easily a full day. Olana State Historic Site and the Thomas Cole National Historic Site are both nearby as well.
Nature & fishing: Catskill Creek and surrounding state forests offer fishing, swimming, and hiking, much of it uncrowded even in peak season. The creek is known for some of the best trout fishing in New York State. Natural swimming holes — cold, clear, spring fed — are a short drive away.
Waterfalls & swimming: Kaaterskill Falls in Hunter (about 50 minutes, past Hunter Mountain) is a 260-foot, two-tiered waterfall — one of the tallest in New York — with an easy walk to the viewing platform from the Laurel House Road lot. Parking is limited and strictly enforced nearby, so go early or on a weekday and confirm current parking-area status before heading out. Mine Kill Falls in Mine Kill State Park (about 34 minutes) is a series of falls with a viewing platform reached by a short, easy trail — free admission, open year-round dawn to dusk, best visited spring through fall, with a swimming hole and pool complex at the park.
Farms & local produce: Barber's Farm in Middleburgh (about 26 minutes) is Todd's local pick — a family farm and roadside stand in the Schoharie Valley since 1857, selling homegrown produce hand-harvested from the fields you'll drive past to get there; farm stand hours vary by season, so confirm before visiting. Stanton's Feura Farm in Feura Bush (about 32 minutes) offers pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, and raspberries in season (typically September–October) along with a hay maze and farm activities for kids — check their website or call ahead, as U-Pick availability wasn't confirmed open at the time of writing. Broome Animal Sanctuary is just up the road from Hollow Sky (about 7 minutes), giving shelter to rescued and at-risk farm animals; Todd tells us it also runs a produce stand on weekends, though this isn't listed on the sanctuary's own site, so confirm days and hours directly.
Movie night: The Greenville Drive-In (about 20 minutes) is a classic drive-in theater with screenings from dusk, seasonally — check their schedule before you go.
Stargazing: Preston Hollow has virtually no light pollution — the Milky Way is visible from the property on clear nights. The hot tub and open fields make for great late-night views; bring a blanket.