Breakfast on a small grill provided next to your campsite in Max V. Shaul State Park along Route 30 south of Middleburgh, starts your day. After a comfortable night of sleeping under the stars, your days stretch ahead in the sweet Summertime air.
Drive south on Route 30 and find the winding country roads cool and green as you make your way to the Town of Jefferson – named after our fourth President. On the corner of the Town’s Green sits an old church converted to the Maple Museum and on Saturdays it hosts a farmer’s market ready with grains, textiles, maple products, fresh produce and more. Music fills the air as you admire the Bandstand built in the 1880’s across the small street.
Back on Route 30, the southern most point in Schoharie County is the Gilboa Museum and Juried History Center. Tree fossils over 300 million years old line the displays in the Museum and diagrams and maps tell their incredible stories. After the huge storm in 2011, the nearby Schoharie Creek gave up even more of the treasured fossils and the collection grew.
The next visitor experience is the New York Power Authority Blenheim-Gilboa and it is a triple play: The science of electricity and hydropower is on exhibit at the Visitors Center. Right beside it, history is preserved at Lansing Manor, a 19th century home. And it’s all surrounded by trails, boating, fishing, and other outdoor recreation. The Summer festivals and events take place on the lush green yards and hum with the sounds we all remember as kids.
Located in the scenic southern part of Schoharie County along State Route 30, Mine Kill State Park overlooks the New York Power Authority’s Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project. Cascading 80 Feet through a narrow gorge is the picturesque Mine Kill Falls for which the Park is named. A central summer-time feature of the Park is a beautiful outdoor pool complex which includes an Olympic size pool, wading pool and diving pool. Other activities include fishing, boating, hiking and disc golf.
The Old Blenheim Covered Bridge was opened in 1855 to serve the residents of Schoharie County as a convenient way to move farm equipment and produce from one side of the roaring Schoharie Creek to the other. This magnificent Bridge served the residents and countless visitors for over 150 years but on August 28, 2011 Tropical Storm Irene and the rising waters of the Schoharie Creek destroyed this beloved icon of Schoharie County. Today the Bridge stands again – a testament to the resiliency of this County’s people. A duplicate of the original bridge was built by FEMA and dedicated in 2017 and once again serves the County as a destination not to be missed. Plans for the Bridge include art walks and music festivals and of course, the sounds of water.