The Overlook Mountain House was once a gem of the Catskills tourism boom, but now the remains of the once-decadent lodging attract more hikers than vacationers.  

Top Places in Woodstock

Woodstock, New York

Woodstock Artists Cemetery

Now the final resting place of prominent artists and musicians, it was originally founded to separate the rich from the poor in death.

42.0435, -74.1206

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Woodstock, New York

Woodstock School of Art Sculpture Garden

A peaceful international sculpture garden in upstate New York.

42.0425, -74.0913

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From the 1820s through the 1920s, New York’s Catskills region was the premier resort destination in America. Romantic painters and poets flocked to the unspoiled and inspiring landscapes, and wealthy American tourists soon followed suit. Resorts and magnificent hotels popped up all across the scenic mountain region. One of the foremost of these resorts was the first-class Overlook Mountain House, built in 1833 to capitalize on the stunning views from the top of Overlook Mountain. 

Like nearly all of the grand hotels and resorts from the area’s boom times, the Overlook Mountain House eventually fell into ruin (after a number of fires and rebuilds), and today the concrete skeleton rises out of the overgrown woods. Many walls, windows, architectural details, a fountain, and even a fireplace and curving staircase still survive in the eerie structure. 

Hikers and explorers looking to experience some modern ruins will find what they seek in abundance in this beautifully rotting hotel.