Explore hidden-gem small towns in upstate New York

Small towns have a lot going for them, but the friendly atmosphere is a major lure for many travelers.

“It’s almost like everyone here is an ambassador,” said David Warner, who runs a newspaper in Little Falls, a small city in the Mohawk Valley.

People come “to tune out and check in,” said Peter Manning, executive director of the Catskill Mountain Club, a former Long Islander who now lives near Delhi, New York. Visitors find “a slower pace, a kind of pastoral experience,” he said. Wherever you’re heading upstate, Manning says “bring your mountain bike, bring your hiking shoes…there’s something for everyone.”

Here are three hidden gems in upstate New York within four hours from Long Island that are worth exploring.

Ghent: Immerse yourself in the art scene 

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: About 2½ hours away 

Six clouds in shades of blue greet visitors to Art Omi, a 120-acre Hudson Valley art and sculpture park. Held up by towering steel support columns, the installation is one of the most intriguing sculptures at the park. For the best views visitors trek through grassy fields and forest paths, minding the warnings for ticks, poison ivy and mud. From April through October, guests who prefer not to walk can ride a golf cart driven by a volunteer guide on a 45-minute loop to see the highlights (free, but reservations must be made about two weeks in advance).

Along with the art center, visitors come to Ghent (named for the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812) to spend time in nature. Trails leading to High Falls, at 150 feet the highest waterfall in Columbia County, overlook a mill dam built in 1845. A ferry tour of the nearby Hudson-Athens Lighthouse  in the middle of the Hudson River offers a glimpse of what life might have been like for lighthouse keepers.

OVERNIGHT STAY

Most travelers stay in nearby Hudson or East Chatham. The Inn at Silver Maple Farm is an 11-room B&B where you can hike trails alongside a creek. Have breakfast or lunch at Bartlett House, a charming cafe in a former railroad hotel now designated as a national historical site.

Delhi: Experience natural beauty 

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: About 3 hours away

This small town in the middle of the Catskills was named after the famed city in India, apparently because one of the founders, Ebenezer Foote, was known as the “great mogul.” Be advised, however, that the pronunciation is del-high. The Delaware River flows through the town, which is the county seat and the home of the State University of New York at Delhi. Visitors are drawn to the village for its natural beauty, especially the Bramley Mountain Trail, a four-mile loop that takes hikers past a quarry, then up to a recently restored fire tower.

“It’s just spectacular,” said Ann Roberti, who moved to the area from Long Island 20 years ago. Now president of the Friends of the Bramley Mountain Fire Tower, Roberti notes that there are many family-friendly trails in the area. From Memorial Day to mid-October, volunteers staff the fire tower weekends, allowing visitors to climb to the top for spectacular views.

Learn about the town’s history at the Delaware County Historical Association, where you’ll be able to tour the former home of Judge Gideon Frisbee. Along with the two-story Federal-style house, there’s a barn and several buildings that have been moved to the site, including a blacksmith shop and a schoolhouse. Nearby is Fitch’s Bridge, one of 24 covered bridges in the state.

The Buena Vista Inn is an old-style motel in the heart of town, offering single, double and family rooms. In nearby Bovina, the Mountain Brook Inn is a charming B&B, offering eight suites with kitchenettes and separate bedrooms. The Brushland Eating House in Bovina serves a three-course family meal every Saturday ($75 per person).

Little Falls: Go mining for treasure

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: About 4 hours away 

The 2018 horror film “A Quiet Place” starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, opens with an eerie shot of an almost deserted street. Not to worry, that’s rarely the case in this friendly Mohawk Valley city, where the opening shots of the apocalyptic thriller were filmed. Set between two cliffs, the city has a unique look, said David Warner. “It’s photogenic,” he added. “People tells us it reminds them of a Swiss or German village.”

There is much to do in Little Falls, even if it is one of the smallest cities in the state. Visitors can embrace the town’s history at the Herkimer Home State Historic Park, once the residence of Revolutionary War hero General Nicholas Herkimer. Guided tours of the 1764 Georgian mansion are offered Memorial Day through Labor Day, but the grounds are open year-round to see the family plot (where the general is buried) and remnants of a lock on the Erie Canal.

Once known as the cheese capital of the world, the town was the site of the first cheese market in the United States and celebrates that fact with an annual festival every fall (Oct. 26; littlefallsheesefestival.com). The town’s also got a pricier commodity — the Herkimer diamond, actually faceted quartz stones usually found in dolomite rock. The diamonds can be found at several mines in the area (Russell Family Mine), where visitors can dig for the gems (or buy them in the gift shop). Outdoor enthusiasts should check out Moss Island, a natural geographic site popular with rock climbers and interesting because of giant potholes created by melting glaciers that can be as deep as 40 feet.

OVERNIGHT STAY

The Inn at Stone Mill is a charming B&B in a converted stone mill overlooking the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal. Continental breakfast is included and there’s a small café. Eat dinner at Beardslee Castle where you can have drinks and lite bites in a downstairs dungeon.