Hudson Valley Waterfall Guide: From Saratoga and the Capital Region to the Highlands and Palisades [Paperback]

Russell Dunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2005

Led by Russell Dunn, author of top-selling and critically acclaimed guides to the waterfalls of the Adirondack, Catskill, and Shawangunk mountains, discover 100 “cool cascades” along the Hudson River and its tributaries—one of America’s greatest watersheds and a designated National Heritage Area. Hudson Valley Waterfall Guide features detailed maps, easy-to-follow directions, charming vintage postcard illustrations, extensive history and background, and includes waterfall adventures for every level of ability. Visit waterfalls in Saratoga, Albany, Washington, Rensselaer, Columbia, Greene, Ulster, Dutchess, Putnam, Orange and Westchester counties in New York, plus Bergen County, New Jersey, and see for yourself why the National Park Service dubbed the Hudson River Valley “the landscape that defined America.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

Those who pick up this extraordinary guide will find countless paths to these and other inspirational places in the Valley. --Ned Sullivan. president, Scenic Hudson

About the Author

Russell Dunn is the author of Adirondack Waterfall Guide: New York’s Cool Cascades (Black Dome Press, 2003), Catskill Region Waterfall Guide: Cool Cascades of the Catskills & Shawangunks (Black Dome Press, 2004), and Adventures around the Great Sacandaga Lake (Nick Burns Publishing, 2002). He is currently working on two more guidebooks, one of which will be coauthored with his wife, Barbara Delaney. Dunn has also published articles in Adirondack Life, Kaatskill Life, Adirondac, Hudson Valley, Adirondack Explorer, Glens Falls Magazine, Sacandaga Times, National Speleological Association, and other magazines. Dunn works full-time as a medical social worker at the Visiting Nurse Service of Schenectady and Saratoga Counties. When not working or writing, he plays classical guitar, practices legerdemain, writes songs, and takes stereographic pictures. He and his wife divide their time between their home in Albany and their camp on the Great Sacandaga Lake.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Black Dome Press Corp. (October 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883789478
• ISBN-13: 978-1883789473
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #724,998 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I guess its OK, May 28, 2006

By 

Ralph Roach (Albany, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hudson Valley Waterfall Guide: From Saratoga and the Capital Region to the Highlands and Palisades (Paperback)

I was very exited to see this book because I love photographing waterfalls and on the surface the books looks very informative. However this book suffers from one huge flaw. The directions on how to get to the first three of the falls we tried to locate were very vague or flat out imposable to follow. Both my wife and I became very frustrated trying to locate the waterfalls we chose to visit from the book. In the end we did find one of the three falls we were looking for, but that had more to do with a GPS unit and expert hiking skills. Still I would recommend this book, because there is no other guides like for the area. Just check the directions online before leaving for a set of falls.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good..., April 5, 2009

By 

Darwin's Bulldog (Upstate New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hudson Valley Waterfall Guide: From Saratoga and the Capital Region to the Highlands and Palisades (Paperback)

There are a lot of ways this book, indeed the whole series, could be improved. As ther previous reviewer stated, the directions are sometimes a bit weak, with some road names incorrect. I did find that using the DeLorme NYS Gazetteer, a recommendation, very helpful, but the scale on these maps is not fully adequate when looking for details. In most cases, I was able to use an on-line mapping service, such as Google Maps or MapQuest, to get a closer look at destination access roads. Some of the waterfalls are accompanied by extracts of Topo maps, so including something similar for all the locations would be nice. That said, I have not found any waterfall impossible to locate, although I have not yet visited all or nearly as many as I would like.

I suspect most of the short comings of these book results form keeping costs down; descriptions are brief, some directions a bit more round-about than necessary. Recent photographs for each would also be nice; some of the historic photos are interesting, but not helpful.

I really appreciate the inclusion of information regarding commercial buildings, or remains thereof, at waterfall sites. I'm generally looking for a natural setting, not an industrial one.

I would also recommend that anyone interested in Hudson Valley waterfalls also purchase the Catskills book as well. Many of the entries in the Catskills book are actually quite close to the Hudson River and Thruway.

So while the books could be better, they are the only ones available, and the easy access to on-line resources to firm up directions really makes them very, very useful.