As Ulster County begins Phase Two of Reopening, many restaurants are now offering outdoor seating. Several restaurants even offer a view of our local streams!
If you’re in Big Indian, the Peekamoose Restaurant offers outdoor dining with an overlook of Birch Creek. Originating on Halcott Mountain, Birch Creek is a tributary of the Esopus Creek. Birch Creek was dammed to make Pine Hill Lake. In 1988, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) rebuilt Pine Hill Lake after the dam had been washed out twice. In their design, the NYSDEC made sure the lake was habitable for the cold-water trout that live there. Since warm water stresses trout, the NYSDEC built a dam that is located off the stream to keep the water cold. Additionally, a “fish ladder” was constructed to help trout travel over the dam.

The Phoenicia Diner and Woodnotes Grille are all within walking distance to the Esopus Creek.
The Phoenicia Diner in Phoenicia and the Woodnotes Grille at the Emerson Resort and Spa in Mount Tremper offer an excellent view of the Esopus Creek while you are dining outdoors or waiting for takeout. The Esopus Creek is the largest and most well-known stream in the Ashokan Watershed. The Esopus Creek provides water, economic opportunities, and recreational opportunities to our local communities. It also provides aquatic habitats and riparian habitats for an assortment of plants and animals. It is divided into the Upper Esopus located above the Ashokan Reservoir and the Lower Esopus located below the Ashokan Reservoir. The Upper Esopus has at least 330 miles of tributaries and drains some of the largest mountains in the Catskills. It is used for many recreational activities such as fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and tubing.
One restaurant with a view of the Beaver Kill is Catskill Rose in Mount Tremper. The Beaver Kill starts on Plateau and Sugarloaf mountains in the Town of Hunter and contains three different geomorphic sections. It starts as a very steep, narrow stream. In the middle section, it flattens and widens out and has lots wetlands next to it. Eventually, it becomes steep and narrow again until it flows into the Esopus Creek.
To learn more about parts of watersheds and river systems check out the new video on Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program’s YouTube Page.
For a complete list of restaurants that are currently open in Ulster County please visit the Ulster County Alive Take Out and Delivery Guide.