Herkimer County: History, Culture, and Outdoor Experiences

A Georgian mansion, museums in historic buildings, and train rides to Otter Lake, Big Moose, and Tupper Lake give Herkimer County a range of travel highlights. The county also offers river and canal experiences, along with outdoor activities. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, it helps to choose a focus first: history, winter sports, train excursions, or water activities each lead to different travel plans.

History and Collections

Fort Herkimer Church was built between 1753 and 1767 and is the oldest building in Herkimer County. Herkimer Home is a Georgian mansion, completed around 1764. Their different construction periods and architectural styles provide two specific historical points of reference.

In Old Forge, the Goodsell Museum is housed in an 1899 Victorian home and includes six exhibition rooms. The Little Falls Historical Society Museum is housed in a restored 1833 bank. It contains thousands of artifacts, family records, and relics from the past. The Russian History Museum offers tours, a library, an online lecture series, and special exhibitions.

Little Falls was once a global cheese capital and is now a gathering place for the next generation of New York’s finest cheesemakers.

Scenery and Activities

The northern part of Herkimer County is within the six-million-acre Adirondack Park. The Mohawk River flows through Herkimer County, and the Erie Canal also runs through the county. Recreational boating on the Erie Canal is possible in the southern part of Herkimer County. The southern county also offers opportunities for hiking, biking, and climbing. The Erie Canalway Trail crosses this southern part.

McCauley Mountain in the Town of Webb in Herkimer County has a vertical drop of 633 feet and 21 ski trails. This makes the mountain a specific point of interest for winter sports enthusiasts. In summer, McCauley Mountain offers a scenic chairlift ride as well as opportunities for hiking, biking, and picnicking. Since seasonal operations may change, check which activities are available before your visit. Winter and summer offer different highlights: ski trails take center stage in winter, while the chairlift ride and other recreational opportunities are highlights in summer.

Adirondack River Outfitters (ARO Adventures), based in Old Forge, offers family-friendly river trips and Class IV whitewater rafting on three rivers.

Train Rides and Special Experiences

The Otter Lake Explorer is a one-hour nature tour departing from Thendara Station and traveling along the Moose River to Otter Lake. The Big Moose Explorer runs as a round trip from Thendara Station in Old Forge to Big Moose, passing through forests and over rivers and streams along the way.

The Adirondack Mountaineer takes passengers through forests and over rivers and streams to Tupper Lake. Schedules and itineraries for this excursion may change; check them before planning your trip.

The Rockhound Academy at Herkimer Diamond Mines teaches visitors about the science of Herkimer diamonds and how to find them. Visitors register at Village Hall, where staff provide tips and instructions on the tools and techniques used for the experience.

Discover more destinations: Big Moose, Ilion, Herkimer, Old Forge, Suffolk, Saratoga, Steuben, Westchester.

For the main travel overview: New York.