Callicoon

a guide to one of my favorite hamlets on the Delaware river

One of my earlier memories of time spent with Dan’s family was a trip we took to this region in 2020. It was the middle of summer, and in my opinion, one of the most special times of year to visit. The skies around his family’s home turned to cotton candy every evening, and mist settled over the hills, horses’ flicking tails and clusters of healthy cows punctuated the hills. During that visit, we hiked a mountain above the Delaware River, with sweeping views at every turn. We explored Callicoon and Narrowsburg, two small towns that line the river, and we stopped into a few shops in both spots, checking out antique pieces and fun specialty snacks.

I learned during this visit that most of the commerce I saw was not even a figment of an idea when Dan’s family had moved to the region about 30 years ago. In fact, Narrowsburg, a place where Dan’s family spent every fourth of July watching the fireworks from his great uncle’s home on the shores of the Delaware River, was nothing but residential, and definitely not a destination—even for the surrounding locals. Over the past decade or so, things have massively changed. Now, we routinely visit Callicoon and Narrowsburg for their shops and restaurants, and shop-owners have told us that they are seeing a rise in visitors. The most traffic to the area is definitely during the summer months, but even in the winter the weekends offer a pretty good handful of things to do.

Callicoon in particular is a place we frequent weekly. We go on Sunday to catch the farmers’ market featuring local purveyors with beautiful produce. The market is year-round, which is a saving grace for us to have access to really good produce even in the dead of winter. We stock up on microgreens, mushrooms (currently on a maitake and beech kick), and lots of hydroponically-grown greens.

Additionally, Callicoon has a wonderful main street with vintage shops, a co-op style market with a handful of eclectic vendors (yarn! wildlife paintings! herbs! & more!) and the best bagels I’ve tried in the area. We still have a lot more to try in Callicoon, but here are some of my regular stops: