Beautiful Esopus
The Town of Esopus is located on Munsee Lenape land in Ulster County and the Hudson Valley of New York State. It borders the Hudson and Wallkill Rivers, the Rondout Creek, the City of Kingston, and the towns of Rosendale, New Paltz and Lloyd. According to the 2020 census, there are 9,548 inhabitants spread across about 42 square miles.
The town of Esopus was formed in 1811. Its name means “high banks” in the language of the local Esopus indigenous people who originally populated the area. Esopus has eleven hamlets: Connelly, Dashville, Esopus, New Salem, Port Ewen, Rifton, St. Remy, Sleightsburgh, Ulster Park, Union Center and West Park.
Recreation
Esopus has six town parks with recreational facilities and wonderful hiking trails throughout several Scenic Hudson parks and the John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary. The Hudson River and Rondout Creek shorelines plus numerous lakes throughout the town provide many opportunities for fishing, boating, kayaking, and viewing wildlife including bald eagles and blue heron.
History
The Klyne Esopus Historical Society Museum traces our history from the Esopus native people to the present day. The second oldest covered bridge in NYS spans the Wallkill River in Rifton. In Port Ewen, the Sojourner Truth Memorial commemorates the life of this woman, born a slave in Esopus, who devoted her life to human rights.