Above: The Catskill mountains still waking up to spring, seen from a high perch atop Sam's Point in Ellenville. Photo taken April 7, 2013 by Ethan Myers; shared in the Watershed Post's Flickr pool.
Blue sky, blue hills -- and a vivid green landscape that keeps its color all year round. Sam's Point, a Nature Conservancy preserve at the highest point of the Shawangunk Ridge, is home to a rare dwarf pitch pine barrens ecosystem. The acidic soil of the pine barrens harbors rare plants like Appalachian sandwort and clustered sedge, and Sam's Point is a hotspot for wildlife and migratory birds.
Sam's Point also has some spectacularly scenic lookout points from which to get a perspective on the Catskill mountains, as Myers's photo demonstrates. For a larger view, check out the photo's Flickr page.
