Teambuilding: Hike from Manhattan to Montana in 2 hours?

It's hard to imagine that when in New York City, you are only 36 miles from a place that looks a lot more like Montana than anything remotely close to Manhattan.  But you are.

We recently checked out a combined team building and corporate retreat idea that features the Croton Dam in northern Westchester County. It combines a little history, a man-made dam that was once the tallest in the world, and views that speak for themselves.  

The dam was originally built between 1837 and 1942 to provide water to New York City.  It's aqueduct is now a 22-mile trail that is a centerpiece of the hike.  As you start near the Hudson River, your group will pass spectacular homes, streams and rapids as you head northeast along the trail.  When reaching the dam itself, well, it is a quite spectacular. The structure has an unusual spillway, part artificial and part natural, which forms a waterfall on the north side of the structure.

Below the falls is a expansive area where you can hold a corporate luncheon or private event blended with thousands of gallons of water cascading behind you!