Hudson River Webcam – Watch the Tide Turn in Germantown

The Hudson River Webcam at Ernest R. Lasher Jr. Memorial Park looks west from the east bank at Germantown, New York, across a wide and usually calm reach of the river’s tidal estuary. The camera stands at the end of Anchorage Road in the hamlet of North Germantown, above a concrete boat launch and the paved apron that serves as the park’s trailer parking. A tall flagpole carrying the American Legion flag marks the right of the frame, and the far shore runs low and densely wooded. On a clear afternoon the Catskill ridgeline closes the horizon behind it. Because the Hudson is still tidal this far inland, the water in shot reverses direction twice a day.

About the Hudson River at Germantown

Germantown sits on the east bank of the Hudson in Columbia County, and the 2020 census counted 1,936 residents across about 36 square kilometers (13.9 square miles). Its western town line runs down the middle of the river, on the boundary of Greene and Ulster counties, so the far bank in view lies in a different county. The town’s reference elevation is 76 meters (249 feet), though the park is only a few meters above the waterline.

The name comes from an eighteenth century resettlement scheme. In 1710 Robert Livingston sold 2,428 hectares (6,000 acres) of his estate to Anne, Queen of Great Britain, who used the land to house roughly 1,200 Palatine German refugees brought over as indentured laborers to produce naval stores such as pitch and tar. The district became one of the seven original towns of Columbia County on March 7, 1788. North Germantown, where the camera is mounted, is one of five hamlets in the town, alongside Cheviot, Palatine Park, Viewmont and Germantown itself.

The park is a war memorial as well as a boat launch. It is named for Ernest Reginald Lasher Jr., a Germantown resident killed in action in Vietnam while serving with the United States Army and awarded the Purple Heart, and his memorial stands on the grounds. Picnic tables, charcoal grills and an information kiosk sit along the grass at the right of the frame.

The tidal character of this reach shapes the whole view. Tides run 216 kilometers (134 miles) up from New York Harbor to the Federal Dam at Troy, giving Germantown two high and two low tides every day. The Mahican name for the river, muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, translates as the river that flows both ways. The channel south of the dam averages about 9 meters (30 feet) deep, enough for ocean-going ships to reach the Port of Albany, so tugs pushing barges pass the park through the year.

Weather and Climate in Germantown, New York

The climate is humid continental, with warm wet summers and cold snowy winters. At Hudson, about 13 kilometers (8 miles) north, January is the coldest month, averaging a high of -1 C (30 F) and a low of -8 C (17 F), while July averages around 23 C (73 F). Snow falls on roughly 37 days a year, and February is typically the snowiest month.

In winter the river carries ice floes that drift up and down with the tide rather than simply downstream, and a Coast Guard cutter works the channel to keep it open for barge traffic. Spring brings high, silt-brown water and bare branches in the foreground. Summer fills the frame with heavy green foliage, and the tree at the center of the shot can hide part of the far shore. Autumn is the clearest season for the Catskill ridgeline on the Hudson River Webcam, with peak color usually in the second half of October. On humid mornings the opposite bank can vanish altogether.

Things to Do Near Germantown, New York

Clermont State Historic Site lies just south of the camera on the same bank. The 202 hectare (500 acre) estate was the seat of the Livingston family and is the earliest surviving Hudson River estate. Its name is the French for clear mountain, chosen for the view of the Catskills across the water, which is essentially the view the camera has. The grounds open daily all year from 8:30 am until sunset, with about 8 kilometers (5 miles) of carriage roads and nature trails, and they hold some of the best birdwatching in Columbia County.

Roughly 8 kilometers (5 miles) north, Olana State Historic Site preserves the home and grounds of Frederic Edwin Church, a central figure of the Hudson River School of painting, and its 101 hectare (250 acre) site is free and open daily from 8:00 am until sunset. From there the Hudson River Skywalk crosses the Rip Van Winkle Bridge on a pedestrian route of about 9.7 kilometers (6 miles) round trip, linking Olana with the Thomas Cole National Historic Site. The city of Hudson and the village of Catskill at either end both have historic downtowns.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Where to go next, starting with the mountains on this camera’s horizon.

• Windham Mountain Webcam
• East River Ferry Webcam
• Mirror Lake Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Hudson River Webcam located?

At Ernest R. Lasher Jr. Memorial Park, at the end of Anchorage Road in North Germantown, Columbia County, New York, on the east bank of the Hudson. The city of Hudson lies about 13 kilometers (8 miles) north.

Why does the operator call this the Anchorage Camera?

The park sits at the end of Anchorage Road, and GTel names the feed after the road. The camera has no connection to Anchorage, Alaska.

What can you see on the Hudson River Webcam?

The frame takes in the park’s boat launch and parking apron, a flagpole, grass and trees in the near ground, then a broad reach of the river and the wooded far bank, with the Catskill ridgeline behind it when the air is clear. Tugs and barges working between New York Harbor and the Port of Albany pass through the shot.

Is the Hudson River tidal at Germantown?

Yes. Tides reach as far inland as the Federal Dam at Troy, so the current in front of the park reverses twice a day.

What is the weather like in Germantown, New York?

Summers are warm and wet, with July averaging about 23 C (73 F). January averages a high of -1 C (30 F) and a low of -8 C (17 F), snow falls on roughly 37 days a year, and February is usually the snowiest month.

Can you launch a boat at Lasher Memorial Park?

The park has a concrete launch ramp, paved parking for about twenty vehicles or trailers, and a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation fishing access. It is a designated Hudson River Valley Greenway Water Trail access point.

What mountains can you see across the Hudson from Germantown?

The high ground on the western horizon is the Catskill range, well enough known in the eighteenth century that the Livingston family named their estate just south of here Clermont, from the French for clear mountain.

Who operates the Germantown Hudson River camera?

GTel, a fourth generation family owned telephone and internet provider based in Germantown, which Archtop Fiber acquired in September 2023.

Source: GTel