About
Urban Cowboy Lodge in Big Indian occupies a converted Catskills mountain retreat and hosts something genuinely rare in North America: a traditional Estonian sauna, distinct from the more common Finnish sauna in its lower temperatures, higher humidity, and the integral use of fresh herb bundles (viht) for therapeutic whisking. Estonian sauna culture was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2014, and it remains one of the least-encountered bathing traditions in the Western Hemisphere. The Lodge's wood-fired Estonian sauna sits beside a natural swimming hole in the Esopus Creek, completing the cycle of heat and cold plunge in a Catskills streamside setting. The property also features a communal great room, artist residencies, and backcountry hiking access.
