Actors Jump From Hudson Valley Waterfall for New Amazon Series

If you grew up in the Hudson Valley, or even if you’ve just spent time here, you’re probably familiar with Minnewaska. Minnewaska State Park, Lake Minnewaska. It’s a beautiful area in Ulster County where you can hike, bike, climb and check out some of the most magnificent views in the Hudson Valley. You’ll see mountains and trails, lakes and waterfalls. 

When I was a teenager growing up in Newburgh, we considered anything beyond the horseshoe bend in the road to be Minnewaska. We spent many weekends camping at Split Rock and hanging out listening to bluegrass music at Smitty’s Split Rock Tavern. I don’t think it was technically Minnewaska, but it was on Trapp Road and it was in the mountains right around Minnewaska.

But, back to my original point. Minnewaska is one of the most beautiful spots in the Hudson Valley and has made the perfect backdrop for many television shows, commercials, and movies, and now you can see it on a new Amazon Prime series called Panic. The series revolves around a group of graduating high school seniors who compete in a dangerous game for prize money and the chance to escape their small town.

The pilot episode features some of the lead actors appearing to jump off a 60 foot waterfall into a pool below, and it was filmed at Minnewaska State Park. Chances are, you’ll know it when you watch that episode. According to the Hudson Valley Film Commission, the scene was filmed over three nights in Sept. of 2018, and more than 75 young Hudson Valley adults were cast, and local crew members were used on the production team, which means this show has a strong connection to the Hudson Valley. And that’s pretty cool.