Where To Go


Total Votes: 21 / Interest: 445

Where To Go

There’s so much to do in the Catskills.  Whether you want to hike, paddle, cycle, cross country ski, downhill ski or snowshoe, we’ve got the place for you.

Unfamiliar With the Catskill Mountain Region?

The Catskills have been a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and a magnet for mountain-lovers since at least the early 19th century. To this day, throughout the tri-state region of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, and within the greater metropolitan area of New York City, when people speak of “The Mountains,” it is the Catskills they are referring to.

One reason is that the entire region, anchored by the “forever wild” forest preserve and the Catskill Park, thus far remains an oasis of pristine wilderness, rural communities, and pastoral landscapes in a sea of dense population and sprawling suburbs. Another reason is the unique character of the mountains and thus of the bounty of outdoor activities they offer.

The summit-seeking hiker may choose from nearly a hundred peaks and ridges topping 3,000 feet. Thirty-five of them are more than 3,500 feet high, and two of them are over 4,000 feet high. In general, the mountains are steep-sided and flat-topped, thickly forested with beech, birch, maple, hemlock, spruce, and fir. “Classic ground” was the phrase used by an 1826 visitor from Boston to describe the topography, while the region’s native son, John Burroughs, wrote of hiking uphill “ledge upon the ledge, precipice upon the precipice.” A network of footpaths crisscrosses the vast expanse of public lands that encompasses these mountains, from Windham south to Samsonville, from Roscoe east to Woodstock.

On many of these summits, hikers are rewarded with views of spectacular beauty-views that offer a new prospect with each new season. But you don’t have to bag a peak to see wonderful sights in the Catskills. The spring wildflowers and lush ferns on the floor of the forest, the high forest canopy, and the abundant wildlife make any walk in the woods an escape, an adventure, and an education. That may be even more the case in winter when the region’s mountains become a paradise for snowshoers, winter backpackers, and ice-climbers.

Many of the mountain trails were routed over old woods roads that are today perfect for mountain biking or horseback riding. Road biking opportunities range from flat trips along streams and through farmland or climbing loops that can challenge the most elite cyclists.

Click Here to Learn More