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Nature & the Outdoors
Long renowned as a prime vacation destination, the Catskills offer a variety of recreational opportunities including hiking, skiing, biking, rock and ice climbing, canoeing, fishing and hunting.
The quarter-million-acre Catskill Forest Preserve, with several State-operated campgrounds and hundreds of miles of marked hiking trails, offers outdoor lovers an opportunity to immerse themselves in the wild Catskills just three hours or less from the busy streets of Manhattan.
Hiking of a tamer sort can be found on rail trails like the Catskill Scenic Trail and other linear parks, where bicyclists are also welcome. Group outings and special outdoor activities are often planned by the Catskill 3500 Club, the Catskill Mountain Club and other organizations.
Quiet waters of seven major river systems in the Catskills provide great canoeing; kayakers can find bigger thrills riding the whitewater on the Esopus Creek during periodic releases from the Shandaken Tunnel of the New York City Water System. The Cannonsville Reservoir in Western Delaware County, previously opened only to fishing rowboats, is now open to sailboats, canoes and other recreational, non-mechanized boats.
The Catskills are known as the cradle of fly fishing in America.
The East and West Branches of the Delaware River, the Beaverkill and the Willowemoc Creeks, and countless tributaries throughout the region offer fine cold-water angling. Find out more at the Catskill Fly Flyfishing Center and Museum.
New York City’s reservoirs are also available for fishing with a permit, and thousands of acres of City lands are open to hunting and trapping. For information, click here.
Belleayre, Hunter, Windham and Plattekill ski centers welcome skiers and boarders of all ability levels. Cross country skiing and snowmobile-friendly trails abound.
The sky’s the limit for bird watchers, who will find excellent viewing all year round. The Catskills harbors a thriving population of nesting and over-wintering bald eagles.
Whatever your outdoor pleasure, you’ll find a way to satisfy it in the Catskills.