The Catskill Mountains in New York are a popular vacation spot in all seasons, especially for residents of the Northeast. The Catskill region's natural surroundings provide an array of opportunities for outdoor activities, particularly hiking, mountain biking and swimming in the spring, summer and fall, and skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. Wildlife such as deer, black bears, beavers, wild turkey and coyote are plentiful.
Catskill Scenic Trail
The Catskill Scenic Trail is a 19-mile multiple-use trail located in the western Catskills. The trail is on an old railroad bed near the Delaware River, and its terrain offers a scenic stretch for mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders, as well as cross country skiers in the winter, according to the Catskill Revitalization Corporation, which maintains the trail. There are parking lots for the trail in Stamford and off Route 10 near Bloomfield. The trail is relatively flat, rising just 400 feet over the length of the trail.
Willowemoc Wild Forest Trails
There are approximately 40 miles of trails in the Willowemoc Wild Forest designated for recreation, drawing a mixture of bikers, hikers, cross country skiers and snowmobile riders. The trail network has been fashioned from roads that were previously used by logging operations. It offers trail visitors access to an array of wildlife through the Willowemoc Wild Forest, which includes nearly 15,000 acres of wild forest preserve. The nearby Mongaup Pond Campground is a possible place to stay.
Utsayantha Trail System
The Utsayantha Trail System, which starts near the village of Stamford, offers four different hiking trails for beginner, novice, intermediate and expert hikers. The beginner trail is a flat hike of about 1.5 miles that takes you through Stamford and past Rexmere Lakes. The novice hike is a three-mile trip that crosses the Delaware River and runs past Blazer Pond and Murphy Pond. The intermediate hike is a 6.5-mile trail that has approximately 1,000 feet in elevation. The expert hike is about 18 miles and can take approximately eight hours, rising approximately 4,000 feet.
Swimming Holes
The Catskills have numerous swimming locations, including a number of beaches with lifeguards. There are also some less formal swimming sites that attract visitors and residents, according to Pete Senterman's book, "Catskill Summer Things." Senterman cites Colgate Lake, a shallow lake in East Jewett, as an ideal summer swimming hole. A deep pool in Schoharie Creek near Lexington is located beneath a bridge along a rocky shore and offers some seclusion, as does a gravel beach on Esopus Creek in Mount Tremper near Route 28. Many go tubing on Esopus Creek in the summer.
Mountain Trails Cross Country Ski Center
Mountain Trails Cross Country Ski Center located in Tannersville, N.Y., in the Northern Catskills. The center features about 22 miles of trails, winding through woodlands. The trails are mostly old logging roads. The trails are groomed, and they also are marked by signs indicating how challenging they are, allowing skiers to make educated decisions about which trails to take. Regular ski patrols man the trails. Equipment is available for rent.
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