Catskills Outdoor Guide

Outdoor news from around the Catskills

By Julia Reischel on Wednesday, Sep. 9, 2015 - 1:48 pm
The place where 14-year-old Jordyn Engler drowned on the Esopus Creek on Saturday, Sept. 5 was near a notorious local river hazard. But that didn’t stop a Catskills tubing company from dropping her off at an abandoned tubing launch nearby. The hazard, a... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Wednesday, Sep. 2, 2015 - 11:51 am
Peggy Brueckner lives near the Peekamoose Blue Hole, an icy Catskills pool that is recognized as one of the best swimming holes in the country. Her family has visited the hidden spot for 50 years. But this summer, due to hordes of tourists and the tons of... Read more
By Alan Via on Monday, Aug. 24, 2015 - 2:04 pm
The trailhead for beautiful Andes Rail Trail hike is located on County Road 2 (also known as 266 Depot Street) at the edge of the Delaware County hamlet of Andes. The attractive Andes Rail Trail and Train Depot sign surrounded by gorgeous flowers herald... Read more
By Jessica Porter on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015 - 11:12 am
Above: Bike rentals at the Roxbury General Store in Roxbury. Photo via the Roxbury General Store's Facebook page.  The Catskills are a bicycler’s paradise with hundreds of miles of trails and roads perfect for bikers of all skill levels. Whether you’re... Read more
By Jeanine Pascarella on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015 - 1:28 pm
Recreation and the outdoors are not just for able-bodied people. Adults and children with physical challenges benefit from exercise and the balance that comes from nature and fitness. Here are some opportunities that allow everyone equal access to the... Read more
By Tim Luby on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015 - 3:59 pm
While the Catskills have a reputation for rugged, steep terrain, the region also offers plenty of short, exciting jaunts with amazing views that kids can scale. 1. VROMAN’S NOSE. 1.5 miles round trip. A mostly gentle climb, with some steep sections, that... Read more
By Alan Via on Monday, Aug. 3, 2015 - 12:17 pm
Overlook Mountain, located just outside of the Ulster County town of Woodstock, is a magnet for hikers of all ages, abilities, and interests. The five-mile round-trip hike begins on the Meads Road trailhead and follows a trail up 1,400 feet to the summit... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Thursday, Jul. 23, 2015 - 10:05 am
Above: A mountain biker races in Hurley in 2013. Photo by Tim Kleeger of Fats in the Cats. The Catskill Mountains were made for road cycling and mountain biking, with miles of paved, lightly trafficked roads and rugged mountain trails. For those who love... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Thursday, Jul. 16, 2015 - 4:36 pm
A black bear cub that got its head stuck in a plastic jar was freed by Greene County DEC conservation officers after a four-hour stakeout in the Catskills hamlet of Palenville on June 30. The cub, stumbling blindly with its head stuck in a large opaque... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Monday, Jul. 13, 2015 - 10:17 am
Above: Belleayre Beach at Pine Hill Lake in July 2014. Photo by Jonathan Garin. In the Catskills, there’s a secret swimming hole in almost every town. (If you ask nicely, a local may point you in the right direction.) Here are a few of the best known... Read more
By Andrea Girolamo on Monday, Jul. 6, 2015 - 2:59 pm
The Catskills are known for their arts, food and scenery. But they’re also getting a reputation in the ultrarunning set for a growing number of challenging endurance races. Greene County hosts the oldest of these, the ESCARPMENT TRAIL RUN (escarpmenttrail... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Friday, Jul. 3, 2015 - 1:55 pm
Above: Platte Clove valley from above. Photo by Daniel Case via Wikipedia. A climber rappelling in the deadly Devil’s Kitchen section of Platte Clove in the Greene County Catskills fell 80 feet into a rocky gorge and miraculously survived on Thursday,... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Wednesday, Jul. 1, 2015 - 6:33 pm
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will restrict public access to Kaaterskill Falls, the most famous waterfall in the Catskills, on Monday, July 6, and will keep it restricted throughout the summer of 2015, according to a press... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Wednesday, Jul. 1, 2015 - 3:44 pm
After 30 years of planning, it took less than a year to get the Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center in the Ulster County hamlet of Mount Tremper from groundbreaking to ribbon-cutting. Hundreds of people gathered to watch former Congressman... Read more
By Anne Pyburn Craig on Tuesday, Jun. 30, 2015 - 4:03 pm
Above: Fireworks at the Monticello Raceway on July 4, 2014. Photo by John of Catskills Photography, shared in the Watershed Post Flickr pool.   Independence Day in the Catskills means barbecue, waters warm enough to swim in, and lots of time spent outside... Read more
By Jessica Porter on Monday, Jun. 29, 2015 - 2:19 pm
Steep slopes and restless streams make the Catskill Mountains rich waterfall territory. Here are 10 falls worth visiting, winnowed down from the dozens and dozens to be found in the region. Some are a cool reward at the end of a rugged hike, while others... Read more
By Laney Salisbury on Friday, Jun. 26, 2015 - 10:40 am
Many trees along Route 23C leading up to the Mountain Top Arboretum in the Greene County village of Tannersville don't stand a chance. They are ash trees, victims of the ongoing Catskills invasion by the emerald ash borer, and they loom over the road like... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Friday, Jun. 19, 2015 - 8:21 am
It takes a lot of work to keep the 350 miles of hiking trails in the Catskill Park clear and hike-able. Do your bit by volunteering with the Catskill Conservation Corps this weekend to learn the basics of trail maintenance in the park. The Conservation... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Monday, Jun. 15, 2015 - 11:58 am
John of Catskills Photography captured this young buck posing with some velvety new antlers in the Sullivan County hamlet of Rock Hill on June 2 and shared it in the Watershed Post Flickr pool. Correction: An alert reader points out that deer have antlers... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Thursday, Jun. 11, 2015 - 12:33 pm
Above: One of the many vertical climbing walls in the Shawangunks. Photo by Flickr user Laurel F.  An experienced rock climber died on Wednesday, June 10 while climbing without a rope in the Mokonk Preserve in the Ulster County town of Gardiner, police... Read more

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