Catskills Outdoor Guide

Outdoor news from around the Catskills

By Julia Reischel on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014 - 10:48 am
Above: Tour of the Catskills racers riding the grueling Devil's Kitchen climb in 2010.  Cyclists from around the world hit the roads in Greene County over the weekend for the Tour of the Catskills, three days of racing that feature some of the steepest... Read more
By Heather Rolland on Friday, Aug. 1, 2014 - 4:37 pm
Outdoor recreation opportunities abound in the Catskills, running the gamut from strolling on rail trails to expert-only wilderness bushwhacks. Whatever your adventure level — or your dog’s — there’s plenty to do with a pup in tow here in the Catskills.... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Friday, Aug. 1, 2014 - 9:49 am
Above: The Cannonsville Reservoir in 2012. Photo by Flickr user David, shared in the Watershed Post Flickr pool.  This summer, the Catskills Outdoor Guide is partnering with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Catskill... Read more
By John Phillip Tappen on Wednesday, Jul. 30, 2014 - 3:59 pm
Above: Kaaterskill Falls in April 2014. Photo by Paige Patunas, shared with the Watershed Post via our Flickr pool. A Dutchess County woman died yesterday evening after she fell from the top of Kaaterskill Falls, a popular Greene County tourist... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Wednesday, Jul. 16, 2014 - 2:34 pm
This summer, the Catskills Outdoor Guide is partnering with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Catskill Watershed Corporation to bring you our new Catskill Reservoir Paddler embroidered badge, which you can only earn by... Read more
By Katherine Speller on Friday, Jul. 11, 2014 - 12:00 pm
Charles “Sonny” Somelofski of Catskill Outdoor Adventures in Margaretville (catskilloutdooradventures.com), remembers when the licensing process to become an outdoor guide in New York state was a simple paper questionnaire with a $2 fee that asked whether... Read more
By Jennifer Strom on Wednesday, Jul. 9, 2014 - 12:35 pm
Tom Crucet built a 65-foot-tall rappelling tower in Phoenicia because he knew it would be fun. Thirty years later, it still is. “It’s one of the joys of my life,” says Crucet, who is a lawyer by trade and has been a town justice for 17 years. “I loved... Read more
By John Ferguson on Monday, Jun. 23, 2014 - 3:09 pm
Climb up and over the rocky Shawangunk Ridge to a spectacular vista overlooking the Hudson Valley. Meander along hundreds of miles of carriage lanes and trails through the Mohonk Preserve. Ride through rolling pastureland on 19th- century dirt roads,... Read more
By Katherine Speller on Monday, Jun. 16, 2014 - 1:41 pm
The miles of trails that crisscross the Catskill Park would be in rough shape, if not for the volunteers that brave mud, weather, prickers and bugs every year to keep them in good condition.  This month -- just in time for National Trails Day -- those... Read more
By Lillian Browne on Friday, Jun. 13, 2014 - 12:05 pm
Strapping on your hiking shoes isn’t the only way to see the Catskills: You can also hit the trail on horseback. Trail-riding companies operate throughout the region, and they offer an alternative way to enjoy the spectacular views and fresh mountain air... Read more
By John Phillip Tappen on Wednesday, Jun. 11, 2014 - 4:03 pm
Kenco's Kingston Kayak Festival returns to the Kingston Point Beach on Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to offer opportunities for both seasoned and novice kayakers alike. Kayakers will be able to learn new skills in beginner, intermediate and... Read more
By Katherine Speller on Wednesday, Jun. 11, 2014 - 11:28 am
One fish, two fish, red fish, 25-foot-long giant segmented puppet fish. All this and more can be found at the 11th Annual Trout Parade, Saturday, June 14 at 1 p.m., on Main Street in Livingston Manor. The parade features the art and wit of local... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Tuesday, Jun. 10, 2014 - 2:37 pm
On Memorial Day weekend, our 2014 Catskills Outdoor Guide hit the streets! We went through about 2,000 copies in 24 hours, and are waiting on the rest of our 20,000 print run to be delivered this week. They're going like hotcakes.  This year's edition of... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Monday, Jun. 9, 2014 - 10:10 pm
Water is everywhere in the Catskill Mountains, even their name: The “kill” in “Catskills” is a Dutch word for “creek.” There’s plenty of open water to go around for kayakers, canoers, sailors and rowers — especially now that four of New York City’s vast... Read more
By Jennifer Strom on Thursday, Jun. 5, 2014 - 2:18 pm
One World Cup mountain biking competition featuring 7,000 riders from 35 countries. Three days of yoga. Car and motorcycle shows, skateboard races. Summer concerts starring Buddy Guy, Gretchen Wilson and the brothers Allman and Avett. A chance to taste... Read more
By John Phillip Tappen on Thursday, Jun. 5, 2014 - 2:03 pm
For 21 years, the first Saturday in June has been reserved for appreciating the nation’s mountain trails and greenery. This Saturday, June 7, Catskill area parks will observe the 22nd annual National Trails Day by hosting outdoor celebrations — welcoming... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Monday, Jun. 2, 2014 - 1:39 pm
Above: The newly-restored Rosendale Trestle over the Rondout Creek, reopened in 2013 as a pedestrian walkway on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail. Photo by John Fischer Photography (noroadunturned.com). To celebrate National Trails Day, which is this... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Wednesday, May. 28, 2014 - 11:00 am
This summer, channel your inner Eagle Scout in the Catskills: Earn one of our outdoor badges by hiking a fire tower or paddling a reservoir. (That’s right, “earn”: Our Catskills badges can’t be bought.) The 2014 Catskills Outdoor Guide is proud to present... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Tuesday, May. 27, 2014 - 9:51 am
The Catskills region is renowned as the cradle of American dry fly-fishing. It’s the place where, in the 1800s, local anglers first began to alter English flies into shapes and patterns that mimic our own native insects. Today, the fly-tier’s art thrives... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Saturday, May. 24, 2014 - 11:51 am
Above: "Eagle Landing," taken in Narrowsburg by Harry Rampe, the grand prize winner of the 2014 Catskills Outdoor Guide Photo Contest.  Each year, we ask readers of the Watershed Post and our Catskills Outdoor Guide to send us their best photos of the... Read more

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