Catskills Outdoor Guide
Outdoor news from around the Catskills
By Julia Reischel on Saturday, May. 24, 2014 - 11:32 am
Four of New York City’s six reservoirs in the Catskills — Pepacton, Schoharie, Cannonsville and Neversink — are open to canoes, kayaks, rowboats and small sailboats from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. The reservoirs hold drinking water for roughly 9.4... Read more
By Lisa Lyons on Saturday, May. 24, 2014 - 10:40 am
Once upon a time, 23 steel fire towers dotted the high peaks of the Catskills. They were staffed by fire tower observers, who scanned the horizon for smoke and filled their downtime with shimmying up the steep steel struts, taming bears and sharing space... Read more
By Anne Pyburn Craig on Thursday, May. 22, 2014 - 11:24 am
Everybody knows when summer really starts: this weekend. Monday will be marked by official Memorial Day observances in many towns, but all weekend long, there’s plenty of unofficial fun to be had, from music fests to boat races to town-wide yard sales.... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Wednesday, May. 21, 2014 - 3:55 pm
It's not even Memorial Day yet, and it's already begun: The season for reminding boaters that placid-looking local rivers and creeks can pack a deadly wallop.
Local firefighters got a chance to put their swift water rescue training into action on Tuesday... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Wednesday, Apr. 30, 2014 - 4:06 pm
Above: A trailcam in Delaware County catches a nocturnal glimpse of an elusive wild boar. Photo taken in August 2013; courtesy of USDA APHIS.
A statewide ban on the hunting and trapping of feral swine -- also known as wild boars or Eurasian boars -- went... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Friday, Apr. 18, 2014 - 2:55 pm
Above: A map of a proposed 11.5-mile walking and biking trail near the Ashokan Reservoir, on an Ulster County-owned railroad track that was once part of the Ulster & Delaware railroad and is currently leased to the Catskill Mountain Railroad. Map from... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Monday, Mar. 17, 2014 - 4:09 pm
Above: A view of New York City's Cannonsville Reservoir in late spring. Photo by Flickr user kmitschke; published under Creative Commons license.
A sound that won't be heard on most of New York City's reservoirs this summer: The whir of electric trolling... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Monday, Mar. 17, 2014 - 2:06 pm
At Windham Mountain, even the slopes were clad in St. Patrick's Day green over the weekend. There was plenty of snow on Saturday for Windham's "Irish I Was Skiing/Riding Festival," which featured live music and a skiing leprechaun.
Pictured above: Johan... Read more
By Julia Reischel on Friday, Mar. 14, 2014 - 12:46 pm
Our Catskills Food Guide editor Jennifer Strom photographed this turkey making like a chickadee at a bird feeder in Roxbury today. After the cold, hard winter we've had, wildlife is especially stressed.
It's not just in the Catskills where animals are... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Thursday, Mar. 13, 2014 - 5:35 pm
Above: Alan Via and Bookah on the trail. Photo by Joanne Hihn, who also took the photos used in the Times Union's story; reproduced by permission.
In her nine brief years on the planet, the four-legged Bookah racked up more hiking experience than most... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Wednesday, Mar. 12, 2014 - 9:21 am
Above: Looking Glass Pond in Fulton, where two of a statewide list of 50 proposed projects to increase access to outdoor recreation are located. Photo by Flickr user Doug Kerr; published under Creative Commons license.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently proposed... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Wednesday, Mar. 5, 2014 - 4:14 pm
Above: A former rail bed in Hurleyville, part of a 9.2-mile stretch recently acquired by the Open Space Institute and slated for development into a public rail trail. Photo taken by Jesse Wall in October 2013; courtesy of the Center for Discovery.
The... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014 - 9:39 pm
Fishing on the Pepacton Reservoir: Has that umbrella been steam-cleaned? Photo taken July 17, 2013; from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection's Flickr page.
In the past few years, there's been a shift of attitude at the New York City... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Monday, Dec. 16, 2013 - 6:14 pm
Above: One of the Catskill Mountain Railroad's Alco trains, running on the Kingston end of the old Ulster & Delaware corridor. Photo from the Catskill Mountain Railroad's Facebook page.
A rail trail deal struck last week between Ulster County and the... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013 - 12:41 pm
Above: A white-tailed deer browses at the shore of the Ashokan Reservoir. Photo by Flickr user Ken Ficara; published under Creative Commons license.
Local hunters, New York City wants your help: The burgeoning deer population around the Ashokan Reservoir... Read more
By Anne Pyburn Craig on Friday, Aug. 9, 2013 - 4:48 pm
Photo of Charlie Sanborn, by Nicholas Piatek Photography.
The Catskills are two-wheel paradise, especially if you're not afraid of a few hills. Some people move here just because they love the riding; others try it out on a whim and fall in love with the... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Monday, Jun. 24, 2013 - 11:20 am
Kayakers on the Pepacton Reservoir. Photo by Dennis Schvejda; shared in the Watershed Post's Flickr group pool.
For decades, New York City's enormous reservoirs have been off-limits to all but a few dedicated anglers in rowboats. But when cautious city... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Friday, Jun. 14, 2013 - 4:25 pm
A Brood II cicada in Malden-On-Hudson in Ulster County. Photo taken June 3, 2013 by Jen Williams Dragon.
Where, indeed? After 17 years underground, Brood II has emerged across the Northeast in the last month or so -- but not everywhere. While some areas... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Thursday, May. 23, 2013 - 11:48 pm
Photo: An ATV rider at Stone Tavern Farm.
Some people come to the mountains for peace and tranquility. Some come for things that go vroom vroom. Either way, you've come to the right place. For curious beginners, or those who just want to spend a few hours... Read more
By Andrew Wyrich on Thursday, May. 23, 2013 - 11:35 pm
Joseph D'Acunto of Black Dome Mountain Guide Service.
When learning any new skill, it's always wise to get good advice from a pro. That goes double for skills involving powerful firearms.
Joseph D'Acunto, a licensed hunting, camping and hiking guide who... Read more
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