Catskill Park Travel Guide – Attractions & Tours

Featured Lists

Catskill Park Essentials

Catskill Park encompasses over 700,000 acres of public and private land within New York's Forest Preserve. This selection highlights the region's highest point, Slide Mountain, and the historic 260-foot Kaaterskill Falls. It includes engineering landmarks like the Ashokan Reservoir and the Empire State Railway Museum, alongside cultural sites such as the 1902 Byrdcliffe Arts Colony. Outdoor heritage is represented by the Belleayre Mountain Ski Center and historic fire towers on Overlook and Balsam Lake Mountains, which offer expansive views of the rugged terrain.

11 places

Phillip Kenny / CC BY 2.0

Catskill Mountain Peaks

This collection features prominent summits within the Catskill Park, including Slide Mountain, the range's highest point at 4,180 feet. These peaks are central to the Catskill 3500 Club hiking challenge. The list includes Balsam Lake Mountain, known for its historic fire tower, and Thomas Cole Mountain, named after the founder of the Hudson River School of painting. These mountains define the rugged topography of Greene and Ulster counties, showcasing diverse ecosystems ranging from northern hardwood forests to high-elevation balsam fir stands.

8 places

Ahodges7 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Best Viewpoints in the Catskills

This collection highlights the geological and historical landmarks along the Catskill Escarpment, primarily concentrated around the North-South Lake area. These sites served as the foundational subjects for Hudson River School painters like Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. The list includes the 260-foot Kaaterskill Falls, the historic foundation of the 19th-century Catskill Mountain House, and numerous rocky ledges offering expansive views across the Hudson River Valley to the Berkshire Mountains.

9 places

Hiking Shelters & Lean-Tos

This collection features traditional Adirondack-style lean-tos and rustic shelters situated throughout New York’s Catskill Park. These three-sided structures offer essential overnight refuge for backpackers on major routes like the Devil’s Path, the Escarpment Trail, and the Finger Lakes Trail. Many are located near high-altitude summits, fire towers, or remote water sources like Trout Pond and Echo Lake. Each site typically includes a stone fire ring and space for primitive camping, providing strategic stopping points for multi-day treks across the park's rugged terrain.

15 places

Best Campgrounds

The Catskill Park offers a diverse range of camping environments, from the historic North/South Lake, site of the former Catskill Mountain House, to the primitive high-altitude sites at Devil’s Tombstone. This selection includes state-run forest preserves and private riverside grounds. Key features include access to the Beaverkill River for fly fishing, trailheads for Slide Mountain, and swimming facilities at Mongaup Pond and Little Pond.

13 places

Ahodges7 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Scenic Waterfalls

The Catskill Mountains of New York house a dense concentration of vertical drops and cascades shaped by the region's sandstone and shale geology. This collection includes the 260-foot Kaaterskill Falls, New York’s highest two-tier waterfall, alongside more secluded sites like Diamond Notch Falls. These locations are distributed across the Sundown, Delaware, and Kaaterskill Wild Forests, with access points ranging from roadside viewing areas to junctions on the Devil’s Path and Long Path hiking trails.

11 places