Catskills

The Catskills rise in southeastern New York between the Hudson River and the Pennsylvania line, a heavily forested mountain region that historically served as the watershed for New York City. The terrain is older and softer than the Adirondacks — eroded ridges and broad valleys rather than dramatic peaks — though Slide Mountain and a handful of others top 4,000 feet. Greene, Ulster, Sullivan, and Delaware counties hold the core, with anchor towns at Woodstock, Phoenicia, Hunter, Windham, Tannersville, Margaretville, and Liberty. Catskill Park — the protected forest preserve at the heart of the region — covers about 700,000 acres and includes the Slide, Hunter, Plateau, and Devil’s Path ranges. The Ashokan Reservoir sits at the eastern edge. Trips here run varied. Hiking, fly fishing on the Esopus and Beaverkill, and skiing at Hunter, Windham, and Belleayre carry the outdoor side; the food, distillery, and music scene around Woodstock and Phoenicia handles the cultural half. The drive from New York City is short enough that most weekends start late and end early.