Catskill Park
Fast facts
- Established: 1904
- Size: about 700,000 acres (2,830 km²), including roughly 300,000 acres of state Forest Preserve
- Highest point: Slide Mountain, 4,180 feet (1,274 m)
- Peaks: 35 over 3,500 feet (1,070 m)
- Gateway: Phoenicia, Woodstock and Hunter
- Managed by: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
The landscape
The Catskills are a dissected plateau: steep-sided mountains separated by deep hollows called cloves, covered in northern hardwood and spruce-fir forest. Waterfalls such as Kaaterskill Falls pour off the escarpment above the Hudson Valley. Black bears, deer, bobcats and many birds live here.
Best time to go
Spring brings waterfalls; summer is warm and busy; October brings brilliant colour. Winter turns the peaks into snowshoe and ice terrain, a popular training ground for winter hikers.
Getting there and around
State routes cross the park through the hollows, with trailheads along them. The park is within reach of New York City, and popular trailheads fill on weekends.
Things to do
The Devil’s Path is one of the toughest trails in the East, crossing six peaks with steep rock scrambles. Slide Mountain, Giant Ledge and Overlook Mountain are popular day hikes. Backpackers use lean-tos across the park, and Kaaterskill Falls is a short walk to a two-tier waterfall.
Staying safe
Trails are steep and rocky, with ledges that become dangerous when icy. Stay on the trail and behind barriers at Kaaterskill Falls, where people have died after leaving the trail. Many summits lack water. Check for ticks and store food properly. In winter, carry traction and warm layers, and leave a trip plan.
Know before you go
This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report, so confirm current trail conditions and rules with the NYS DEC before you go.
- Coordinates
- 42.0549, -74.5359
- Magnetic declination
- 12.5° W (2026)
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
How declination works, and how to navigate with a map and compass
A spread of the park’s main places shows straight away, and the rest appear as you zoom in. You can also search above, or pick any place from the lists below, and the map will go to it. Places in bold, marked , have a short description.
Getting there 5
Airstrips
Fee station
On the trail 58
Trailheads
Routes
Campgrounds
Huts and shelters
Picnic sites
Sights 155
Viewpoints
Waterfalls
Lakes
Beach
Heritage sites
Points of interest
Island
Peaks 31
Map data comes from third-party sources and may be incomplete or out of date, so carry a current official map (terms).
Looking for one of these closer to home?Destinations near me by trip type →
- Best seasons
- Spring, Summer, Fall (foliage), Winter
- Difficulty
- Easy to strenuous
- Access / trailheads
- Routes 28, 23A, 42 and 214 through the park, about two to three hours north of New York City.
- Water
- Streams; treat all water. Many summits are dry.
- Cell / satellite coverage
- Patchy; good on some summits, none in the hollows.
- Nearest ranger / SAR / emergency
- Emergencies: 911. NYSDEC Forest Rangers: 1-833-NYS-RANGERS (1-833-697-7264).
- Permits & regulations
- Camping is allowed at lean-tos, designated sites or 150 feet (46 m) from trails and water; camping above 3,500 feet (1,070 m) is prohibited except in winter.
- Leave No Trace
- Camp at lean-tos or designated sites, store food from bears, stay behind barriers at waterfalls, and pack out all waste.
January
- Below freezing all day
February
- Below freezing all day
March
- Below-freezing nights
April
- Below-freezing nights
May
June
July
August
September
October This month
November
- Below-freezing nights
December
- Below freezing all day
What to bring depends on your trip: how long you’re out, where you sleep, and how far you go from the road. The planner builds the list for yours.
Plan a trip here →Averages for 1991–2020 from NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, measured at the Slide Mountain station, 7 miles (11 km)11 km (7 miles) away at 2,650 feet (808 m)808 m (2,650 feet). Higher trails run colder, by about 3.5°F for every 1,000 ft (2°C per 300 m)2°C for every 300 m (3.5°F per 1,000 ft) of climb. Daylight runs from sunrise to sunset on the 15th, on the park’s own clock, for a level horizon. Valleys and slopes facing away from the sun are in shade earlier.
Nearby parks
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Bear Mountain State Park
Rugged Hudson Highlands summits above the river, the oldest section of the Appalachian Trail and a summit tower, under an hour and a half from New York City.
-
Stokes State Forest
The Kittatinny Ridge and the Appalachian Trail in the northwest corner of New Jersey, with Sunrise Mountain and Tillman Ravine.
-
Harriman State Park
More than 200 miles (320 km) of trail and the Appalachian Trail an hour from Manhattan, with shelters for overnight trips.
-
Mount Greylock State Reservation
The highest point in Massachusetts, crossed by the Appalachian Trail, with views over five states from the summit tower.
Straight-line distance between park centres. Road distance is usually longer.
Looking for somewhere closer to home?
See every park and monument within a day’s drive of where you are.