The Northern Catskills

It's time to get out of the city. New York City is always exciting, but it can be completely exhausting. You need to breathe fresh air and stretch your legs. You want to hike up a mountain, jump into a lake, search for waterfalls, sip seasonal IPAs, taste freshly picked veggies, and try to ski for the first time in, well, way too long. It's a good thing the Catskill Mountains are so close. The Catskills are part of the Appalachian Mountains. They cover nearly 6,000 square miles in southeastern New York and sit about 100 miles northeast of New York City. On the eastern edge, the mountains rise steeply from the Hudson Valley along the Hudson River. The area became a popular summer escape in the mid-20th century. All-season, outdoor activities--from fishing and hiking to cross-country skiing and snowboarding--are now the biggest draws. Old lodges and motels are being turned into boutique hotels. Plus, in the last few years, new bakeries, bike paths, bookstores, breweries, coffee shops, farm-to-table restaurants, ice cream shops, and record stores have been popping up on a seemingly weekly basis. The Catskills are cool again. Since it's impossible to see everything in the Catskills during one trip, this guide focuses on the Northern Catskills, including the towns of Catskill, Hunter, Palenville, and Windham. This detailed guide includes: Places: hamlets, towns, villages Stay: cabins, hotels, lodges Eat: bagels, cafes, pizzerias, restaurants Drink: breweries, cideries Shop: farm stands, record stores Do: forests, gardens, hikes, lakes, ledges, lookouts, mountains, rocks, trails, waterfalls Transportation: parking lots Note: I travel to the Catskills frequently, so this guide will be updated.