Catskill Outdoor Recreation Bulletin 

October 2023

This bulletin provides only the most recent notices. Check the Catskill Backcountry Information webpage for more detailed information on access, outdoor recreation infrastructure, and conditions.

Emergency Situations: If you get lost or injured; keep calm and stay put. If you have cell service, call 911 or the DEC Dispatch, 833-NYS-Rangers (1-833-697-7264).

Welcome to the Catskills

The Welcome to the Catskills webpage is the place to go if you are interested in learning more about the Catskills. It provides information about the Forest Preserve and conservation easement lands, outdoor recreation opportunities, tips for planning, and how to Leave No Trace. Be sure to check out the links for additional information and tips and tricks for recreating safely and minimizing your impacts on natural resources, recreational infrastructure, and other backcountry users in the Catskill Mountains.

Catskills Visitor Center

Heading to the Catskills? Be sure to stop by the Catskills Visitors Center before your next adventure. Here, you can have your questions answered, get trip planning advice, and even pick up maps and local information on places you might want to explore.  While you’re there, don’t miss out on climbing the fire tower (yes, there’s a fire tower on site!), hiking the trails, and learning a bit more about the Catskill Mountains through the interactive exhibits. The Catskills Visitor Center is a do not miss location while visiting the region.  

Contact the Catskills Visitor Center for more information: 845.688.3369 or info@catskillcenter.org.

For local trail conditions, visit the Catskills Visitor Center Trail Conditions webpage.

New York - New Jersey Trail Conference Conducts Visitor Experience Survey for 'Formerly Trailless' Catskill High Peaks

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the award of an education and outreach contract to the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference to promote responsible recreation and sustainable use of the formerly trailless peaks over 3,500 feet in the Catskills. As a part of the project, the Trail Conference is conducting a visitor experience survey through November 11, to help guide management actions on state lands in the region. You can participate in the online visitor experience survey by visiting the NYNJ Trail Conference's website.

Visit DEC's website to learn more about the awarded contract and the projects that will enhance educational outreach opportunities while helping to better understand visitor use.  

General Notices

Hike Smart by packing the proper gear. See our recommended packing list (PDF) and safety tips for the summer season.

Check the Weather – Check the National Weather Service for current conditions and forecasts for the locations where you plan to recreate. Check both daytime and nighttime temperatures. Expect conditions to be cooler and more exposed on mountain summits. 

Mountain Summits – Check the National Weather Service to prepare for summit weather conditions.

Catskill Region Daytime: Mid 70's

Catskill Region Nighttime: Mid 40's

Approximate Time of Sunrise: 7:24 a.m.

Approximate Time of Sunset: 5:58 p.m.

Fire Towers – Volunteer interpreters hike to the fire towers and open the top cabs for visitors to enjoy the view on Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday Mondays from Memorial Day weekend through Indigenous Peoples Day (formerly Columbus Day) weekend. 

Love Our New York Lands –  All New Yorkers and visitors should be able to access, enjoy, and feel welcome on state lands. While enjoying these shared spaces, be respectful of other visitors. Share trails, treat people with kindness, and leave things as you found them for others to enjoy. All of us have a responsibility to protect state lands for future generations. Learn more about how you can Love Our New York Lands.

Hunting Season – Hunting season is here in the Catskills. Some important dates to keep in mind for the southern zone region:  

Early bow season Saturday October 1st – Friday, November 17th.   
Regular hunting season (gun season) starts Saturday November 18th, and ends on Sunday December 10th   
Late bow hunting season December 12th through December 19th, & December 26th through January 1st.  

More information about hunting seasons can found on the DEC website. Hikers are reminded to wear bright colors, and hunters to identify your target and hunt responsibly.

I Love NY Fall Foliage Report 

Check out the I Love NY Fall Foliage Report to see how the fall colors are changing near you! 

Forest Rangers in Review

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations, and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured, or distressed people from across New York State.

In 2022, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 359 search and rescue missions, extinguished 162 wildfires covering more than 1,300 acres, participated in 53 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate nearly 900 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in hundreds of tickets and arrests.

Ulster County
Public Outreach: On Oct. 14 and 15, Smokey Bear wrapped up National Fire Prevention Week with a busy weekend of events. On Oct. 14, Smokey and Forest Ranger Martin attended the Big Indian-Oliverea Fire Department's pancake breakfast. Smokey met members of the department and the Ladies Auxiliary to thank them for everything they do to help prevent wildfires in the Catskill Forest Preserve. Later that day, Smokey, Captain Gierloff, and Rangers Franceschina and Martin attended the Belleayre Fall Festival. At the Festival, Rangers spoke about their job duties and how the public can help prevent wildfires. Smokey Bear rode the Catskill Thunder Gondola to the top of the mountain.

On Oct. 15, Rangers Franceschina and Martin attended an end-of-year gathering for the Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower volunteers. Smokey and Rangers thanked the volunteers for their efforts to educate the public about fire safety.

Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC's Hike Smart NY, and Catskill Backcountry Information webpages for more information.

If a person needs a Forest Ranger, whether it's for a search and rescue, to report a wildfire, or to report illegal activity on state lands and easements, they should call 833-NYS-RANGERS. If a person needs urgent assistance, they can call 911. To contact a Forest Ranger for information about a specific location, the DEC website has phone numbers for every Ranger listed.

Recent Notices

Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest – DEC Operations staff recently installed new windows in the Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower.

Kaaterskill Clove Visitor Use Management– DEC has awarded a Visitor Use Management (VUM) planning contract to Otak, a private consulting firm specializing in research, planning, and design to help develop sustainable recreation solutions in the Kaaterskill Clove area of the Catskill Park. The goal of this planning process is to develop strategies that ensure the popular destination provides positive visitor experiences while continuing to protect the Forest Preserve. The Kaaterskill Clove Visitor Use Management webpage hosts project information, updates, and opportunities to get involved.

Kaaterskill Wild Forest and Indian Head Wilderness– Please be advised that the Town of Hunter has parking restrictions on Route 23A and Platte Clove Road. Park only at designated DEC parking lots. Come prepared with backup options and move on if the area's parking lot is full. Any illegally parked vehicle may be ticketed and towed to the Town Hall Impound Lot.

Leave No Trace™ 

Pay attention to the leaves and trail: As the leaves fall and cover the path, they can make trails hard to follow. Be sure to research your route ahead of time and follow trail markers closely to avoid getting lost or wandering off the trail. 

For more information on how to Leave No Trace and to protect the places you recreate, visit the Leave No Trace^TM website.

Arbor Day Poster Contests

Annual Photo/Artwork Contest

Could your artwork be the next winner in the annual Arbor Day Poster Contest? Submit your photo or artwork by December 31, 2023, for a chance to be part of the tradition!

Visit our website to find more details about the contest and to submit your work for consideration:

Photo: 2016 Arbor Day photo of Sleepy Hollow Lake, NY, by Robert Near

There is a Contest for Students too!

Do you work at a K-12 school and want to get your students engaged with and excited about trees? Learn more about a “tree-rific” opportunity below:

Student Arbor Day Poster Contest: have your students create posters to promote Arbor Day and celebrate the importance of trees! The poster contest is open to public schools, home schools, afterschool programs, and other educational programs. Let us know if your students have Arbor Day posters—we would love to share them on DEC social media! For more info about the student poster contest, visit the DEC website.

Stay Tick Free

Don't be fooled. Ticks are still out and about. Be sure to follow these recommendations to stay tick-free while enjoying the outdoors:

• Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
• Wear enclosed shoes, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt.
• Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.
• Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors.
• Consider using insect repellent.
• Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails, and walk in the center of trails.
• Avoid dense woods and bushy areas.

Check out DEC's website for additional tips for tick prevention.

Fall For the 2023 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge

With cooler temps and changing colors, fall is a great time to take the 2023 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge! To enter, visit all six Catskill Fire Towers within the 2023 calendar year and submit an online or paper (PDF) hike log, along with a favorite photo from your adventure. All participants will receive a challenge patch, as well as a chance to win various outdoor prizes. Repeat finishers who have completed a past Catskill Fire Tower Challenge will also be awarded a commemorative mug.

For a bonus entry, submit a photo practicing Leave No Trace™ while out on your hikes. Make sure to plan ahead and prepare for your journey by learning more about the challenge and hikes, and deciding on the best time for you, your family, friends, or hiking companions to hit the trails!

For more information about the fire towers and challenge rules, visit DEC’s website.

Don’t Miss the Latest Issue of the Conservationist

In the Oct./Nov. issue of the Conservationist, readers will learn about a team of DEC engineers sent to Vermont to conduct safety inspections on dams throughout the state after historic flooding swamped the Green Mountain State.

Here in New York, DEC staff are studying biological communities (a.k.a. bugs) in the Hudson and Mohawk rivers. Utilizing some of the same sampling techniques and equipment used in the 1970s, research scientists are evaluating the alterations of conditions of these two major waterways. Readers will learn about this important initiative and how the rivers’ water quality has changed during the past 50 years. Readers can also learn how to “recycle right” and restore confidence in recycling, as well as how New York is revitalizing contaminated sites and returning them to productive use through New York’s successful Brownfield Cleanup Program.

In addition, readers will learn about different types of hunting dogs and which breeds are best suited to your hunting needs, and how organizations are inspiring new conservationists by introducing people of diverse backgrounds to the sport of turkey hunting. All this and more in the latest issue of the Conservationist. Visit DEC's website to subscribe, or call 1-518-402-8047. We now also offer a digital only subscription for just for $6 a year.