In this issue:
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).
Hike Smart by packing the proper gear. See our recommended packing list (PDF) and safety tips for the spring.
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, and Leave No Trace. Check out the links to additional information and tips for recreating safely and minimizing your impacts on natural resources, recreational infrastructure, and other backcountry users in the Catskill Mountains.
Catskills Visitor Center is open Monday - Sunday 9:30am to 4:00pm
Be sure to stop by for a visit before your next adventure. Have your questions answered, get trip planning advice, or pick up maps and local information and more!
Contact the Catskills Visitor Center for more information: 845-688-3369 or info@catskillcenter.org.
For the local trail conditions, visit the Catskills Visitor Center Trail Conditions webpage.
Wildfires commonly occur in the spring during dry and windy conditions, and open burning is the single greatest cause of wildfires in NYS. A statewide burn ban is in effect until May 14. Open burning of brush, limbs, and branches is prohibited. Backyard fire pits, small cooking fires, and small campfires are still okay, but these can never be left unattended.
Visit the Open Burning webpage for more information on burning on agricultural lands, municipal uses, burn barrels, campfire safety, and more.
Special regulations are in effect for the Blue Hole and Peekamoose Valley due to the increase in visitation. The purpose of these regulations is to protect public safety and to minimize impacts to the environmental resources. Permits are required to visit the Blue Hole, and to camp at the nearby campsites in the Peekamoose Valley.
- Require visitors to obtain a permit for a $10 fee through Reserve America, consistent with fees for other recreation-oriented Day Use areas in the Forest Preserve.
- Limit parking to designated parking areas only. Parking along the shoulder of the road is prohibited by the Town and is a Tow Away Zone.
- Users are required to use portable restroom facilities for human waste disposal and the dumpster for all other waste
- Except for the nearby designated camping area, the Blue Hole is only open to the public from one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset.
*** The following are prohibited at the Blue Hole (limited use will be allowed at the nearby designated camping area only):
- Camping
- All fires (including charcoal fires, wood fires, gas grills, propane stoves or other portable stoves)
- Use of portable generators
- Alcohol
- Glass containers
- Coolers larger than 12" in any dimension
- Radios and other audio devices
To obtain a permit to the Peekamoose Blue Hole, please visit DEC’s website.
Bluestone Wild Forest - Onteora Lake – The gate to the lower parking lot at Onteora Lake is now open.
Big Indian Wilderness – Rider Hollow Lean-to on the Mapledale-Oliveria Trail is closed until further notice. Please plan accordingly.
Sundown Wild Forest – DEC Operations staff are constructing a new expanded parking area located within the Peekamoose Valley Riparian Corridor in the Sundown Wild Forest. The project is located within the former Trailer Field Parking Area on Peekamoose Road (Ulster County 42) and is designed to centralize parking in the corridor and accommodate approximately 55 cars. The parking area will accommodate visitors to the Peekamoose Blue Hole, provide access to the Long Path foot trail system and general access to adjacent State lands for anglers, hunters and other recreationists pursuing their respective activities.
Windham-Blackhead Range Wilderness – The Escarpment Trail is closed between the Elm Ridge Lean-to and the summit of Windham High Peak until further notice. Trail closure map (PDF).
Kaaterskill Wild Forest and Indian Head Wilderness – The Town of Hunter has established parking restrictions on Route 23a and Platte Clove Road. Additionally, parking is prohibited in all vehicle pull-offs on Route 23a in Kaaterskill Clove from May through October. Park only at designated DEC parking lots and come prepared with back-up options and move on if an area's parking lot is full. Any illegally parked vehicle will be ticketed and towed to the Town of Hunter Town Hall Impound Lot (5742 NY-23A in Tannersville). DEC recommends visitors access Kaaterskill Falls by parking at the Laurel House Road, Scutt Road, or South Lake parking areas. Visit DEC’s website for directions to these parking areas.
Seasonal Roads – Platte Clove Road – the eastern 2.5 miles of Platte Clove Road are closed November 1st until approximately May 30th. The scheduled re-opening is weather permitting. Check for updates on the Town of Hunter’s website.
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 colder and more exposed on mountain summits.
Before you hit the trail, check out DEC’s Hike Smart NY webpage to learn about hiking safety, best practices, preparedness, and the Hiker Responsibility Code. Discover trails less traveled and visit when trails may not be as busy.
Mountain Summits: Check the National Weather Service to prepare for the current summit weather conditions in the Catskills.
Catskill Region Daytime: Mid 70's
Catskill Region Nighttime: Low 40's
Manage your time wisely: Keep in mind, it gets dark early. Be mindful of sunrise and sunset times, and plan accordingly. Start long hikes early to maximize sunlight hours and always bring a headlamp with extra batteries in case you are out longer than expected.
Approximate Time of Sunrise: 6:01am
Approximate Time of Sunset: 7:47pm
Water crossings: As a reminder, never attempt to cross high, fast-moving water, especially following rain or snowmelt events. If there is precipitation forecast during the day, be mindful of how water crossings might swell between your first crossing and your return trip. Remember, always check the weather before your trip. If conditions aren’t favorable, consider rescheduling.
Spring is here and ticks are already out! Follow these tips to stay tick free:
- 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.
- Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Walk in the center of trails. Avoid dense woods and bushy areas.
- Keep long hair tied back.
- Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (also check children and pets), and remove ticks promptly.
- Follow your vet's suggestion for regular flea and tick prevention treatment.
- Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
Visit DEC's website for additional tips for tick prevention.
Join thousands of volunteers across the state on Saturday, May 3 to celebrate and enhance New York’s parks, historic sites, greenway trails and other public lands.
I Love My Park Day—the largest single-day volunteer event in NYS—presents a perfect opportunity to clean up our favorite parks and shorelines, plant trees and gardens, restore trails and wildlife habitat, remove invasive species, and work on various site improvement projects—all which help to prepare our iconic state park system and public lands for the start of the season.
Volunteer registration is currently open for I Love My Park Day! New Yorkers are encouraged to join their community in a cleanup, enhancement, or restoration event near them. This year, DEC Region 3 and participating partners are hosting two opportunities in the Catskills for the public to volunteer in:
Kenneth L. Wilson Campground and Day Use Area,
Mt. Tremper, Ulster County
Time: 10am – 2pm
Meeting location: Day Use Area Pavilion
Project: Facility/campsite cleanup and garden maintenance/weeding.
Volunteers should bring: Work/gardening gloves, water, sunscreen, and bug spray.
North-South Lake Campground and Day Use Area
Haines Falls, Greene County
Time: 9am – 12pm
Meeting location: Meet at booth at campground entrance.
Project: Facility cleanup, picnic table assembly, and pollinator garden cleanup.
Volunteers should bring: Work/gardening gloves, water, sunscreen, and bug spray.
Town of Hunter
Greene County
Wilderness Search: On April 17 at 3:55 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch contacted Forest Ranger Peterson about a lost hiker on the Mink Hollow trail of Sugarloaf Mountain. The Dispatcher guided the hiker back to the trail but remained concerned. Ranger Peterson called the 61-year-old from New York City who told the Ranger he was in good health and planned to continue hiking. When Ranger Peterson learned the subject did not have a map and was unfamiliar with the area, the Ranger suggested the hiker turn around and head back to his vehicle. The hiker refused and said he would call back if he got lost. At 5:02 p.m., the hiker called Ranger Peterson to report he was lost again. At 6 p.m., Rangers Fox and Peterson located the subject and assisted him down the trail to his vehicle.
Town of Hunter
Greene County
Wilderness Rescue: On April 18 at 5:15 p.m., four Forest Rangers responded to a report of a hiker with an ankle injury in the area of the Devil’s Acre lean-to on Hunter Mountain. Rangers reached the 45-year-old from New Jersey at 8:30 p.m. Rangers and members of the Lexington and Prattsville Fire Departments used a wheeled litter over the icy terrain to return the hiker to the trailhead. Resources were clear at 3:45 a.m.
Town of Hunter
Greene County
Wilderness Search: On April 19 at 5 p.m., Forest Rangers Commerford, Fox, and Peterson responded to a call from a hiker reporting he was lost on the south side of Twin Mountain. Ray Brook Dispatch provided coordinates and Rangers reached the 23-year-old from Brooklyn and assisted him back to the trailhead. Resources were clear at 9:30 p.m.
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 by region.
Spring has sprung! Check out these tips on how to Leave No Trace while enjoying your time outdoors this season.
Travel on Trails: With spring weather comes the potential to encounter muddy sections of trail. Plan in advance and wear appropriate footwear like durable boots that will allow you to stay on the trail even through the muddy sections. Stepping off trail contributes to trail widening, erosion and damage to sensitive trailside plants.
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