|
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 season.
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.
The Catskills Visitor Center is open Fri, Sat, Sun, and Mon 9:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. 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.
Special regulations are in effect for the Blue Hole and Peekamoose Valley because of the huge increase in visitors. The purpose of these regulations is to increase public safety and reduce impacts to the environmental resources. Permits are required to visit the Blue Hole, or to camp at the nearby campsites in the Peekamoose Valley. The Special regulations:
- 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.
- Parking is limited to designated parking areas only. Parking along the shoulder of the road is prohibited by the Town and is a Tow Away Zone.
*** 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.
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.
Mountain Summits: Check the National Weather Service to prepare for the current summit weather conditions in the Catskills.
Catskill Region Daytime: High 60’s
Catskill Region Nighttime: Low 50’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: 5:34AM
Approximate Time of Sunset: 8:14PM
Mountain Biking: There are many great opportunities for mountain biking in the Catskills. Please keep in mind that during the Spring season, the trails are more susceptible to erosion and trail widening. Please do your best to avoid riding muddy, wet trails. When encountering patches of mud, ride through the center of the trail to avoid damaging trail side plants and contributing to potential impacts to the trail.
Water crossings: As a reminder, never attempt to cross high, fast-moving water, especially following rain. 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.
 |
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. It is anticipated that the parking area will be completed by late May/early June.
Kaaterskill Wild Forest—Expect all trails in the Kaaterskill Falls area to be covered in a combination of ice and snow between the months of November and April even if there is no snow or ice elsewhere. Hikers should use extreme caution, especially on icy stone staircases and other rock surfaces. For your safety, be prepared with microspikes or crampons.
DEC has established a restricted area within the Kaaterskill Clove Riparian Corridor at a location commonly referred to as Fawn’s Leap located on Kaaterskill Creek adjacent to Route 23a. Do not enter within 15 feet of cliff edges in the area above the Fawn’s Leap waterfall. Signage has been posted on site to indicate the boundary of the restricted area.
Kaaterskill Clove Visitor Use Management Project Updates—A time lapse video showing conditions of the Kaaterskill Falls and Clove area during a typically busy summer weekend in August 2023 has been posted to the project website. Members of the public are encouraged to continue checking the project website for updates and can provide feedback, comments, and questions to the planning team.
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.
Stewards in the Catskills—DEC has partnered with several organizations to provide trailhead and mountaintop stewardship throughout the Catskills during the spring, summer and fall of 2024. Stewards will be provided through partnerships with the New York New Jersey Trail Conference, Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Catskill Mountainkeeper, and Catskill 3500 Club. On the ground stewardship is an effective way to provide outreach and education to visitors of the Catskills.
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.
- 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 these additional tips for tick prevention.
DEC campgrounds provide a wide variety of experiences, including island camping, tent and trailer camping, boat launching facilities, hiking trails, beaches and day use areas with picnic tables and grills. Interested in camping this year? It's easy to reserve your perfect campsite now via New York's online camping reservation system.
Always remember to reduce your impacts on the beauty of our natural resources and become a more environmentally friendly camper with these tips.
The following Catskill campgrounds will open on May 17, 2024:
- Bear Spring Mountain
- Devil's Tombstone
- Little Pond
- North/South Lake
- Mongaup Pond
- Woodland Valley
- Kenneth L. Wilson
- Beaverkill Campground
View the full DEC campground schedule.
Annual Hiking Challenge Highlights Catskills Region and Provides Prizes to Participants
The Catskills Fire Tower Challenge encourages experienced hikers to visit the region’s remaining fire towers located on:
- Balsam Lake Mountain (Hardenburgh);
- Hunter Mountain (Hunter);
- Overlook Mountain (Woodstock);
- Red Hill Mountain (Denning);
- Tremper Mountain (Shandaken); and
- The 80-foot-tall Upper Esopus Fire Tower (newest and sixth fire tower opened in fall 2019). Located at the Catskills Visitor Center in Mt. Tremper.
- provides an opportunity for visitors who may not otherwise be able to undertake more challenging hikes to experience a fire tower on the high peaks in the Catskills.
To participate in the challenge, hikers must hike to all six DEC-owned fire towers in the Catskills between Jan. 1, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2024. Once completed, participants submit a log of their completed hikes along with a favorite photo to CatskillsChallenge@dec.ny.gov, or via mail. Entries must be postmarked by Jan. 6, 2025.
More details and prize information can be found on the 2024 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge webpage.
Spring has sprung! Check out these tips on how to Leave No TraceTM 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.
To learn more about how to practice leave no trace principles, visit LNT.org
|
