First Stop:Catskills Visitor Center
SUMMER (April 1 – November 30th)
WINTER (December 1 – March 31)
We will be closed on:
Nov. 28th – 29th and Dec. 24th – 25th
Situated on 60 acres of forest, fields and wetlands in the hamlet of Mount Tremper, the Catskills Visitor Center is home to our visitor information center and gift shop. In addition to the main visitor center building, the site features: the 80-foot tall Upper Esopus Fire Tower; 1.5 miles of peaceful nature trails (including ADA accessible trails); picnic areas; a covered pavilion; wildlife viewing; Esopus Creek access and much more.
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Explore the Catskills
Everything you need to find your way through the beautiful Catskill Mountains.
Start ExploringAbout the Catskill Park
The Catskills are a park, but not quite in the same way as some other parks you might have visited. There is no one set entrance to the Catskills and there are no fees to come. The Catskill Park was created to conserve and preserve the unique natural resources of this region. New York State created the Catskill Forest Preserve in 1885. An amendment to the State Constitution said that the land in the Preserve would “be forever kept as wild forest lands.” Created in 1904, the Catskill Park includes the forest preserve and is a mix of public and private land in Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties. Today, the Park consists of over 700,000 acres of land.
Getting Around
The easiest way to get around the Catskills is by car. If you are car-free, local cab and ride sharing companies service parts of the Catskills. There are limited public transportation options. Some Greyhound and Trailways bus lines take visitors between New York City and select points in the Catskills. There is a Short Line Bus route that runs to certain towns in Sullivan and Delaware Counties and the Ulster County Area Transit (U.C.A.T.) bus goes through towns in that county.