Four Seasons
The Western Catskills is lucky to experience the four seasons in all their brilliant, rich beauty. Summer is all about being outdoors - whether you live here, weekend here or just visit here. Farm tours, bike rides, paddle trips, dining al fresco - no matter what you do it's always relaxing when there are no crowds around you!!!
Summer RELAXES in the Western Catskills
Here are some great outdoor resources you can experience:
Water: Check out the homepage of our event calendar for a full listing of public access to lakes and pools.
Cannonsville Boating: Kayak, canoe or sail your way around the most pristine waters we have. DEP permit required as well as boat cleaning - but they are both FREE. Call 866-775-4425 for your free brochure or download it here.
Plattekill Bike Park: Open through November. Thrill seakers love the challenging trails and great races hosted at this family fun ski center. Riders are allowed to camp on site. For more info visit www.plattekill.com.
Catskill Scenic Trail: Rent a mountain bike at Plattekill and take it to the 19 mile rail trail that runs from Grand Gorge to Bloomville. Easy grade makes this a great outing for kids of all ages. www.catskillscenictrail.org.
Horse back riding is offered on the horse trails at Stone Tavern Farm in Roxbury - right next door to Plattekill. For more information visit www.stonetavernfarm.com. Or try just over the mountain at Broken Spoke Stable, or in Harpersfield at Circle A Trails. Check our recreation section on this website - look up On The Trail.
Farmers markets start to open on Memorial Day weekend. Lots of greens like chives, scallions, lettuces, asparagus, wild foraged ramps are offered as well as smoked trout, maple products, goat cheeses, pasture raised meats and farm fresh eggs. Check out the shopping section of this website for a complete listing.
Fishing Season: Starts April 1st. We've got the best waters for fly fishing. The East and West Branch of the Delaware River, the Little Delaware River, the Susquehanna River, the wedding of the waters where the Willowemoc and Beaverkill join up. Two reservoirs - the Pepacton in the southeast and the Cannonsville in the western part of the county..jpg)
State permits are required to fish. You can obtain one directly from the NYS DEC at http://www.dec.ny.gov.
To fish in our reservoirs you will need an additional permit from the NYC DEP which can be obtained online at http://www.nyc.gov.
Nothing beats finding the right spot so if you don't know your way around try using a guide the first few times. The West Branch Angler Resort offers two miles of river for you to fish. Border Water Outfitters in Hancock and Als Sports Store in Downsville can provide guides and canoe rentals. Their websites offer current river condition information. Upper Delaware River Anglers can call the NYC DEP hotline at 845-295-1006 for current release.
Trout stocking numbers are set to maintain their levels, same as last year. Most of the trout released are yearlings about nine inches in length. But Big Pond in the southern end of the Town of Andes is set to receive over 500 brown trout averaging 23 inches long and almost 400 averaging 17 inches long.
You can see a list of all public access points by visiting the Department of Environmental Conservation's website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9924.html Call us for a free fishing map with public access points at 866-775-4425. Ask your lodging host about their favorite fishing hole nearby.
Summer is stunning in the Western Catskills.
