The Catskills · Pillar
Hiking, Climbing & Mountain Sports in the Catskills
The Catskill Park is 700,000 acres of state-protected forest with 35 peaks above 3,500 feet — an outdoor playground that runs from Kaaterskill Falls in the east to the Beaverkill headwaters in the west. This pillar covers what to do on foot: the Devil's Path traverses, the 3500-Club peak list, the fire tower circuit, and the winter-side ski and snowshoe routes at Hunter, Belleayre, Windham, and Plattekill. Pairing trails with dispensaries is a natural fit up here — a pre-trail gummy, a post-trail edible, a cabin evening after a full day out. We cover the trail system the way weekenders actually use it, not the way guidebooks assume.
Published
Phoenicia — The Catskills Trailhead Town That Every Weekend Routes Through
Phoenicia is the archetypal Catskills trailhead town — one Main Street, the Esopus running through it, and the busiest trailheads in the park out the back door. Here is how to spend a weekend there.
7 min read
Cannabis & Hiking the Catskills — Responsible Use, Trail Planning & What to Know
A grounded guide to hiking the Catskill Park as a 21+ cannabis user — legal framing, dosing, trail picks, and where to decompress after.
8 min read
Sunrise Hikes in the Catskills — Where to Catch Dawn Light
Five Catskills sunrise hikes worth the early alarm — fire-tower peaks with eastern exposure, short approaches that put you on the summit before the cloud line lifts.
4 min read
Catskills Cold-Plunge Culture — Where Adults Are Going After a Hike
The Catskills' cold-plunge culture has grown alongside the broader cold-exposure trend. A practical 21+ guide to where adults are going after a hike — and how to do it without getting hurt.
3 min read
The Catskills Swimming Hole Map — Permitted Spots for Adults 21+
A practical Catskills swimming-hole map for adults 21+ — Peekamoose Blue Hole permits, Diamond Notch Falls, the Esopus Creek pools, and where the legitimate cold-water spots actually are.
4 min read
Big Indian — The Tiny Hamlet at the Foot of the Catskills' Highest Peak
Big Indian is a Rt 28 hamlet at the foot of Slide Mountain — the highest peak in the Catskills. A weekend guide to the gateway hike, the surrounding wilderness, and the cabin-and-trail rhythm that comes with it.
4 min read
Windham — The Third Catskills Ski Town and Its Four-Season Comeback
Windham completes the Catskills ski-town trio with Hunter and Belleayre — quieter than Hunter, less remote than Belleayre. A weekend guide to the four-season resort comeback.
4 min read
Winter Hiking the Catskills — What to Carry, Where to Go, What to Avoid
Catskills winter hiking has killed experienced hikers. The season has its own rules: gear, trails, and how cannabis fits the weekend.
5 min read
The Catskill Fire Tower Circuit — Five Peaks, Old Steel, Long Views
Five restored fire towers across the Catskill Park, each with a 100-mile view. The Catskill Fire Tower Challenge is one of the best long-format hiking projects in the region.
4 min read
Hunter vs. Belleayre vs. Windham — Picking a Catskills Ski Mountain
Three major Catskills ski mountains, three different weekends. Hunter, Belleayre, and Windham compared: terrain, base village, and the dispensary routing for each.
4 min read
Kaaterskill Falls and the Eastern Escarpment
Kaaterskill Falls is the most famous waterfall in the Catskills. The eastern escarpment above it is where American landscape painting was born. A guide to doing both.
5 min read
The Devil’s Path — What to Know Before You Try It
The Devil’s Path is one of the hardest marked hikes in the eastern US: not technical, but brutally steep and relentless. What to know before you attempt it.
4 min read
Catskill Park Trail Guide for First-Timers
The Catskill Park covers 700,000 acres and has more than 300 miles of trail. Some of it is for seasoned hikers. These are the entry points.
4 min read
Tannersville — The Painted Village at the Foot of Kaaterskill
Tannersville runs the brightest-colored Main Street in the Catskills and holds the best cluster of service businesses at the foot of the eastern escarpment. A year-round guide, cannabis in the picture.
6 min read
Hunter Mountain Cannabis Ski Weekend — A Practical Guide for Adults 21+
Hunter is the busiest ski-town weekend in the Catskills. Here is how to plan a ski trip with cannabis in the picture, responsibly — the nearest licensed dispensary, the on-mountain rules, and the evening routine.
4 min read