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. The whole Forest Preserve is state land, and New York state law prohibits cannabis consumption on state-owned land and in public spaces. The trail system, covered the way weekenders use it, not the way guidebooks assume.
Published
FeaturedPhoenicia — The Catskills Trailhead Town That Every Weekend Routes Through7 min readRead →FeaturedCannabis & Hiking the Catskills — The Law, Trail Planning & What to Know6 min readRead →Is There a Dispensary Near Hunter Mountain? What's Licensed on the Mountaintop and Below It5 min readRead →Hiking the Catskills in Rifle Season: Thanksgiving Week in Blaze Orange5 min readRead →The Catskills Winter Season, 2026 Into 20273 min readRead →Sunrise Hikes in the Catskills — Where to Catch Dawn Light3 min readRead →Catskills Cold-Plunge Culture — Where Adults Are Going After a Hike3 min readRead →The Catskills Swimming Hole Map — Permitted Spots for Adults 21+4 min readRead →Big Indian — The Tiny Hamlet at the Foot of the Catskills' Highest Peak4 min readRead →Windham — The Third Catskills Ski Town and Its Four-Season Comeback4 min readRead →Winter Hiking the Catskills — What to Carry, Where to Go, What to Avoid5 min readRead →The Catskill Fire Tower Circuit — Five Peaks, Old Steel, Long Views4 min readRead →Hunter vs. Belleayre vs. Windham — Picking a Catskills Ski Mountain4 min readRead →Kaaterskill Falls and the Eastern Escarpment5 min readRead →The Devil’s Path — What to Know Before You Try It4 min readRead →Catskill Park Trail Guide for First-Timers4 min readRead →Tannersville — The Painted Village at the Foot of Kaaterskill6 min readRead →Hunter Mountain Ski Weekend — Licensed Shops and Cannabis Rules for Adults 21+4 min readRead →
