The Catskills · Ulster County
Big Indian
Tiny Rt 28 hamlet at the foot of Slide Mountain — the gateway hike to the highest peak in the Catskills.
Big Indian is a hamlet, not a town — a couple of buildings, a country store, the trailhead-feeder road that climbs up into the Slide Mountain Wilderness. From here, the Slide-Cornell-Wittenberg traverse is the most-storied ridge walk in the Catskills, and Slide itself (4,180′) is the highest peak in the range. Big Indian and adjacent Pine Hill anchor the western approach to the Belleayre ski area, and the Esopus Creek runs cold and fast through both. A weekend here is a hiking-and-cabin weekend, not a dining-out weekend, and we cover it as such.
What we’ve written about Big Indian15 stories
All Catskills storiesMountain Adventures3 stories
Wellness & Retreats4 stories
In Big IndianForest Bathing the Catskills — Guided Sessions in Phoenicia, Big Indian, Tannersville3 min readRead →Yoga Retreats in the Catskills — Planning a Mindful Weekend, and the Cannabis Rules6 min readRead →The Emerson Resort Weekend Playbook for First-Time Visitors3 min readRead →Mount Tremper — The Emerson Resort Weekend in the Phoenicia–Boiceville Saddle4 min readRead →
Mountain Dining5 stories
The Catskills Cannabis Weekend — A 2-Day Itinerary Combining Dispensaries, Trails & Local Food10 min readRead →The Catskills Foliage-Week Prix-Fixe Circuit3 min readRead →Quick-Bite Trail Stops Along Rt 28 — Phoenicia, Boiceville, Pine Hill, Mount Tremper3 min readRead →Long-Table Farm Dinners Across Delaware County — 2026 Calendar2 min readRead →Peekamoose, Andes Hotel, Spruceton Inn — Mountain Destination Dining4 min readRead →
Cabins & Colonies2 stories
Essentials1 story
The Catskills Cannabis Gift Guide — 9 Picks for the Mountain-Bound Reader on Your List10 min readRead →
Keep reading across the Catskills.
All Essentials stories