News & Culture
Catskills hiking news, hiking product reviews, hiking tips, trail info, best practices, product reviews, history, culture, flora, fauna…
Doubletop & Graham CLOSED PERMANENTLY!
Latest info for hiking Graham & Doubletop. Please read. Important changes are being instituted…
How to Make Pine Needle Tea
This article explains how to harvest various kinds of pine needles and turn them into deliciously distinctive teas in your kitchen — in just a few minutes!
How to Make Shagbark Hickory Syrup
This article describes how to harvest shagbark hickory bark sustainably to whip up a ridiculously tasty syrup at home.
How Long Does Trash Last on the Trail?
Many people don’t know how long it takes natural items to decompose, assuming that whatever biological matter they discard will break down quickly. But many of our most common scraps take an astonishing amount of time to fully disintegrate…
DEC Update on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Treatment
Approximately 2,500 hemlock trees were treated to kill any present HWA and protect from any future infestations.
Tackling High Use & Overuse in New York’s Forest Preserves
Problems and solutions for tackling high use and overuse in New York's forest preserves.
Cairns Are Bad News
TL;DR — Building cairns disturbs fragile, sensitive habitats and stresses whatever environment they’re built in. I didn’t know people also built them in streams…
DEC Announces Addition of 241 Acres to Catskill Forest Preserve
This has been some time in the planning. It’s great news for the area just east of the Ashokan Reservoir. The new parcel sits between Jockey Hill and Onteora Lake. Its acquisition connects all three parcels, and allows for the the construction of connecting trails to unify the area.
The Great Twin Reroute Controversy of 2019
Until the middle of 2019, the trail from Pecoy Notch to the summit of Twin Mountain included a rock ledge that required a semi-technical lift to pass. It epitomized the ruggedness of the Devil’s Path. Then, during the summer, a rock-slide tore the place apart.
Trail Terms: Mountain Terrain
Trail Terms: a glossary of the most important mountain hiking lingo. This page tackles basic mountain terrain jargon.
Catskills Hemlocks Under Threat
Spend any time in the Catskills and you’ll see how special our hemlock groves are, and how unique their micro-environment is. Learn about Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and how you can help.
Open Space Institute Secures 871 Acres Near Ashokan High Point
The Open Space Institute has just announced the acquisition of two properties adjacent to the Catskill Park’s Sundown Wild Forest. The newly-protected properties have the potential to serve as a new access point to the Ashokan High Point hiking trail.
Ashokan Rail Trail Now Open
The newly-opened Ashokan Rail Trail on the north side of the Ashokan Reservoir is ridiculously wonderful. Ulster County and the DEP have absolutely aced this project. If you’re a walker, runner or cyclist, this is nine miles of absolute heaven. And unlike other promenades around the reservoir, dogs are allowed.
Trail Maintenance 101 in Mine Hollow
Look at this place. What a day to be outside in such a beautiful setting. The very next day, it snowed all over the Catskills—in mid-May! But on this perfect spring day, I joined a small group of fellow trainees for Trail Maintenance 101.
