Hike Safety

Be Prepared

Every month in the Catskills, people get into trouble — almost always by being under-prepared. 

The Catskill Park is not enormous, but maps of the area are stamped with WILDERNESS for a reason.

I regularly meet hikers who, literally, have no idea where they are: they’ve turned around before reaching their goal, or overshot their goal without realizing it. I’ve met several people who thought they were on a different mountain.

People are amazing. People should be amazing. But not that kind of amazing.

Catskills Wilderness

In the Catskills, cell coverage is often spotty. Even if you can get a call out, help is almost always many hours away.

Unfortunately, people do die here. The lucky get rescued. The unlucky get recovered. Please do not think of the Catskills as less dangerous than other mountain ranges.

It’s crucial you arrive fully prepared so as not to put yourself at risk or the lives of rescue volunteers in danger. This is especially true in winter — but it’s not a whole lot less true in the other seasons.

Hike Safely in the Catskills

The articles below are focussed on day-hiking. They introduce basic concepts like navigation, kit, food, safety, how to handle emergencies, and so on.

They are based on one person’s limited knowledge, which you should supplement with your own research, and by talking with more experienced hikers.