As red, gold and orange leaves signal the arrival of autumn in the Catskills, locals are already deep into their preparations for winter. When sunny skies turn snowy, a whole new world of activities and attractions opens up for residents and visitors. With summer gear packed up and kids back in school, planning for winter holidays and getaways reveals hundreds of ways to kickback during fall and winter months. Whether people are seeking outdoor adventures or indoor activities, the Catskill Mountain region delivers variety and value!
While spontaneous “get up and go” travel can work during summer months, winter getaways require a little more advance planning. Attractions (think ski centers) and activities (think snowmobiling and hiking) are often impacted by prevailing weather conditions. Popular attractions may limit their hours of operation during winter or require advance reservations. But for those willing to take a bit of time to plan ahead, fall/winter getaways can be just perfect when cabin fever starts to set in.
Delaware County
The great outdoors is always in season in the magnificent Catskill Mountains. Before winter sets in, take the kids to Gladstone Farm in Andes to pick their own pumpkins or sunflowers and enjoy fall fun on the farm. Plattekill Mountain Ski Center comes alive when other attractions wind down. A fall festival on Columbus Day weekend is always a precursor to a winter season that boasts great downhill skiing and riding. Unlike larger ski centers, this family owned and family operated ski center also offers snow tubing. The Hancock Rink offers ice skating from December through February at the Hancock Town Square, weather permitting. Delhi and Downsville also offer community ice skating when weather permits. Delaware County also boasts more than 300 miles of well-maintained snowmobile trails with scenery that can’t be beat. Five local snowmobile clubs including the Hamden Hill Ridge Riders, the Delaware Valley Ridge Riders and D&D Snowdiggers welcome visitors and are always eager to share up-to-date information on the latest trail conditions. Information is also available from the Central Catskills Trail Association and the Delaware-Otsego-Chenango Snowriders.
For special fun early in the season, Margaretville celebrates Thanksgiving in a big way with a parade down Main Street on Saturday, Nov. 30. Santa and Mrs. Clause make their first appearance of the season. Later the same day, nearby Andes follows with its community Thanksgiving parade and a giant tree lighting ceremony. Both communities offer very creative pop-up sales up and down their Main Streets the same day.
For those who would rather be indoors during the winter, the region offers unique attractions that have sheltered activity throughout the fall and winter. In Delaware County, activities range from bowling with music and food at the Ark Bowl in Arkville, to wildly popular yoga classes at many sites including among others, Twisted Sister Yoga Studio, Play, and Breathnation in Arkville, Roxbury and DeLancey respectively. The Catskill Recreation Center (CRC) in Arkville offers a year-around fitness facility complete with swimming and is open to the public for one-day visits or membership programs six days a week. Biking is a special focus of the CRC and its fifth annual Cross Mountain Crusher, a 55 mile gravel/road ride for serious cyclists is expected to draw scores of participants Saturday, Oct. 5.
Most Delaware County communities host year around art galleries with exhibits changing every month to six weeks. Among the most popular are 1053 Gallery in Fleischmanns, Longyear Gallery in Margaretville, Roxbury Arts Group in Roxbury, Headwaters Arts Center in Stamford, and Bushel Collective in Delhi. For those who want to get hands on, Jeremiah Pottery offers complimentary classes in both hand-built and wheel pottery on Sunday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. and Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. courtesy of the Walton United Presbyterian Church.
Adult oriented magnets in Delaware County include local breweries, distilleries, and cideries that provide unique libations from locally grown and sourced producers. Union Grove Distillery in Arkville, which started its distillery with vodka but has since branched out, won Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners: Master Distiller reality TV competition earlier this year and has now been joined by Calico Outlaw Brewing adding beer on-site at the popular night spot. Wayside Cider, housed in two “off Main Street” barns in Andes features a taproom with their own locally made ciders but also offering beer, spirits and wines from other small scale producers. Like Union Grove, Wayside often features food and music options. Awestruck Cider a small batch, locally sourced and produced specialty cider made in Sidney also boasts a tap room for tastings of flights and pints on weekends. They also have a flagship location, the Awestruck Mill in Walton.
The historic Walton Theatre hosts evening and matinee movies, mainstage concerts and more. In collaboration with Music on the Delaware and other co-producers, the programming is varied and exciting. Look for the Walton Theatre Coffeehouse Concert Series with performances nearly every month as well.
A hot tip for cold weather must be the annual Ice Harvest at Hanford Mills Museum is an amazing hands-on history event for kids and kids at heart. Follow them on social media for the exact date, sometime between mid-January and mid-February, then head on up. Visitors young and old tour the museum buildings, take horse pulled carriage rides and then participate in harvesting ice the way it was done centuries ago. The harvested ice is dragged to a shed, packed with sawdust and saved until July when it is used for the annual ice cream festival.
Greene County
Hunter Mountain and Windham Mountain rule when it comes to the outdoor winter experience in Greene County. Both ski facilities offer state of the art trails, lifts, lodges, and scores of scheduled activities throughout the ski season. With modern snowmaking equipment investments, both ski centers offer extended skiing seasons that generally begin in mid-November and can last through April. Bearpen Mountain Sports in Prattsville has expanded outdoor winter recreation opportunities with cross country skiing and snowshoeing, fat tire winter biking, snowtubing, ice skating and the area’s first curling center. Open on weekends and holidays, they also offer equipment rentals so even newcomers can try the sports. The popular North/South Lake Campground in Haines Falls has no winter camping. But the property is available for use and popular for ice-fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Snowmobilers are also welcome to use the trail network when winter snowfall cooperates.
For those preferring indoor pursuits, the historic Thomas Cole National Historic Site has recently opened a new visitors center to tour in addition to the famous artist’s home. Located in Catskill, the site is one of the most popular year around destinations in the county. Athens Cultural Center hosts a wide variety of events. From Friday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 20 three local high schools will partner with them to present “The Light in Our Eyes” featuring artwork, student poetry and creative writing commemorating the 150th birthday of the historic Hudson Athens Lighthouse. First Fridays at the cultural center feature happy hour celebrations from 5 to 7 p.m. the first Friday of each month with changing focus and exhibits throughout the year.
CREATE Council on the Arts in Catskill has a gallery in Catskill and is also working with Columbia and Schoharie Counties to expand artistic expression and tourism opportunities in the area. Visitors are fascinated by a trip to St. John the Baptist Ukranian Catholic Church and Grazhada in Jewett where the wood carved basilica is constructed without the use of nails and the hand-carved interior features carved wood iconostasis, grand lapidary and gold covered accents. As part of the Grazhda Music and Art Center the church is open for concerts, Ukranian craft workshops and art exhibits.
Windham’s Catskill Mountain Country Store and Restaurant is a unique country market, bakery and garden center that features walking paths, a playground, and a farm animal rescue “zoo” in addition to gourmet food, toys and gifts. Adults will love the Rip Van Winkle Brewing Company in Catskill, the West Kill Brewing Company and Hunter Mountain Brewery, all of which offer the traditional brew pub atmosphere with local craft beers and simple food in comfortable settings.
Otsego County
Like Delaware County, Otsego County boasts more than 300 miles of trails for snowmobiling and connects its visitors to information through local clubs that groom, mark and maintain the trails. The land of Natty Bumpo has 16 road-accessible lakes making ice-fishing a popular endeavor when weather permits. Snowshoeing and cross country skiing are attractions at five New York State Parks in the county. At Glimmerglass State Park, winter mountain biking can provide adventure for visiting thrill-seekers.
In Oneonta, two major colleges, SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick offer a variety of activities and events to connect their campus activities with the greater community. The Foreman Gallery and Yager Museum of Art and Culture offers compelling exhibits all year. Three galleries at SUNY Oneonta including Martin-Mullen Gallery, the Project Space and the Open Space Gallery offer innovative exhibits year around and both colleges present music and theater productions throughout the year. For kids needing indoor action, Interskate 88 is among the most popular attractions. For more than 40 years the facility has combined skating on a hardwood maple floor and a superlighted disco dance floor with laser tag, arcade games, an indoor playground and snack bar.
Cooperstown is the home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Farmer’s Museum and both welcome visitors all year around. Baseball isn’t just for summer and the shrine of the “national pastime” is even more fun during fall and winter when crowds are small and special activities are offered. For example, fall Fridays through the month of October offer special tours, trivia contests and interactive, hands-on history carts. November is Native American Heritage popup month with special exhibits on native American contributions to the sport. There is always something happening at the Farmers Museum. Since 1944 its collection of buildings and artifacts provides living history lessons. October includes Ghost Tours, a Tractor Fest with other special events including a Blacksmith showcase. A December Festival of Lights is magical. In February, the Winter Carnival takes over Cooperstown, including the Farmer’s Museum and the town is abuzz with indoor and outdoor activities.
The Fenimore Art Museum is open through the fall and early winter, closing at the end of the year until spring. Three floors of exhibits are designed to appeal to both kids and adults. After a visit, adults might want to head to Brewery Ommegang, one of the earliest specialty pubs in the region for fine beer and food. Billed as the first farmhouse brewery in America in a century, the taproom and tasting events feature Belgian style brews and activities and events keep the place “hopping” year around. Elsewhere in the county, Fly Creek Cider Mill and Barn offers a wonderful experience with the addition of a great gift shop. Montezuma Winery & Hidden Marsh Distillery as well as the Red Shed Brewery are all on the Cooperstown Beverage Trail.
Schoharie County
Fall in Schoharie County is a hard season to beat with incredible leaf-peeping vistas and farm stands galore. Kids love picking their own apples and pumpkins and the Terrace Mountain Orchard in Schoharie has the apples and more! Pumpkin picking at RSK Farm in Prattsville, and Fox Valley Vail Farms in Schoharie will keep everyone happy. A visit to Schoharie Valley Farms and the wildly popular Carrot Barn café and gift shop is a must any time during the year. Whatever the season, the Carrot Barn has something growing and something cooking.
Schoharie County sets itself apart in the winter outdoor adventure category with the Schoharie County Eagle Trail. Boasting 19 different locations where eagles can be observed nesting or fishing, the county’s resident eagles stay in the region year around. In winter they are joined by eagles migrating south from Canada who arrive in Schoharie County and find it just warm enough to end their journey and shelter them until spring. Mapped driving and walking routes are easily accessible to visitors and guides them through areas of stunning beauty and eagle habitat. Each January, trail organizers help lead the National Bald Eagle Count with professionals and amateurs all joining in to collect data on the magnificent birds.
Mine Kill State Park, operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation collaborates with the Bald Eagle trail but also offers an incredible array of trails and scenery for fall and winter outdoor enthusiasts. The park also offers ice skating, tubing and sledding, snowshoeing and cross country skiing with rental equipment available at the office during business hours. Nearby, the New York Power Authority operates the Blenheim-Gilboa Visitors Center as part of the Lansing Manor Complex. Interactive exhibits cover basics of electricity and the operation of the Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project. Lansing Manor, on the National Register of Historic Places is often the site of special activities and events. From Spooktacular on Saturday, Oct. 19 to Movie Matinees on November Sundays to the Festival of Trees on Sunday, Dec. 1, the run up to winter is an active time at Lansing Manor.
Middleburgh’s Vroman’s Nose, popular for hikers in all seasons, offers some of the most spectacular fall foliage and long distance views in the region and is among the more accessible terrain for area hikers.
For history buffs, the Old Stone Fort Museum complex is a treasure trove of history and lore. Seven historic buildings and exhibits spaces on 25 acres house thousands of artifacts, a research library and a local genealogy collection. A museum for more than 130 years, it is a must-stop for all students of New York history.
For art lovers, the Middleburgh Coffee Co. offers a wonderful café/art experience while 287 Main, a newly created co-work space for artists and friends adds a new gallery touch to Schoharie with artwork and more on display. Adults will love the Green Wolf Brewing Co. in Middleburgh where Schoharie County’s first farm brewery has open mic nights and music on tap with the beers. Wayward Lane Brewing, a true farm brewery and taproom in Schoharie is also a must on the beverage circuit.
Sullivan County
Sullivan County is the home of the Villa Roma Resort, the only hotel in the region that boasts its own downhill ski center with a chairlift and numerous trails. In addition to skiing and boarding, winter visitors to Villa Roma in Callicoon can enjoy snowtubing, sledding, and cross country skiing if they want to get outdoors. Indoor activities include everything from a bowling alley to pools, hot tubs, saunas, spas, fitness centers and game rooms---. The facility is just one of two ski centers in Sullivan County which also plays host to Holiday Mountain Ski and Fun Park with six trails, two chairlifts and a state of the art learning center. A snow tubing center offers 12 lanes for tubers with its own conveyor lift.
A third major outdoor asset in Sullivan County is the 5,500 acre Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville, which functions as a camp, a retreat destination and an environmental education center for people of all ages, all year. The access to nature at this rural, mountainous resort is unparalleled. Specializing in family getaways from September to June, the facility offers extensive cross-country skiing and limitless snowshoeing opportunities along with ice fishing and snow tubing activities. Special theme weekends are offered through Columbus Day weekend in October.
For those seeking indoor activities, the depth and variety of attractions in Sullivan County is hard to match. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and the Museum at Bethel Woods celebrate the world-famous Woodstock concert that never really took place in Woodstock. The museum in Bethel helps baby boomers relive the past and their journeys during the 1960s and the Woodstock era while others get to learn for the first time what that experience was like. The museum is open daily until Dec. 31.
The Callicoon Theater and Hurleyville Performing Arts offer special shows throughout the year. A visit to the Callicoon Brewing Company and the Roscoe Beer Co. are musts for those who enjoy the beverage circuit.
Ulster County
Ulster, the county where the Catskills meet the Hudson River, has been a leader in outdoor winter recreation since the state of New York opened Belleayre Mountain Ski Center for the 1949 – 1950 ski season, Ulster County will join its tourism partners in celebrating its 75th anniversary of the family oriented facility this coming season. Belleayre Mountain boasts the only gondola in the Catskill region and, like Hunter and Windham ski centers, offers state-of-the-art snowmaking that virtually guarantees skiing from November through April. Before the snow flies, visitors can enjoy two weekends of fall festival activity on the mountain. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5 and 6 and again Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12 and 13, gondola rides, trail hikes, music, brews and pre-ski, pre-holiday shopping will cascade across the mountain.
In addition to being home to the Catskill Mountains, Ulster County also boasts the Shawangunk Mountains, home to some of the best rock climbing on the east coast. The Black Diamond Golden Carabiner Hunt on Saturday, Oct. 26 is presented by Rock and Snow and Black Diamond to raise funds for the Gunks Climber’s Coalition. Golden carabiners are hidden in 30 locations in the mountains and pairs of climbers use clue sheets to search for and claim them for prizes at an evening afterparty the same day. The Catskill Ice Climbing Festival has been an Ulster County tradition for more than two decades. Generally the first week in February, the festival boasts a series of clinics and events from basic ice movement and steep ice tech to mixed ice, ravines and rescue techniques. For those who prefer to keep their feet on solid ground, Ole Savannah restaurant in downtown Kingston opens an ice rink on the Rondout Creek as soon as weather permits.
Kingston, New York’s first capital, is always in season. But December and later winter months bring a special air to the place. For four days in October (17, 18, 19, and 20) visitors tour the Senate House and Old Dutch Church where Revolutionary War activity was hot. Colonial Camp Re-Enactments illustrating the burning of Kingston are accompanied by dozens of activities including a Colonial Grand Ball and Reception and a 5K RunWalk event. Kingston also pulls out all the stops for its annual Snowflake Festival.
Down the road, the Headless Horseman is the granddaddy of all Haunted Halloween experiences drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The Ulster Park attraction uses a historic mansion and 65 acres of property to scare the wits out of visitors each fall. In December the property turns on a spectacular holiday lights exhibit.
Two major activity centers on opposite ends of Ulster County keep visitors entertained throughout the fall and winter months with special activities that range from art to music and nature to nurture. The Ashokan Center in Olive Bridge offers music and dance camps and educational field trips in addition to special events ranging from Northeast Blacksmiths Association’s Fall Hammer - to a Fall Family Fun Fest, a Botanical Art & Nature Sketching Retreat and a Banjo Weekend. The Pine Hill Community Center offers weekend concerts from jazz to classical, an art gallery, kids activities, and a pottery studio open to anyone who wants to try their hand at the craft. The eclectic programming offers something for everyone from native to newcomer and young kids to grandparents. Its thrift shop is among the best anywhere.
Other magical must visit places in Ulster County include Mohonk Mountain and Rocking Horse Ranch with activities and events throughout the winter. The World’s Largest Kaleidoscope and the Emerson Resort Gift Shops have special holiday celebrations and the Catskill Mountain Railroad Polar Express experience is a must for kids. Adults will enjoy evening entertainment at UPAC in Kingston which brings nationally renowned performers to the stage. A visit to the Woodstock Brewing Company in Phoenicia and Keegan Ales in Kingston are both top-notch on the beverage trail.
Information for this story was provided by county tourism promotion agencies who are always eager to talk about their favorite places to go and things to do. More information can be obtained by checking the websites of the attractions mentioned or by contacting one of the following tourism offices.
Delaware County - greatwesterncatsills.com
Greene County - greatnortherncatskills.com
Otsego County - thisiscooperstown.com
Schoharie County - visitschohariecounty.com
Sullivan County - sullivancatskills.com
Ulster County - visitulstercountyny.com
