Upstate New York has been on my list for years, especially in the fall. I envisioned leaf-peeping, autumn colors, nights by the fire, farmers markets, and fresh air. Back in the spring (after my boyfriend spent a month working remote in Puerto Rico), I thought it would be fun to plan something similar for the fall...so the hunt for a cozy cabin somewhere on the East Coast began. We wanted to be in the mountains, somewhere where the colors would be changing, with access to restaurants and shopping but still with a lot of wide open space. We settled on two weeks in the Catskills, an easy drive from DC and the perfect jumping off point for exploring the region.

Catskill vs. Catskill Mountains vs. Catskill Park

If you want to get in the weeds, the Catskill Mountain Range (located south of Albany, NY and west of the Hudson River) sits within Catskill Park, 700,000 acres of public and private protected land. This is not to be confused with the village of Catskill, NY which sits on the banks of the Hudson River near the northern tip of the mountain range.

The Catskills, as the region is collectively referred to, are about 2.5 hours from NYC and 5.5 hours from DC by car (and even accessible by Amtrak!) The Catskills really are a year-round outdoor destination with hiking, mountain biking, and water activities in the warmer months and skiing, snowboarding, and tubing in the winter. The Catskills are a sprawling geographic area, broken into four regions (northern, eastern, southern, and western), so there is a ton to explore. We primarily spent our time in the northern and eastern Catskills.

A laundry list of adorable towns and villages dot the region; some big, some small, but all adding to the overall charm of the Catskills. We opted to stay in the mountaintop town of Hunter, NY (4,000 ft elevation) but I took day trips to Woodstock, Rhinebeck, and Hudson (more to come on this gem of a place.) Hunter is home to Hunter Mountain ski resort, the small village of Tannersville, and some of the tallest peaks in the Catskills.

The beauty of the region can hardly be captured in a photo (but I tried…) When we were there foliage was nearing 50% and between the colors and the mountains the views were just unreal. Arriving in the Catskills is like taking a giant breathe of fresh air (especially coming from DC or NYC); there is room and space to move and exist, there is calm and quiet. It’s just…magical.

The Catskills are teeming with charming Airbnbs (I loved our two week stay here), but there are also some very cool hotels popping up in the area like Hotel Woodstock Way, Scribner’s Catskills Lodge, Urban Cowboy, and Eastwind Hotel and Bar.

Getting Outdoors

Can we all take a moment to appreciate what an outdoors girl I’ve become? As I alluded to before, there is no shortage of outdoor activities in this region, whether you’re a seasoned outdoors veteran or still a bit of a novice like me. One of the best parts of this trip was being able to mix high and low intensity activities.

Hiking/walking trails:

Hunter Mountain Fire Tower hike (this is an absolutely bonkers 5 mile out and back hike with close to 2500 foot elevation gain; my calves were screaming the next day but the view from the Catskills’ second highest peak at the top is worth it...you can also shave off a bit of the hard work by taking the chairlift up Hunter Mountain to start)
Artist’s Rock and Sunset Rock (an easy hike with a bit of a rock scramble but major views off the mountain and of North-South Lake)
Kaaterskill Falls (the crown jewel of the Catskills with a storied history, this 260 foot two-tiered cascading waterfall has drawn visitors for centuries…a historic hotel once sat just 100 feet from the falls, but now the area has been reclaimed as a state park)
Huckleberry Point Trail (unfortunately we didn’t get to do this hike, but it’s one of the most popular in the area)
Mountaintop Arboretum (a magical, 178-acre sanctuary with plant collections, meadows, wetlands, forest)

Other outdoor activities:

Rock climbing with Alpine Endeavors (my first time rock climbing and it was such a cool experience...can’t recommend these guys enough, they do half-days, full-days, and longer!)
Ziplining (the highest, fastest, and longest zipline canopy tour in North America)
Hunter Mountain Scenic Skyride (take advantage of the off-season and ride the Hunter Mountain chairlift to the top of the mountain for the best leaf peeping; we loved it so much we did it twice!)
Canoeing or kayaking (check out Hudson Paddles or I Paddle New York to get out on the Hudson River)
Rail Explorers (I’m extremely bummed we didn’t get to do this, but tickets go fast! Travel along the historic Ulster & Delaware Railroad line in a “rail bike”)
Apple picking (I mean, duh)

Arts and Culture

Arts and culture are woven into the DNA of the Catskills — from painter Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School to writer Washington Irving and his famous Rip Van Winkle and beyond. Music, art, history, and culture lovers will delight in the many opportunities to explore and immerse yourself. There never seems to be a shortage of festivals, fairs, or events happening.

Kingston Ceramic Studio (we had the best private lesson learning to make pinch pots then taking a spin on the wheel)
Catskill Mountain Foundation (check them out for music, dance, and film events throughout the region)
Forestburgh Playhouse (the oldest operating professional summer theater in New York)
Thomas Cole Historic Site (explore Thomas Cole’s historic home and studio to learn about the man behind modern-day America’s first major art movement, the Hudson River School of landscape painting)

Eating, Drinking and Cooking

One thing I was really looking forward to was enjoying fresh produce and shopping local. I’ve been trying to become more environmentally literate and conscious of my consumption, including going meatless. (Honestly so much of my learning so far has been a mind-fuck and full of contradictions and complexities, but I’m trying!) I was tickled to find so many farm and produce stands to shop.

(Note: when it comes to any sort of shopping or restaurants, I found the hours to be extremely hit or miss...some open only on weekends, some open/closed at their own discretion. I’m unsure if this is pandemic related or just life in the country!)

Farm stands:

Coffee and bakeries:

Fellow Mountain Cafe (Hunter) (upstate meets Brooklyn in this modern but cozy coffee shop, I’m still dreaming about the cheddar and chive scones)
Village Coffee and Goods (Kingston) (a charming little corner of Kingston with chic outdoor space, speciality coffee, and treats)
Bread Alone Bakery (Woodstock, Kingston, Boiceville) (grab a loaf of sourdough to go!)
Hartand on Hudson (Leeds) (closed for the rest of 2021, but I dream of going to this coffee meets stationery shop)
Twin Peaks Coffee and Donuts (Tannersville) (we never made it here, but heard great things)

Lunch and dinner:

Deer Mountain Inn (Hunter) (upscale food without being pretentious, cozy cabin vibes…one of our favorite date nights ever!)
Mama’s Boy Burgers (Tannersville) (we loved their Impossible burger)
Tanners Boathouse (Tannersville) (this is a brand new spot serving easy, fresh food in a charming old boathouse)
Prospect at Scribner’s (Hunter)
Main Course Marketplace (New Palz)
Twin Star Orchards (New Palz) (pizzas, burgers, homemade cider, doughnuts...need I say more?)
The Roost (Stone Ridge) (cute and casual with a great falafel burger)

The Catskills are the perfect East Coast getaway if you’re looking for a place where you can be quiet, cozy, and experience the beauty of nature and her bounties. Let me know if I can help plan your next getaway.