Catskill Center

Catskill Center Since 1969, the Catskill Center has led the effort to protect the Catskills

Since 1969, the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development has been the regional leader in fostering the environmental, cultural, and economic well-being of the Catskills. The organization understands that conservation creates opportunity, and works to ensure that Catskill communities can thrive within the surrounding protected natural resources. At the Catskills Visitor Center, across Catsk

ill Center preserves, and through the Catskill Stewards Program, the Center welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, helping them discover, explore, and care for the Catskills through responsible outdoor recreation and place-based education. We see continuing opportunities for sustainable economic growth by attracting and promoting environmentally friendly development that supports local businesses and jobs. Our approach is collaborative, grounded in respectful dialogue that builds trust and understanding among residents, visitors, agencies, and partners. Through engagement, conversation, and shared problem-solving, the Catskill Center helps communities address local needs, advances advocacy that secures resources and policy support for the Catskills from the State, and uplifts arts and culture as vital parts of regional well-being. As an accredited land trust, the Catskill Center strategically advances land conservation across the region by managing preserves and conservation easements, acquiring properties, and partnering with agencies to protect riparian corridors, address invasive species through the Catskills Regional Invasive Species Partnership, and steward the region’s historic fire towers. These efforts safeguard forests, streams, wildlife habitat, and drinking water resources while enhancing climate resilience. The Catskills Visitor Center, Platte Clove Preserve, Thorn Preserve, fire towers, and educational programs across the Catskill Forest Preserve serve as gateways for students, residents, and visitors to learn about and connect with this unique mountain region. At these sites, the Catskill Center provides a strong sense of place, offers interpretation and wayfinding, and ensures that the natural, cultural, and artistic resources of the Catskills remain accessible and engaging for all.

Catskill Park Trail Conditions for the weekend of June 5, 6, and 7.We’re kicking off the weekend in the Catskills with a...
06/05/2026

Catskill Park Trail Conditions for the weekend of June 5, 6, and 7.

We’re kicking off the weekend in the Catskills with a stretch of warm temps Friday and Saturday with rain showers and thunderstorms possible, then turning cooler and cloudier Sunday with rain continuing. We start the weekend on Friday with mainly sunny skies with a few afternoon clouds. Partly cloudy skies Saturday morning become overcast with thunderstorms developing later in the day. Wrapping up the weekend, clouds continue Sunday with occasional rain showers throughout the day. With temps warming up, be sure to hydrate frequently, and watch for heat illness symptoms. Lookout for dizziness, headache, nausea, fatigue, or confusion. If you notice any of these symptoms, stop hiking, rest and hydrate to help you cool down.

This week’s trail conditions are sponsored by the Trailbound Project. When you join the Catskill Center as a member, you will receive 15% off their events and workshops.

☀️Friday: Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High near 85°F, low 63°F.

⛈️Saturday: Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours. Thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High near 82°F, low 61°F.

🌦️Sunday: Partly cloudy in the morning. Increasing clouds with periods of showers later in the day. High 75°F, low 54°F.

🔗 To learn more about this week’s trail conditions, visit catskillstrailconditions.com.

Looking for outdoor gear to rent? Stop by our Visitor Center or check out rentals online at catskillsvisitorcenter.org/rentals!

Thanks for hiking responsibly and helping protect the Catskills!

📸 Tag us in your Catskills hikes!

Pollination is one of nature’s most important processes, connecting flowering plants with the insects and other animals ...
06/05/2026

Pollination is one of nature’s most important processes, connecting flowering plants with the insects and other animals that help them reproduce. It is also a key driver of biodiversity, supporting healthy ecosystems across the Catskills and beyond.

Insect-pollinated crops account for up to 30% of the food we eat, but pollinators are just as important to the wild plants that shape our forests, wetlands, and meadows. Without enough pollinators, countless plant species would struggle to persist, affecting the habitats and wildlife that depend on them.

Native insects need native plants, and native plants need pollinators.

Some of the key threats to our pollinators:

→ Loss of habitat through fragmentation and the decline of native plant communities.

→ Environmental pollution, including exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.

→ Climate change, which can cause plant and insect life cycles to fall out of sync and increase extreme weather and drought.

Protecting, restoring, and connecting habitat is one of the most effective ways to support pollinators. Whether you care for a small flower box, a backyard garden, or a larger property, planting native species can make a difference. At the Catskill Center, we help conserve and restore pollinator habitat, including at Thorn Preserve, where native meadow management provides food and shelter for a wide range of species.

Every native planting can contribute to a larger network of connected habitat that helps pollinators thrive. Let friends and neighbors know you’re providing this habitat and encourage your community to join the effort!

How’s your woodlore?Can you identify the trees around you? Explain why they grow where they do? Recognize the ways they’...
06/04/2026

How’s your woodlore?

Can you identify the trees around you? Explain why they grow where they do? Recognize the ways they’ve shaped our landscapes, communities, and daily lives?

Join the Catskill Center and Levi O’Brien of Levi O'Brien Tree School for a deep dive into the world of trees and the stories they hold.

🗓️ Sunday, June 21, 2026
🕚 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
📍 Catskills Visitor Center
🎟️ $30 per person

Part tree identification workshop, part natural history walk, and part exploration of our relationship with forests, this program will examine the trees of the Catskills through a mix of biology, ecology, history, and culture. Together, we’ll explore how to recognize common species, understand their place in the forest ecosystem, and uncover the many ways people have relied on, worked with, and learned from trees for generations.

This is a unique opportunity to learn from one of the region’s most knowledgeable and engaging tree educators.

Advance registration is required at catskillcenter.org/events

06/03/2026

One of the Catskills’ most iconic views is just a quarter-mile walk from the Catskills Visitor Center.

The Upper Esopus Fire Tower offers a frontcountry experience with a backcountry payoff. Accessible via an ADA-accessible path from the Visitor Center parking lot, the tower rises 80 feet above the forest floor, rewarding visitors with sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and a new perspective on the landscape that makes the Catskills so special.

We love sharing the Catskills. Make the Catskills Visitor Center your first stop for all the maps, local information, exhibits, and resources to help you make the most of your time in the region.

📍 5096 New York 28, Mount Tremper, NY

What are you doing for National Trails Day?Join us for a day of hands-on trail work at Platte Clove Preserve.🗓️ Saturday...
06/02/2026

What are you doing for National Trails Day?

Join us for a day of hands-on trail work at Platte Clove Preserve.

🗓️ Saturday, June 6, 2026
🕘 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Platte Clove Preserve, Elka Park, NY

The Catskill Center, Parks Project, and Brittany Leavitt of Brown Girls Climb are hosting a National Trails Day stewardship event to help rehabilitate a high-use trail system through trail re-marking, bog bridging installation, route improvements, and restoration work, with opportunities to learn directly from experienced trail stewards.

Whether you’re new to trail work or a longtime advocate for public lands, we hope you’ll join us for a rewarding morning of stewardship in the Catskills.

Learn more and register at catskillcenter.org/events

The Catskill Center applauds the passage of New York State’s FY 2026-27 budget, which delivers important investments in ...
05/31/2026

The Catskill Center applauds the passage of New York State’s FY 2026-27 budget, which delivers important investments in stewardship, science, visitor education, and public access across the Catskills.

Highlights include:

→ $10 million for Catskill and Adirondack Forest Preserve stewardship
→ $250,000 for the Catskills Visitor Center
→ $200,000 for Catskill research through the Cary Institute
→ $50,000 for the Catskill Stewards program

These investments help protect the forests, waters, trails, and communities that make the Catskills special while ensuring the region remains welcoming and accessible for future generations.

They also build on years of Catskill Center advocacy, which has helped secure more than $1.15 million for the Catskills Visitor Center, $46 million for Catskill and Adirondack Forest Preserve stewardship, and $200,000 for the Catskill Stewards program.

Thank you to Governor Hochul, legislative leaders in the State Senate and Assembly, and our many partners across New York who continue to invest in the future of the Catskills.

Read our full statement at catskillcenter.org/news

Catskill Park Trail Conditions for the weekend of May 29, 30, and 31.This weekend in the Catskills, we’ll see partly clo...
05/30/2026

Catskill Park Trail Conditions for the weekend of May 29, 30, and 31.

This weekend in the Catskills, we’ll see partly cloudy skies along with mild temperatures settling across the region. Friday will be partly cloudy with increased clouds and a slight chance of a rain shower as the day progresses. Cloudy skies linger early Saturday morning, with partial clearing expected later into the day. Heading into Sunday, partly cloudy skies in the morning will give way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. Overall, it’s shaping up to be a pleasant late-spring weekend here in the Catskills. Even with warmer temps, don’t skip the layers. Cool mornings can turn into warm afternoons, so dressing in layers helps keep you comfortable all day.

This week’s trail conditions are sponsored by Columbia Memorial Health.

🌤️Friday: Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 72°F, low 46°F.

🌥️Saturday: Cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. High near 61°F, low 44°F.

🌥️Sunday: Some sun in the morning with increasing clouds during the afternoon. High 71°F, low 52°F.

🔗 To learn more about this week’s trail conditions, visit catskillstrailconditions.com.

Looking for outdoor gear to rent? Stop by our Visitor Center or check out rentals online at catskillsvisitorcenter.org/rentals!

Thanks for hiking responsibly and helping protect the Catskills!

📸 Tag us in your Catskills hikes!

Public comments on the Kaaterskill Clove Visitor Use Management (VUM) Report are due by June 1.The Catskill Center has c...
05/27/2026

Public comments on the Kaaterskill Clove Visitor Use Management (VUM) Report are due by June 1.

The Catskill Center has created a simple public comment template to help community members speak up for the future of this iconic Catskills landscape.

We support thoughtful, active management of the area, including more staffing and stewardship, safer trail and parking infrastructure, transportation planning, and better visitor information, before turning to measures that would restrict public access like permits or daily caps.

Our template letter can be copied, personalized, and sent directly toNYS Department of Environmental Conservation in just a few minutes.

Read more and access the comment template at catskillcenter.org/news

Thank you to everyone who joined the Catskill Center to help install symbolic fencing across the meadow habitat at Thorn...
05/21/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined the Catskill Center to help install symbolic fencing across the meadow habitat at Thorn Preserve.

Together, volunteers installed signs designed to create a clear visual boundary around active breeding areas used by bobolinks and other ground-nesting birds. These temporary markers help reduce disturbance during one of the most important times of year for these increasingly vulnerable species.

Throughout the day, we observed dozens of bobolinks engaged in territorial and courtship displays across the preserve, a clear reminder of why protecting and stewarding grassland habitat matters.

The symbolic fencing will remain in place only during breeding season and will be removed after fledglings have successfully fledged later this summer.

Special thanks to the Laura Jane Musser Fund for supporting this project and to everyone helping care for this special landscape and the wildlife that depends on it.

The Catskill Center calls for stronger management at Kaaterskill Clove before restrictions on public access.The Catskill...
05/20/2026

The Catskill Center calls for stronger management at Kaaterskill Clove before restrictions on public access.

The Catskill Center has submitted formal comments to NYS Department of Environmental Conservation on the Kaaterskill Clove Visitor Use Management Report, urging the state to prioritize stewardship, staffing, infrastructure, safety improvements, and regional coordination before considering a permit system or other restrictions on public access.

We strongly support active, data-driven management at Kaaterskill Clove. But we believe investments in visitor education, transportation planning, trail and parking improvements, and expanded stewardship should come first.

Kaaterskill Clove is one of the Catskills’ most iconic public landscapes, and we believe thoughtful management can protect both the resource and the public’s ability to experience it.

Read the full press release at catskillcenter.org/news

Address

43355 State Route 28
Arkville, NY
12406

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+18455862611

Website

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