Visitors at the Bramley Mountain Fire Tower, 1950s
July 30 2019 The Catskill Mountain Club is happy to announce that the Town of Delhi has passed a resolution in support of the CMC’s efforts to restore the Bramley Mountain Fire Tower to its former home on the mountain’s summit, overlooking vast areas of the Catskills. The tower, originally raised in 1950, was decommissioned and then removed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in 1975. At that time, the Clark family of Delhi bought the tower, removed it, and has stored it in a barn since then, well protected from the elements. We are grateful to the Clarks for their generous offer to lease the tower to the Town for $1 so it can be placed on the summit again. This is an exciting development that will provide a great new recreational destination in the western Catskills and benefit the communities of Delhi and Bovina with the business of the many hikers who will visit the tower.
The CMC was featured in the Oneonta Daily Star recently. We are grateful for the recognition of our work on behalf of outdoors enthusiasts and of the communities of the Catskills that benefit from the great recreational assets of our region.
🎵 Summer’s here and the time is right for picnicking in the park! 🎵 At North-South Lake, that is!
North-South Lake from Sunset Rock
It’s time for our Annual Members Picnic! Join us on August 11th from 10 to 5 at the South Lake pavilion for food, games, hikes, swimming, paddling and just a plain old good time chatting with like minded lovers of the great outdoors.
Your club will provide free hamburgers, hot dogs, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. You bring a dish to share.
The picnic is free for all CMC members, including individuals and families with children up to 18 years old. Family and significant others who are not CMC members are welcome to attend for a fee of $5 per person. Kids under 12 are free. Please pay by cash or check at the sign-in table when you arrive.
There is a day use area entrance fee to the facilities, and if you want to paddle you’ll need to rent or bring your own kayak or canoe.
First thing in the morning, we’ll depart on one or two easy hikes to one of the amazing attractions along the Escarpment. Sunset Rock, Inspiration Point and Kaaterskill Falls are all possibilities.
For those who prefer not to hike, choose from several other options. Afterwards, we’ll return to the pavilion for a cookout followed by a few more hours of relaxing, swimming, boating or playing a friendly yard game or two.
What you’ll need to bring:
If you’re hiking, bring good hiking shoes, comfortable clothing and plenty of water. Hiking poles are suggested. Bring swim suits, sunscreen, insect repellent, a change of clothes and folding chairs, if desired.
Bring a dish to share. Organizers will ask for an appetizer, a side dish, a dessert or a salad. Please see the registration form.
Questions can be directed to Rick Roberts at hikerrick2000@yahoo.com
Driving directions: From SR 23A in Haines Falls turn north onto North Lake Drive and bear right at the Twilight General Store, continuing to the entrance gate.
The CMC is excited to announce that tickets for the much anticipated “Views from the Watershed” tours of the NYC Catskill and Delaware watersheds are now available for purchase. Tour dates are Saturday, July 13th and Saturday, August 3rd.
Led by watershed educator and artist Lize Mogel and featuring special guests including historians Diane Galusha, Marianne Greenfield, the DEP’s Adam Bosch and CMC Executive Director Wendell George, the all-day bus tours will explore the landscape, history, and politics of the NYC water supply in the Catskills. Hear stories of the water system from the multiple perspectives of people who live and work in it, and who manage it. These tours are a great opportunity for newer or part-time residents of the Catskills and for visitors to learn more about the past, present, and future of how water shapes their environment.
The tour begins and ends at the Catskills Visitor Center in Mount Tremper. With stops at the Ashokan and Pepacton Reservoirs and sites in between, the tour will visit several points of interest as it winds through the scenic Catskill Park. Be sure to bring a camera! Lunch will be available for pre-purchase to be eaten at a stop along the way.
These tours are supported in part by an education grant awarded by the Catskill Watershed Corp. to the Catskill Mountain Club.
This moderate hike is about 2 miles long. We’ll meet at the CVC at 9:30 and travel together to the trailhead from there. The hike should last about two hours and along the way we’ll visit two nice viewpoints. After the hike we’ll come back to the Visitor Center for refreshments and to participate in the festivities there.
Please bring something to drink. Dress for comfort and wear good hiking shoes. Hiking poles are suggested.
This event is limited to 15 hikers. Please register by contacting wendell@catskillmountainclub.org or by calling 845-586-6273.
April 24, 2019 With the growing interest in the Catskills All Trails Challenge (CATC), we have created a Facebook group dedicated to the folks who are hiking the Challenge. The page gives you a place to connect with one another, share information and advice about the trails, ask questions, make plans, share routes, find hiking and carpooling partners and post pictures and descriptions of your adventures on the trails of the Catskill Park.
Anyone who has hiked or is interested in hiking the All Trails Challenge is welcome to join the group. You’ll need a Facebook account to join. Simply go to the following link and ask to join. Catskills All Trails Challenge on Facebook.
We welcome all hikers who share our values of good stewardship of the Catskill Park. We endorse Leave No Trace principles and compliance with the rules and regulations written by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation in order to protect the Catskill Forest Preserve, which was created to protect these lands as “Forever Wild” by an Amendment to the New York State Constitution. These regulations include limited hiking group sizes, with a legal limit of 20 without a special permit. We suggest a limit of 12 to limit impacts on sensitive and endangered plant communities, and to preserve the quality of the wilderness experience. For more, visit our page Recreational Use Regulations for the Catskill Park Forest Preserve.
Two weeks from tomorrow on Tuesday, February 5th the CMC and our many partners in the Catskill Park Coalition will head up to Albany on Catskill Park Day. Our purpose is to talk to legislators, the governor and officials at the DEC about the recreational needs of our region, including stewardship of the Catskill Park, aid to our communities, protection of our environment, conservation and many other things that impact on the health and quality of our area’s great outdoor spaces.
Click here for a summary of our goals and how you can help advance them, even if you can’t go to Albany. Find the contact info for your legislators and for the Governor and give them a call or write a letter supporting our requests. And please join us on February 5th as we make our case to our state’s leaders. Thanks in advance for helping to protect and improve the Catskill Park!
November 15, 2018 Beginning November 17th and lasting through December 9th, the popular regular deer and bear hunting season means that everyone who goes into the woods in the Catskills needs to be aware, be alert and ALWAYS BE DRESSED IN ORANGE (dogs included). Whether you are on forest preserve, state forest or NYCDEP lands, the three week period during which hunters are permitted to use rifles is a time for added care.
Alternatives where hunting is not permitted do exist. Most are not within the Catskills proper, but all are close enough to make a day trip practical. It is advisable to wear orange even when hiking on these trails. The added precaution affords peace of mind.
Listed below are 16 great places to get outdoors where hunting is not permitted. We suggest that you consider exploring new territory or revisiting your favorites. Happy Trails!
The North-South Lake Day Use Area is one place in the Catskill Park where hunting is not permitted. Be aware that the area does not include Kaaterskill Falls or the Escarpment Trail to the south of the intensive use area. It does extend on all trails north to Badman Cave.
