If you are looking for somewhere new to visit and you haven’t yet tried this out, you might well want to consider the Catskills. This is a series of mountains in the state of New York which draws a lot of visitors each year, and it’s somewhere that you may well want to check out if you are keen on being active, seeing some of America’s most beautiful sights, and generally having a great time, whether you are alone, with family or adventuring with friends.
In this post, we are going to go through most everything you need to know about visiting the Catskills. By the end you should have a pretty good idea of how to prepare for such a trip, so let’s take a look right now and see if there is anything you should consider here first of all.
When Is The Best Time To Visit?
It’s always good if you can know when the very best time to visit is, as that is going to help you plan a lot. As it happens, with Catskill you have something to look forward to in pretty much any season of the year, so that is something that you are going to want to be aware of here. If you want a cooler look ahead, then you might be thinking about the spring and early summer. In the summer you can expect some beautiful sunshine but nothing overly hot, and for many people the fall is when it really comes into its own, especially in terms of the beauty of the natural environment.
In any case, whichever time of year you do go, you are bound to want to think about visiting at a time that is suitable, and that is something that requires decent planning ahead. So make sure that you are doing that, and that you think about the different times of year in accordance with that. Remember too that the prices of everything can change according to the time of year, with high summer still very much considered the high season. In general, you should make sure to visit the Catskills when it is appropriate for you. If you can do that, it’s going to make it a much more enjoyable trip for you.
Common Activities In The Catskills
So what do people generally get up to when they visit the Catskills? There are quite a few different things that you might want to consider here, but in general you are going to be looking at lots of outdoorsy experiences, as of course we are talking about mountains and being out in nature here. So arguably the most common tourist activity is simply hiking or walking, and of course you may choose to camp as well. If that sounds like something you might enjoy, then you should certainly make sure you are considering that.
Of course, that’s not all, and it’s not as though there is no civilisation to be found here at all. You should also be able to find some towns and so on that you can experience, and if you want to get to know people then this is the best way to do so. There are a lot of varied places to visit in the region, and plenty for you to see, so make sure that you allow yourself plenty of opportunity to go exploring naturally and organically as you would like to.
If you allow your feet to take you in this way, you are bound to experience some fascinating and interesting sights, so that is something that you should definitely bear in mind here.
Finding the Best Accommodation
You might also be wondering about what kind of accommodation you can find to stay in, and as it happens there is quite a lot that you might want to consider here. The truth is that there is plenty of accommodation you are going to want to think about, and it’s vital that you are doing all you can to look at the many different options. If you are coming to the Catskills to do what most people do – which as we have seen, is hiking and walking – then there are a few things in particular that you might be thinking of here.
First and foremost, you may want to look at various campsites that are to be found around the region. There are many of them, and they often have a lot of facilities for you to use, so this is something that you are definitely going to want to be aware of. If you are not planning on moving around quite as much, something like some Catskill mountain cabins could be a much better option, and many of these are fully fitted out homes which you can easily relax in and spend a week or more in. So there are plenty of options for you to consider all in all.
Finding the best accommodation can often take time, but the good news is that there is always a lot to choose from, and you should be able to bear that in mind as you plan your trip.
Planning Your Trip to The Catskills
When you actually start planning out your trip, you are going to need to think about a few different things in particular. One is often money and finances. The good news here is that this region is not terribly expensive, and you might even be pleasantly surprised at how affordable it can be to rent a place,and to buy food. The excursions that you do find will generally be affordable too. However, you still need to plan ahead as you would at any point. So that is something that you are certainly going to need to think about here.
And make sure that you think carefully about your length of stay. You want it to be long enough to see everything you want to see, but not so long that you get frustrated. That’s up to you.
*Post contributed to London-based travel writer, Ross Matson.*
