The concrete hobo camp may be sprinkle with man - made parks and tree - delineate street , but the great open air ? Not so much . Enter the Catskills , a mountainous region two hr north of Manhattan that brag more than 6000 square miles of pristine , unaffected nature . It ’s the backcloth toDirty Dancing , the short sleep site for Rip Van Winkle , and where more than 35 peaks climb above 3500 understructure . As ski season kicks into high-pitched gear , we ’ve compiled eight thing you take to know about New York ’s born gem .
1. THERE ARE A LOT OF ANIMALS.
The Catskills are base to grim bear , painter , bobcats , coyote , porcupines and ( shudder ) a variety of poisonous and non - poisonous snakes . bootleg bear can be found on nearly every mountain in the Catskills neighborhood , which has the highest black bear universe in New York State . Cougars and bobcats have been spotted much less oftentimes .
And the snakes ? Well , they ’re just about everywhere . The absolute majority of toxicant Snake are found in Ulster County , and there ’s a especially large universe at the summit of Overlook Mountain .
2. IT HAS NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST ZIP LINE …
Located at Hunter Mountain , New York Ziplinehas the bombastic zip lineage canopy turn in North America . Their zip lines reach up to 650 groundwork long and 60 feet above the timber level , and visitors can even savor a dark zipping under the mavin with their Moon tours .
3. … AND THE WORLD’S LARGEST KALEIDOSCOPE.
The brainchild of ' 60s psychedelic artist Isaac Abrams and his son Raphael , a digital artist , the 60 - foot - tall Kaatskill Kaleidoscope is theworld ’s largest , walk - through kaleidoscope . More than 20 mass can go inside the kaleidoscope — a former grain silo — for an energetic show of colors , music , and trippy images . As it run with wayside stops , there are plenty of mini kaleidoscope souvenirs on your way out .
4. RIP VAN WINKLE SLEPT IT OFF HERE.
Washington Irving ’s iconic story of Rip Van Winkle took position in the Catskills neighborhood . In the story , Van Winkle lived in the village of Catskill , which is where he took his notoriously long short sleep . Today , the caption of Rip Van Winkle continue to live on in the Catskills , with theRip Van Winkle Wine and Cheese Festivalin May , theRip Van Winkle Golf Trail , and a statue of the beloved sleeper himself atop Hunter Mountain .
5. THE CATSKILL 3500 CLUB REQUIRES HIGH-PEAK CREDENTIALS.
The Catskills region has the perfect challenge for outdoor adventurers : the Catskill 3500 Club . Membership comes at a strenuous price — you have to climb all 35 of the Catskills ’ peaks above 3500 feet — but the soreness and struggle fall with some passably immaculate views ( and brag rights ) .
6. MOUNTAIN STONE WAS USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BIG APPLE ICONS.
While the Catskills are 100 - some statute mile from New York City , they ’re a foundational part of some of the Big Apple ’s most iconic landmark . Bluestone , an highly punishing , durable , fine - grained sandstone , is found throughout the region and wasusedin the mental synthesis of the Empire State Building and the base of the Statue of Liberty .
7. NOBODY PUT BABY IN A CORNER IN THE CATSKILLS. (THINK FURTHER SOUTH.)
When it comes to star entertainment , the Catskills — a.k.a . theBorscht Belt — had a storeyed story for many decades beforeDirty terpsichore , released in 1987 and set in 1963 , revived its reputation . But it turn out that infamous summer at Kellerman ’s did n’t bechance in the Catskills at all . The actualmovie shoottook locate more than 500 miles south , in Pembroke , Virginia . however , the picture help elevate the visibility of this beautiful region once again .
8. IT’S HOME TO A VARIETY OF BREWERIES, WINERIES, AND DISTILLERIES.
It ’s easy to imbibe in the Catskills with breweries like theCatskill Brewery , wineries likeWindham Vineyards , and spirits craftersCatskill Distilling Company , which is located right across from the farm where the notorious 1969 Woodstock music fete was held ( in Bethel , not Woodstock , despite the name ) . The Catskills get extra hoppy in April when the annualTAP NYbeer fest — the largest wiliness beer festival in New York — take place at Hunter Mountain .
