The Many Wonders of Catskill Mountains

The Catskill Mountains, or the Catskills, is a natural area found in the northwest of New York City, to the southwest of Albany. It is a beautiful, sharp relief that was the result of years of erosion of a dissected plateau. This location, because of its beauty, has hosted a number of interesting tourist spots for everyone to enjoy. Here are some of them:

1. Catskills Forest Preserve. Covering about 300,000 acres, the highest point of this preserve is Slide Mountain, which has its peak 4,180 feet from the ground. The preserve has three streams that are ideal for fishing: Neversink, Willowemoc, and Beaver Kill.

2. Ted Martin’s Reptile Adventure. The site has a variety of reptiles on display, including alligators, turtles, crocodiles, and snakes. These are handled by professional trainers who are knowledgeable about the lifestyle of these animals. The trainers can even let visitors touch these reptiles.

3. Bronck Museum. This house-turned-museum has been known to be the oldest surviving residence in Upstate New York. Built way back in 1663, the house was furnished with Federal, Victorian, and Empire furniture, together with an assortment of glass, silver, and china.

4. Delaware and Ulster Railrise. Located in Arkville, these round-trip rides take the visitor to a tour of the breath-taking scenery of Catskills. The depot also has memorabilia of the original railroad on display.

5. Delaware Museum. On this site rises seven expertly restored rural buildings. Some of the buildings are the 1790s Frisbee House, a gun shop, a blacksmith shop, and a schoolhouse. An exhibit about farming can also be found here.

6. Irish-American Heritage Museum. Located in East Durham, the museum has various memorabilia that celebrates the existence of the Irish-American population when many of them were still residing in New York State.

7. Hanford Hills Museum. This museum is actually a restored milling complex that includes a barn, a feed mill, a shingle mill, and a hardware store garage. Hydroelectricity from the Kortright Creek is used to power the complex.

8. Catskill Fly Fishing Center. This center, which is also a museum, is located in Livingston Manor. America has a rich fly-fishing heritage; this museum is dedicated to preserve all that and educate the younger generations about the fly-fishing environment and its practices.

9. Fort Delaware Museum. This historical site plays host to various memorabilia from 1754. Featuring log cabins, blockhouses, a blacksmith shop, storehouses, herb gardens, and an animal yard, the fort aims to present an authentic replica of pioneer settlements in the past.

10. Empire State Museum. Located at Phoenicia Station, this museum was built in 1899. It aims to narrate the history of locomotives that plied the railroads of the Catskill Mountains during the 1800s up to the 1940s.

11. Zaddock Pratt Museum. The house was built in 1828 by Zadock Pratt, a U.S. Representative. It still has its original furnishings as well as some period ones. There are also exhibits that shows local history and some of Pratt’s memorabilia from his occupations.