#RecreateResponsibly Catskill Center Recommends Following Social Distancing Guidelines When Engaging in Outdoor Recreation Activities, Including Recreating Locally and Responsibly
Right now it is important to be responsible when we recreate in the outdoors.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has recommended that healthy individuals exercise and enjoy the outdoors, but they have done so with several guidelines:
Stay Local! Stay close to home, keep your visit short and avoid high-traffic destinations.
Be Safe! Avoid crowds and groups (including crowded trailheads). Keep a distance of at least 6 feet from others. Alerts others as you're about to pass or step aside to let others pass.
Be Ready! Move quickly through parking lots, trailheads and scenic areas. If a site is crowded, choose a different park, trail or time to visit.
Stay Home! If you're not feeling well, stay home. Anyone older than 70 or with a compromised immune system should also stay home.
We urge everyone to follow the recommendations of NYSDEC and the Recreate Responsibly Coalition.
Please note the following closures and area updates in the Catskills:
The Catskills Visitor Center is currently closed to the public. Catskill Park information is available via the kiosk on the Catskills Visitor Center site.
The 6 Fire Towers of the Catskill Park (Overlook, Hunter, Tremper, Balsam Lake, Red Hill and Upper Esopus) have been closed to the public to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The lower trail (“Kaaterskill Falls Trail”) from Route 23A to Kaaterskill Falls and its associated parking (“Molly Smith” parking lot on Route 23A) is closed. Parking lots and trails that access the top of Kaaterskill Falls (Laurel House Trailhead, Schutt Road Trailhead and the Kaaterskill Rail Trail Trailhead) are now open.
Camping in the Peekamoose Valley has been suspended until further notice.
Available weekend and holiday permits for the Peekamoose Blue Hole have been reduced.
Some NYSDEC-operated campgrounds in the Catskills have reopened.
DEC and Parks have closed all indoor visitor facilities, such as nature centers, environmental education centers, visitor centers, and historic houses to the public until further notice.
Many Forest Rangers have been redeployed to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing their ability to quickly respond to emergency calls in the Forest Preserve.
If you travel far from home, you are potentially exposing yourself and others to COVID-19 everywhere you stop, even if it's just for gas. Not only that, by traveling to rural areas without strong healthcare and emergency responder infrastructure, if you are hurt, you are unnecessarily stretching these services even further.
We at the Catskill Center will continue our work to protect and preserve the Catskill Mountains, Catskill Park and the region, but for right now, we are asking for anyone who isn't local to the region, to please recreate locally and be responsible so we can get past the COVID-19 pandemic and get back to having everyone enjoy the Catskills.
The best thing for the Catskills right now? Become a member of the Catskill Center (catskillcenter.org/membership) to help us in this difficult time continue our work on the ground, in Albany and through our programs to protect and preserve our beautiful Catskill Mountains.
Thank you, stay safe and be well! The mountains will be here to enjoy when this is all over.
More information from the NYSDEC is available here: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/119881.html and more information from the #RecreateResponsibly Coalition is here: https://www.recreateresponsibly.org.
Please follow proper social distancing guidelines from the NYSDEC when engaging in outdoor recreation activities.
The Recreate Responsibly Coalition urges everyone to recreate responsibly.