Effective March 14, 2025, Dogs Will No Longer Be Permitted at Thorn Preserve

February 28, 2025 – Arkville, NY: The Catskill Center is committed to protecting the ecological integrity of its preserves, ensuring they remain safe havens for native wildlife and rich, biodiverse habitats. To uphold this mission, the Thorn Preserve will transition to a dog-free preserve effective Friday, March 14, 2025. Moving forward, dogs will no longer be permitted at the preserve, with the exception of trained service animals.

While we understand the joy of exploring nature alongside pets, the growing number of off-leash dogs at Thorn Preserve has put sensitive habitats, wildlife, and the experience of other visitors at risk. The Catskill Center has worked to address these challenges through increased signage, visitor education, and stewardship efforts, including on-site Catskill Stewards to distribute free leashes and reinforce the importance of leash compliance. Despite these efforts, off-leash dogs have continued to disrupt wildlife and fragile ecosystems, making the transition to a dog-free preserve a necessary step in protecting Thorn’s biodiversity.

Ground-nesting birds like bobolinks and eastern meadowlarks, pollinators such as the Baltimore checkerspot and monarch butterflies, and numerous other species crucial to a healthy grassland ecosystem are particularly vulnerable to disturbance. Off-leash dogs can inadvertently destroy nests, disrupt vital feeding and breeding behaviors, and damage fragile plants essential to these species.

“For many years the Catskill Center has searched to find ways to balance our goal of managing the Thorn Preserve as grassland habitat with the desire to provide recreational opportunities for visitors with dogs. Over time that balance has become more challenging and has led to the very difficult decision to ban all dogs, leashed or not, on the Thorn Preserve,” said Jeff Senterman, Executive Director of the Catskill Center. “This decision was not made lightly, but it is essential to protect the unique flora and fauna that depend on this shrinking habitat in our region, while ensuring that all visitors can feel comfortable and safe when enjoying this unique natural area.”

For dog owners seeking spaces where their pets can socialize and explore on- or off-leash, the town of Woodstock offers a designated dog park with wooded areas and trails, located on Dixon Avenue behind Rick Volz Field. This space allows dogs to interact freely while minimizing environmental impact.

The Catskill Center deeply appreciates the community’s support and cooperation in ensuring that Thorn Preserve remains a thriving sanctuary for native plants and wildlife. We encourage visitors to continue enjoying the preserve’s scenic beauty while respecting the needs of the species that call it home.

With questions about this new policy, please contact info@catskillcenter.org.

About the Thorn Preserve

Thorn Preserve, located at 55 John Joy Road in Woodstock, NY, is a 60-acre landscape of sweeping grasslands, riparian forest, and ponds, offering some of the most iconic views of Overlook Mountain. With easily accessible mowed walking paths, the preserve remains an undeveloped space dedicated to nature-based education, sustainable agriculture, stream management, and artistic inspiration. It is also home to the Save the Hemlocks project, a Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP) initiative working to protect hemlock trees from invasive threats. Managed by the Catskill Center, Thorn Preserve plays a vital role in protecting sensitive habitats and supporting rare, threatened, and endangered species.