"Afternoon sun on sunset rock in the Autumn, overlooking North-South Lake in the Catskills Mountains of New York. (HDR)."

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Catskills

This beautiful mountainous region west of the Hudson Valley has been a popular getaway since the 19th century. The romantic image of mossy gorges and rounded peaks, as popularized by Hudson River School painters, encouraged a preservation movement: in 1894 the state constitution was amended so that thousands of acres are 'forever kept as wild forest lands.'


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What a Lonely Planet colleague spent on a weekend of art, rustic-chic lodging and eating out in New York State’s Catskills.

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Drive along scenic byways to see the natural wonders and charming towns that make the Catskills worthy of wanderlust.

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Olana, the estate of Hudson River School artist Frederic Edwin Church, is located in the Catskills overlooking the Hudson River in New York. In spring coreopsis bloom in the meadows surrounding it.

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Total Trip: A quick, affordable Catskills getaway for two

Sep 6, 2023 • 5 min read

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