Ulster · Greene · Delaware · Sullivan Counties

A working wilderness in the heart of New York State

The Catskill Mountains are a mix of public and private land — ninety-eight peaks over 3,000 feet, hundreds of miles of trail, and a forest preserve protected in the New York State Constitution since 1894.

designated as land "inside the Blue Line" of the Catskill Park, est. 1885

700,000Acres in the Park

98Peaks over 3,000ft

4Counties

1885Park Established

The Blue Line

What the Catskill Park protects

The Catskill Park was created in 1885 as an area within the Catskill region — a 700,000-acre forest preserve forever protected from development under New York State law. A 1894 amendment to the New York State Constitution, now Article 14, directs:

"The lands of the State now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed."

Another 5%+ of the park is owned by New York City to protect four of the city's reservoirs, which lie partially within the park boundary along with their watersheds. Inside the Blue Line you'll find lakes, rivers, springs, waterfalls, cliffs, fire towers, bears, deer, rattlesnakes and other wildlife, and rare plants alongside hundreds of miles of abandoned woods roads and state-maintained trails.