Biking in The Catskills

The Catskills offer a mix of endurance-testing hills and flat straightaways. Throughout the region you can find marked bike trails, wide country roads, and no-vehicles-allowed rail trails. Bike-rental places and tourism offices can provide information about specific routes. In its online biking guide, the Sullivan County Visitor's Association outlines 14 suggested rides. The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce has information about the 19-mi Catskill Scenic Trail, an old railway path, and lists five bike routes on its Web site.

For challenging mountain biking, head for the ski resorts—Belleayre, Plattekill, Hunter—in the off-season, when they turn their trails over to two-wheeled enthusiasts. The Ski Plattekill resort is actually one of the top mountain-biking spots in North America. You can also stay at a bike-focused lodging property. The Mountain Bike Inn, in Haines Falls, runs tours for beginning and experienced mountain and road bicyclists; the inn has seven rooms and a five-bedroom cottage.