Car Travel in The Catskills

Although you can get to the Catskills by bus, traveling by car is the best way to experience the region. It also allows you to easily detour into the adjacent Hudson Valley. You can enter the northeast Catskills via Exits 19 and 21 off the New York State Thruway (I-87). Route 17/I-86 (aka the Quickway) provides access to the southern and western Catskills. Weekenders heading north take to these highways on Friday evenings, when you can expect congestion and slower travel. The same is true heading south on Sunday, especially in the late afternoon and early evening.

The scenery is breathtaking on many of the region's roads. These include Route 23A, which, heading northwest toward Hunter, climbs steeply, passing Kaaterskill Falls; Route 10, which snakes its way across Delaware County past working farms and 19th-century homesteads; and Route 97, which runs parallel to the Delaware River.

Deer are plentiful throughout the region, so be on the lookout, especially at night. Also, cellular service in the region is spotty, so this is not a trip for the jalopy. You may want to skip a winter trip if you don't have four-wheel drive to help you negotiate the hilly (and often snowy and icy) terrain. In summer, slow-moving farm vehicles and animals along the roadside may impede travel; bikers and pedestrians on the road can also be hazards.