Join us on August 15-16, 2015 for the Annual Catskills Great Outdoor Experience Festival – FREE

Join us for the annual Central Catskills Great Outdoor Experience Festival to be held this year at the NEWLY opened Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center, 5096 Route 28 in the hamlet of Mt. Tremper, Town of Shandaken, County of Ulster, NY.  Don’t you want to be an explorer with us?

From hiking to biking, boating to climbing, fishing to skiing, the Central Catskills is an undiscovered wonderland of recreational opportunities year round.

Come to the Festival in August and check out what we have to offer!  Try your hand at bicycling… Go kayaking… or hiking with us…

Weekend Outdoor Fun – Schedule

The 2015 Schedule is in the works! Check back to see what is being planned. In the meantime see what we did last year below. Working with the regional business organizations and the Catskill Mountain Club, the NY/NJ Trail Conference, the Central Catskills Chamber and WIOX Community Radio, the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development and the Catskill Interpretive Center we will promoted these events with a special marketing opportunities.

Watch out for more new opportunities and visit http://www.centralcatskills.com for calendar updates on year-round events.

Hike Phoenicia’s Tan Bark Trail – 3pm, Saturday August 15

After attending the Catskill Great Outdoor Experience Festival in nearby Mt. Tremper, join Aaron Bennett of the Catskill Mountain Club for a hike departing directly from one of our beautiful main streets in the central Catskill Mountains. Leave your car on Main Street in Phoenicia and enjoy this moderate, 2-mile loop hike led by the CMC, and then re-fuel afterwards with some of the best post-hike food and drink around right here in town. The hike will follow a portion of a historic tan bark trail and an old quarry road that once provided access to the bluestone quarries and hemlock forests back in the 1800s.

Interpretive signage along the route will help tell us the story. Expect spectacular views of the Esopus Creek valley from both the Grand View Ledge and the Phoenicia Overlook on the slopes of Mount Tremper. The hike has several short, very steep inclines/declines with an overall elevation gain of 700′ – so hiking shoes/boots are a must.

Meet at 3pm at the trailhead located in the Phoenicia Park/Parish Field. Group size is limited, so please register by contacting Aaron at abennett@catskill.net. Bring snacks and plenty of water (and a comera).

Directions:

The trailhead is located by the playground equipment in the Parish Field just off Main Street in Phoencia. Traveling west on Route 28 (from Kingston) turn right into Phoenicia just after the Phoenicia Diner. Cross the railroad tracks and bridge. At intersection, turn right and park on Main Street. Proceed back to intersection on foot and follow Mt. Ava Maria Drive walking past the grocery store and Post Office. Entrance to the park is on the right.

Traveling east on Route 28 (from Pine Hill) turn left into Phoenicia on NYS Rte 214, proceed straight through town on Main Street, and park on the east end of town, (near the funeral home and grocery store). Proceed down Mt. Ava Maria Drive (between Gormley Funeral Home and the Phoenicia Market) on foot, and entrance to the park is on the right after the Post Office.

Paddle the Pepacton Reservoir – Sunday, August 16 at 11am

Join Ann robert of the CMC as we celebrate the Great Outdoor Experience Festival with a paddle on the scenic Pepacton Reservoir. Provide your own CANOE or Kayak or rent from a local business. We will launch promptly at 11am from the Shavertown Bridge Recreational Boaring Launch site on the north side of the bridge. Pre-register and questions to Ann Roberti at aroberti@catskill.net.

Life jackets required. All boats must be steam cleaned prior to arrival on site and have a valid DEP access sticker. For more information on regulations please visit the NYCDEP website: http:www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/recreation/Pepacton_Boating_pdf

Directions: From SR 28/30 in Margaretville, go west about 3 miles to the dividing of the highways. Turn south onto SR 30 and go 8 miles to the Shavertown Bridge Boat Launch on the left, just after turning right onto CR 1. From SR 28 in Andes, turn south onto CR 1 and travel 8 miles to the Shavertown Bridge Boat Launch on the right.

Shavertown Trail in Andes Hike – Sunday, August 16 at 11:30am

Come and join the hike of Shavertown Trail near the Pepacton Reservoir’s Shavertown Ridge Boat Launch. After a good climb for the first mile there will be a beautiful view overlooking the reservoir. We will enjoy the view and walk around Snake Pond before we continue up an easier climb for 3.3 mile loop returning to the pond. The upper loop is an nice second growth forest and lots of nice rock formations. This is an enjoyable hike for almost everyone, please come and join us. The total distance is 5.3 miles.

Wear sturdy shoes and bring water and a snack or lunch.

Directions: From SR 28 in Margaretville turn left on SR 30. Continue 8 miles to the Shavertown Bridge. Turn right and park at the upper parking area by the boat launch. From Livingston Manor, take the Beaverkill Road, to Barkaboon Road pass Little Pond continue to the Shavertown Bridge turn right across bridge and left to the upper parking area by boat launch. Distant 20 miles.

Contact us at : 845-586-3300 or email: carol@centralcatskills.com.

Photo by Cindy Dunne.