Catskill Forest Preserve
Image courtesy of Carl Heilman II.
The Catskill Park is a mountainous region of public and private lands in Southeastern New York's Ulster, Greene, Delaware and Sullivan Counties. Evidence of the area's unique natural history can be seen in the impressive skyline formed by the ninety-eight peaks over 3,000 feet in elevation. Human activities such as logging, quarrying, tanning, trapping, and fishing have also shaped the Park's more recent history. Today, tourism and recreation play a prominent role in both supporting the region's economy and creating an awareness of the Catskills' ecological significance.
The Catskill Forest Preserve is defined as the 287,500 acres of state land within the Catskill Park. These public lands are primarily forested, but also include meadows, lakes, rivers, wetlands, waterfalls, cliffs, and many species of fish, wildlife, and plant life. Afforded Constitutional protections that prevent the removal of timber, lands within New York's Forest Preserve exhibit exceptional scenic, recreational, and ecological value. Depending on specific land classifications, there are a variety of opportunities for public enjoyment of the Forest Preserve, including hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, canoeing, and snowmobiling.
Catskill Forest Preserve Map (revised August 2008)
This map shows the Catskill Forest Preserve lands in more detail, including land classifications.
View Map Image || View Map PDF (1 Mb)
More about Catskill Forest Preserve :
- Catskill Park State Land Master Plan - The Catskill Park State Land Master Plan (CPSLMP) classifies Forest Preserve lands within the Park based on their physical character and capacity to accommodate human use based on five land classifications: wilderness, wild forest, primitive bicycle corridors, intensive use, and administrative.
