THE CATSKILL PARK: AS UNIQUE AS THEY COME

Filed Under: Catskill Farms Vacation Homes | Sullivan County House Hunting | Catskill Real Estate Home Ownership
Written By: Jennifer Jordan

Most of us have heard about the Catskill Park. Perhaps we've heard it mentioned in passing, perhaps we've studied its past in seventh grade history, perhaps we once went by it on they way to Grandma's house. Whether we've heard about it or actually seen it from afar, if we haven't visited it, we've simply been missing out.

Catskills Park is located in - you guessed it - the Catskill Mountain in range of New York. Comprised of over 700,000 acres - including 98 peaks that reach over 3,000 feet - this park encompasses the counties of Delaware, Sullivan, Greene, and Ulster.

A park that is part private and part public - roughly half of the land is home to permanent residents that own Catskill farmhouses and similar country style homes while the other half of the land is protected as part of Forest Preserve (and, additionally, to protect the region's reservoirs) - this land is unique and certain to be around for years to come in a variety of aspects.

Though Catskill Park does have a historical past, in the early days, it simply wasnâ€™t used very often: thus, it is well maintained. Native Americans did inhabit it, but only used it occasionally, mostly for hunting. The influx of German, Dutch, English, and Irish settlers, however, saw the lands much more utilized. These settlers found that Catskills Park was perfect for a variety of activities, including logging, railroading, blue stone excavation, fishing, trapping, hunting, leather making, and even early mountain tourism. Among the more unusual activities that Catskill Park featured were World War II pilot training and wintergreen and blueberry harvesting.

Catskill Park contains the "Blue Line," a term often used by locals. The Blue Line dictates the boundaries of both the Catskill Park and the Adirondack Park. Any state-owned area that falls within this Blue Line, according to New York's constitution, must be "forever kept as wild forest lands." The Blue Line is called so because - when the boundaries were created - a blue pen was used to draw the lines on a map.

It is estimated that 50,000 people live in Catskills Park year round while another half of a million visit annually. Many of these visitors have vacation homes and second residences in the area and many residents enjoy escaping the city to their Sullivan County homes.

The Catskills Park offers a variety of activities. In some areas of the park, hunting is permitted (when in season). Camping, hiking, biking, and scenic drives are also popular: the park has several state run campgrounds and over 300 miles of all purpose trails. For those simply seeking to catch a glimpse of Mother Nature, wildlife runs rampant in the area. Bobcats, minks, coyotes, black bears, and fishers (North American Martens) are often visibleâ€¦.some of these (ahem, black bears), preferably from a distance.