There’s a lot more to do in New York State than visit NYC. Whether you’re hitting up the city and you want to get away from all of the hustle and bustle, or you’re making your way through the state and you want to see what else it has to offer, planning a vacation around the Catskills can offer adventure, beauty, and exploration the likes of which is not often very easy to find. Here are some of the best parts of the Catskills well worth seeing.

Enjoy some of the best camping in the country

If you’re thinking about where you might sleep, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and B&Bs to be found in the area, but if you’re out in the wilderness, why not really make use of it? There are a lot of great camping spots in the Catskills, whether it’s in one of the more technologically equipped campsites with all of their modern amenities or one of the wilder spots that allow you to really sleep under the stars.

Explore more trails than you shake a stick at

When you get out into the wild, finding a good trail can make or break the entire trip. Thankfully, the Great Northern Catskills offer plenty of excellent routes for travelers of different lengths and levels of challenge. If you prefer to explore on two wheels, there are fantastic mountain biking trails to be found as well. Whether you want to go cross-country riding, want to travel along the railroad tracks, or are looking for something a little more family-friendly, there are over 120 miles of trails to be found in the mountains. There are also, of course, bike rentals that can equip you for the trip, as well as biking events so that you can join in with a crowd.

Find your sense of adventure

You might prefer something a little faster paced and exciting than working your way through the trails and, as one of the most popular camping and wilderness spots in the states, the Catskills has plenty to offer. There are shooting ranges, as well as paintball services in the area, but if you want to go man/woman vs nature, then there are rock climbing and even ice climbing opportunities in the mountains, like the Gunks, not to mention whitewater rafting trails, with options suitable for novices as well as well-experienced kayakers.

A uniquely fishy crowd

The Catskills offer more than just wilderness, there are plenty of communities in the area that benefit from the tourism the mountains bring. This includes Livingston Manor which, once a year in June, transforms in a particularly fishy fashion. Trout fishing plays a huge part in local history, and the locals celebrate it during the Trout Parade, complete with themed costumes, music, floats, and stalls a-plenty. Celebrations can get a little rowdier than you might expect, it’s a real parade.

Get some of the very best views

The altitude afforded by the mountains can give you some fantastic views from a wide selection of vantage points, but few of them offer the kind of views that you can find on Hunter Mountain. Not only can you see the Catskills, but you can see as far as the Berkshires in Massachusetts, and Vermont's Green Mountains, as well. You don’t have to do all of that climbing yourself, either. There’s a scenic sky ride that just takes over ten minutes to get you to the top, where you can marvel at the views. If you’re feeling brave, you can take a zipline ride back down as well for some real exhilaration.

Get a little culture

Just because you’re out in the wilderness doesn’t mean that isn’t arts and culture to get stuck into. One of the best examples is the Bethel Woods Center, a huge proponent, supporter, and home of local arts. The Catbird Music Festival and the following concert season might be the most popular attractions here, but there are museum exhibitions that preserve the historic site where it's situated, as well. There are plenty of cultural spots in the Catskills worth hitting up, so you can always change pace and get a little education and enrichment after you’re done with all that adventuring.

With the examples above, it should be clear that the Catskills offers a lot more than just beautiful vistas (though it has plenty of those, too.) Be sure to plan your activities based on the ages and abilities of the people that you’re traveling with for the best and safest trip.