New York’s secret mountain county has seven bookstores and zero crowds

Delaware County’s four-season backyard

The Great Western Catskills fill up Delaware County, the biggest of the four counties in New York’s Catskill region. You’re about three hours north of New York City here, or roughly 90 minutes south of Albany.

Rolling hills, river valleys, and reservoirs connect small towns by scenic back roads, and the pace drops the moment you arrive.

People come for fly fishing, hiking, skiing, and drives that wind through country you didn’t know existed this close to the city.

Every season brings a different reason to show up, and the quiet is what keeps people coming back.

People have lived here since the 1800s

European settlers moved into Delaware County in the 1740s, pulled in by thick forests and clean waterways.

By the early 1800s, anglers were casting lines in local rivers, and the Catskills earned a reputation as the birthplace of American fly fishing.

Naturalist John Burroughs was born in Roxbury in 1837 and spent decades writing about this landscape. Passenger trains brought thousands of New Yorkers to mountain camps and resorts by the early 1900s.

You can still see the farming roots in rolling fields, weekly farmers markets and farm-to-table food on local menus.

Cast a line where fly fishing began

The East Branch of the Delaware River flows right through Delaware County and holds excellent trout water.

The Pepacton Reservoir gives up some of the largest brown trout in the Catskills, and experienced anglers know it. Fly fishing season runs April 1 through mid-October, so you have a long window.

If you’ve never held a fly rod, local guides will set you up and walk you through it. If you’ve fished your whole life, you’ll find water here that tests you in new ways.

A 15-mile reservoir holding 140 billion gallons

The Pepacton Reservoir stretches about 15 miles through Delaware County, making it the largest reservoir in New York City’s water supply system.

It holds over 140 billion gallons and drops more than 160 feet deep. The city completed it in 1954 by damming the East Branch of the Delaware River.

You can kayak, canoe, or fish the calm water, but you’ll need a permit from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection first. Route 30 follows the winding shoreline past mountain views and quiet hamlets the whole way.

Walk a 26-mile rail trail through farm country

The Catskill Scenic Trail stretches roughly 26 miles along the old Ulster and Delaware Railroad bed. It’s flat, gentle, and open year-round for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

For something steeper, the Bramley Mountain Trail covers four miles and leads to a fire tower that opened in May 2025, with wide views of the Catskills from the top.

If you’re traveling with kids, the Shavertown Trail rewards you with views of the Pepacton Reservoir in less than a mile. The 27,800-acre Delaware Wild Forest adds even more trail options through the western Catskill Forest Preserve.

Two fire towers with 360-degree views

Mount Utsayantha stands at 3,214 feet with a fire tower built in 1934 and restored in 2005. You can hike up or drive a one-mile gravel road to the summit, where the view opens in every direction.

Picnic tables and a small park sit at the top, maintained by the village of Stamford. The Bramley Mountain Fire Tower went up in May 2025 and gives you another high vantage point.

Both towers now count toward the official 2026 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Seven bookstores line one tiny Main Street

Hobart is a small village with seven independent bookstores, all on Main Street.

Don Dales started the Book Village in 2005 after visiting a famous book town in Wales and decided to try it here.

Each shop carries something different, from antiquarian volumes and New York history to mystery and science fiction.

The village runs an annual Festival of Women Writers and two big semi-annual sales over Memorial Day and Thanksgiving weekends.

Drive to three covered bridges in one afternoon

Delaware County has five covered bridges, and three of them are open to the public.

The Hamden Covered Bridge went up in 1859, runs 128 feet long, and is the only covered bridge in New York built with a Long truss and no other support.

Fitch’s Covered Bridge dates to 1870 and was moved to its current spot over the West Branch of the Delaware River in 1885.

The Downsville Covered Bridge, built in 1854, still carries car traffic near the Pepacton Reservoir. All three sit close enough for a single scenic loop.

Ride a heritage train through trout country

The Delaware and Ulster Railroad runs out of its Arkville depot, and the line brought back passenger service in May 2025 after a pandemic pause and years of track work.

You’ll roll past rural hamlets, farmland, and trout streams framed by mountains on both sides. The railroad runs special events like dinner trains, live music rides, and seasonal trips throughout the year.

The original line started in 1866 and once connected Kingston on the Hudson River all the way to Oneonta through the Catskill Mountains.

Watch a water-powered mill do real work

Hanford Mills Museum in East Meredith is one of a handful of working water-powered mills left in the country. The mill has run on Kortright Creek since 1846 and sits on the National Register of Historic Places.

Guided tours take you through the sawmill, gristmill, and woodworking shop, all powered by a 1926 Fitz Overshot Waterwheel.

The 70-acre grounds hold 16 historic buildings, including a hardware store, feed mill, blacksmith shop, and the John Hanford Farmhouse. You can visit mid-May through mid-October, Wednesday through Sunday.

Famous friends visited Burroughs’ summer lodge

John Burroughs wrote 27 books on nature and philosophy after growing up in Roxbury. Around 1910, he came back to his family’s land and spent summers at a farmhouse he called Woodchuck Lodge.

Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone all visited him there. Burroughs is buried just up the road at John Burroughs Memorial Field, a state historic site.

The lodge earned National Historic Landmark status in 1962, and you can take guided tours on select weekends from May through October.

The last family-owned ski hill in the northern Catskills

Plattekill Mountain in Roxbury is the only family-owned and operated ski resort left in the northern Catskills.

You get 41 trails and a 1,100-foot vertical drop across terrain that works for beginners through experts. Snow tubing and a ski school make it easy to bring the whole family.

When summer hits, the mountain switches to lift-served mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, and free outdoor concerts.

The crowds stay thin here, and the feel is loose and local compared to the bigger commercial resorts nearby.

Explore the Great Western Catskills in New York

You can get to Delaware County from three hours south in New York City or about 90 minutes from Albany.

If you’re flying in, Albany International Airport at 737 Albany Shaker Rd. in Albany sits about an hour’s drive from the county.

Once you’re here, Route 30 and Route 28 are your main scenic corridors, and fall foliage season turns both into slow-moving color.

The Catskill Scenic Trail, Pepacton Reservoir, Hobart Book Village, and Mount Utsayantha are all worth circling on a map.

Check the official website for seasonal event schedules and current trail conditions before you head out.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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