I've been dry fly fishing for 20+yrs and hired Todd as a guide to step up my nymphing game. He's a…read moremaster. An absolute wealth of knowledge, patience, zero pretense, great sense of humor and such a pleasure to spend the day with. The shop is great. Well-curated and stocked with only what you need and not a bunch of bells and whistles nonsense. Totally recommend both the shop and the guiding service.

If you want to know the truth, the whole thing depressed the hell out of me right from the start…read more People talk about the Devil's Path up in the Catskills like it's some kind of grand, soul-searching experience, but mostly it's just thousands of feet of jagged rock sitting there waiting to break your ankle while some guy in brand-new high-tech hiking boots tells you how "restorative" the fresh air is. It's phony as hell. ​The trail isn't even really a path, it's just a continuous, miserable scramble over gigantic stone slabs, wet roots, and sheer drop-offs. You go straight up a mountain like Indian Head or Twin, huffing and puffing until you feel like dying, and then the trail just dumps you right back down into a ditch, forcing you to turn around and do it all over again on the next peak. You're grabbing onto tree roots and in the late fall,your sliding down slick, icy rock chimneys, trying not to pitch off the side of a cliff, while wet pine needles drop into your collar. ​Every time you finally drag yourself up to a ledge where the view is supposed to be "life-changing," you end up sitting on a damp stone next to three guys discussing their GPS watches and showing off their expensive trekking poles. It kills me, it really does. The forest itself is nice enough if everybody would just shut up for five minutes. Plus it smells like balsam fir and ancient damp earth, and when the fog rolls in through the hemlocks, it finally feels right to me because its dead quiet and honest. But then i ran into a troop of weekend warriors yelling across the ridge about their lap times. ​If you're crazy enough to tackle all twenty three miles of it which i certaindid not, you'll end up exhausted, soaked in sweat, and covered in mud, wondering why you didn't just stay in the city and get a sandwich and a beer. It'll test if you're tough enough, surelyim not anymore, it just makes me want to go lie down in a warm room by a fireplace with a little glass of brandy where nobody is talking about elevation gain.

Wow, talk about a beautiful drive to get here! Completely isolated with the surrounding town…read morebringing you to the past. The narrow zig-zag roads getting here from the east are a blast to drive on. Taking the devil's path is no joke if you're doing the whole trail. Highly suggest packing light for the hike. Totally regretted my 35lb backpack setup. The elevation spikes and drops will put your knees and ankles to the test. The look out points are gorgeous. Each one deserves to be taken in during a break. The biodiversity is incredible here. You'll notice the nature changes at different points of the hike. Including the areas casted in darkness from the dense trees. The next drinkable source of water from the beginning is a far distance so make sure you pack accordingly. The devils tombstone is the halfway point which is where most people set up camp. Cant harp enough... snacks, snacks, snacks. Stay safe if you choose to part take on this hike! One of the best hikes I've been on.

my daughter and I were visiting from California and searched for a calm, beautiful kayak ride,…read morefinally discovering I Paddle New York. We enjoyed a gorgeous two hour ride in a tandem kayak together on a still Monday morning, the only ones on the river for a couple hours! We stopped for a stroll on the nature preserve and some rope swinging. Our adventure was was lovely, still, and nourishing. thanks for a wonderful day!

Great time and Gaile was super nice to work with. I would definitely do this again!!!read more

Wild Hudson Valley offers so much between their fun and informative guided nature walks, incredible…read moreharvest boxes filled with wild forest-foraged foods and now their eco camp. I toured the farm and sanctuary and it was absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to stay at the new camp!

My family and I spent the weekend at the farm and sanctuary. We had a fantastic time going on…read moreJustin's bird walks, a tour of the farm, and a plant medicine walk. The kids ran around catching (and releasing) butterflies and fireflies), we swam in the creek, roasted marshmallows at night, and slept in beds in the yurts. Can't wait to return!

My family and I had the BEST horseback riding experience ever with Joe at Roughriders Ranch. As…read morebeginner riders, Joe took such good care of us and paired us with our horses and explained everything to ensure our safety. We had such a good time and are truly happy to have created this life long memory. Thank you Joe!!

By far the BEST horse back tour I've ever been on! Mr. Joe is definitely a character but very…read morewelcoming and knowledgable about horses and the history of the area. It's important to be patient with him as he carefully prepares each horse for its rider as he is a one-man business. Our ride was definitely more than an hour though we only paid for an hour. Mr. Joe was nice enough to extend the ride because he didn't have appts. After us.

This is a well under rated waterfall hike in the Catskill…read more We mistaken took the Overlook trail thinking that there is a "overlook" for the waterfall. I was wrong. We did found some stone made into chairs on one of the walk out. That was really cool. Took a little break there and enjoyed the cool wind. Was nice. After finding out that there was no Overlook to yhe waterfall, we head back to the start and took a left this time, the Waterfall trail. It was a ln easy hike down. A good 5-10 minutes down. If it rained before, it could be a messy down as the trail is not paved. It is a little slope down as well but not that bad. We stayed there for a long time enjoying the waterfall cause there was really not alot if people and after at last we actually had the waterfall to ourselves. Though the parking lot was small. You just basically pull your car over to the side. Just try to avoid the "No Parking" signs and you good to go. I pick this waterfall to go then the Kaaterskill as it's very crowed and there was a wait to park to car.

A group of sister friends and I decided to do a hike to Huckleberry point. There are many trails…read moreas you can see in my first photo ( more in other parts of the park). It took us an an hour from the Latham area it was a great drive down the Thruway on to 87 and we exitEd on to exit 21 from there you have to pay attention to the go's because there is a number of twist and turns. Parking is a bear. The parking lot is small and not enough room for all of the hikers. A number of drivers had to park on the side of the road. You have to be careful because drivers on that stretch of Platte Clove Road are driving quite fast. The climb is up most of the way and narrows and the elevation from the parking lot to the top is 644 ft. It gets quite muddy in spots and you have to cross a creek so waterproof hiking boots are recommended. There are many spots where there are steady inclines so you have to be prepared for that. The beauty of the park and nature was beautifully overwhelming for me yesterday. The many cascading waterfalls and the sounds of nature were refreshing and peaceful. You need to bring water and fuel for the ascending and descending. I'm looking forward to my next hike. You need to be carefully looking for the trail markers. There were spots you really had to search for them when the path wasn't as obvious. The park need to put a bit more in.

This preserve is a collaboration with Greene Land Trust and Scenic Hudson. For a brand new…read moretrail(opened last month,) I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. First things first: getting there: google maps was way off on where this was far as when it was giving me directions. Apple maps did ok. Snake Road veers off to the left of West Main as you're heading to Jefferson Heights. Snake Road is aptly named because it is narrow and serpentine. You'll see the trail sign and a parking area to the right. The first thing I noticed was when I started the trail, I could see houses and hear loud music and talking. Not a great start. It did finally recede. The trail in places was very overgrown with only a narrow track in the middle of waist high grass. Anyone in tick areas knows this isn't great. Be careful with your footing here because I nearly stepped on a snake and a turtle. The red flares are placed frequently. The only confusing part was near the riverfront views. It seemed a trail went off to the left but no flares and private property signs so I guess not. The forest trails were wide and clear. This is a mile loop trail. So, okay, but I definitely think the grass trails could be better mown/maintained.

Just camped here again and was extremely impressed with the cleanliness of this campground. The…read morebathrooms and showers were meticulous, and every campsite in loop 4 was flat and well-maintained, perfect for any tent. While we were here, we saw staff removing tree roots that were impeding the campsite next to ours. I also appreciate that the DEC drives around and ensures that campers are abiding by the fire and bear safety rules and wish that other NYS parks did the same. There was SO much wildlife we saw just on the grounds - friendly deer, baby turkeys, and baby ducks. We were fortunate to have a few nights here without any neighbors and it was so serene and beautiful even in intense rain and fog. There are boat and canoe rentals on South Beach, and so many hiking trails that lead to breaktaking views. I really can't say enough good things about this campground and am already looking forward to our next trip here!

I don't normally write reviews especially a negative one. We had a very upsetting experience at…read moreNorth-South Lake. We drove over two hours to visit my husband's childhood campground for the first time with our three kids (ages 5, 7, and 9). When we arrived at the entrance, we were asked if it was a day visit, and we said yes, we were only staying for the day. We paid the fee, received a map, and drove in. My husband was so excited to finally share this place and create memories with our children. Looking for a place to park, we thought we were lucky to find an empty campsite in one of the loops where he used to camp as a child. We parked the car hoping to enjoy the view of the lake, take a walk, and maybe make the kids a couple of s'mores before heading home. At around 2:15-2:30 p.m., the "SUPERVISOR" in the white Kia approached us in an extremely rude and nasty manner, speaking as if we were committing a serious crime and comparing our situation to "sleeping in someone else's hotel room." She asked us if we had a reservation; we said no. She said, "Someone else reserved this spot." We were very apologetic, embarrassed, and immediately put our stuff in the car. I said they could have told us; we would have moved right away. I'm sorry. She said, "They aren't supposed to talk to you; that's why they send me here." She told us we had ten minutes to leave, waited there while we put our chair, blanket, and s'more cookies in the car, and refused our 9-year-old daughter access to the bathroom while we packed up our three things, and even followed us out of the loop to make sure we didn't park elsewhere. My daughter came to us crying because the lady told her she couldn't use the bathroom and had to get in the car. Well, she had an accident in the car right as we were pulling out. We were mortified and apologetic. My husband even offered to leave the firewood we had just purchased for the next campers, but she was dismissive and harsh about that as well. The following day, I called and asked to speak with a manager to explain how we were treated. The manager was just as unfriendly and miserable sounding as the supervisor. I was told they had been looking for us "for hours" and that it's "common sense" not to park in a campsite. She actually said it's considered trespassing. So, a friendly warning for first-time visitors: Apparently, if you don't know that "day use" doesn't mean "park in any empty campsite," just for the day, you're officially a trespassing criminal--at least according to the manager. Yes, really. Reading the website now, I see that check-in for people with reservations is at 2 p.m., which was the time we were trying to make a small fire, so unless someone left their site and returned, it's unclear how they could have been looking for us "for hours." We were right there at 2pm. The website also states: Day Use * Anyone who is not camping is a day-user. Day-use hours are from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Day-users are not allowed between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. We were not camping but didn't realize we couldn't park in an empty campsite. I think "common sense" would be to inform DAY USE visitors at the ENTRANCE to use public parking, especially for families or first-time visitors who may not be camping experts. Bottom line: this was my husband's childhood family spot. We just wanted to take a beautiful fall drive and have a special day with our kids. We understand now that we needed to reserve the parking spot ahead of time, and it was an honest misunderstanding. I would have even offered to pay for the campers' stay for their trouble. What we wish for is that the staff had approached us respectfully and explained the situation instead of treating us like criminals. Imagine being such a miserable person and working in such a BEAUTIFUL and peaceful place for families. This was meant to be a special family day, honoring memories of my father-in-law and creating new ones with our children. Instead, it became stressful and humiliating. Sadly, this is what our children will remember about the day and about North South Lake The photo is the space we took up and the stuff we had with us. Lol