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The Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway meanders for 52 miles through the heart of the Catskill Mountains. Only two hours from New York City, the byway travels through several quaint villages and offers travelers picturesque views of the surrounding mountains, waterways and rolling farmlands. It’s an especially gorgeous drive when the hills are bursting with colorful fall foliage.
From scenic hikes and quirky roadside attractions to breweries and farm-to-table restaurants, visitors will find plenty of fun things to see and do along the way. It’s really your choice on how to allocate your time between the natural environment and town amenities.
The Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway has official starting points in Andes and West Hurley, New York, and follows New York State Route 28. The byway can be driven in either direction. For those coming from New York City, West Hurley will be your likely starting point. Andes is the best option for travelers coming from points north or west.
We’ve designed the route so that is can be driven in either direction – without missing any of the best sightseeing stops and unique stories, whichever way you choose go. We can drive the entire byway in 1 and 1/2 hours or less, but that’s not the idea. Allow yourself at least a half day, but ideally a full day or more, so you can slow down, take your time and enjoy the stops and opportunities to explore. Hikers will find enough variety of trails, to satisfy however much energy you want to expend.
Andes or West Hurley
At least a half day, but ideally two days
The one-way driving length is 52 miles
The Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway meanders for 52 miles through the heart of the Catskill Mountains. Only two hours from New York City, the byway travels through several quaint villages and offers travelers picturesque views of the surrounding mountains, waterways, and rolling farmlands. It’s an especially gorgeous drive when the hills are bursting with colorful fall foliage. From scenic hikes and quirky roadside attractions to breweries and farm-to-table restaurants, visitors will find plenty of fun things to see and do along the way.
The Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway meanders for 52 miles through the heart of the Catskill Mountains. Only two hours from New York City, the byway has official starting points in Andes and West Hurley, New York, and follows New York State Route 28.
The Catskills really offers something in every season, since in winter it’s one of the closest ski areas to NYC. The warm months are obviously a terrific time to visit with everything in bloom and hiking trails all open and hopefully dry. Summer and early fall are when you’ll find farmstands brimming with fresh produce and booming farmers markets. Fall is by far the best and most popular time to drive the Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway, attracting leaf-peepers out for the colorful displays.
It only takes about an hour to drive the Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway one-way without stopping, but we recommend spending at least a half day driving and stopping at the places of interest along the way. It’s easy to fill a whole day enjoying the views, taking a hike of two, and exploring some of the villages that line the byway. Better yet, stay overnight in one of the quaint villages or spend a whole weekend here if you really want to take you time, exploring the towns and also taking on some smaller hikes.