Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province and subrange of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas close to or within the borders of the Catskill Park, a 700,000-acre (2,800 km2) forest preserve protected from many forms of development under New York state law.
| Catskill Mountains | |
|---|---|
Slide Mountain and nearby peaks as seen from Twin Mountain in the northern Catskills | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Slide Mountain |
| Elevation | 4,180 ft (1,270 m) |
| Coordinates | 41°59′55″N 74°23′11″W |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 111 mi (179 km) N/S |
| Width | 102 mi (164 km) E/W |
| Area | 15,259 km2 (5,892 sq mi) |
| Geography | |
Main regions of the northeast Appalachians, with the Catskills as "C"
| |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| Region | Hudson Valley, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley |
| Counties | Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster |
| Rivers | Esopus Creek, Neversink River, Rondout Creek and Schoharie Creek |
| Communities | Ellenville, Fleischmanns, Hunter, Liberty, Margaretville, Hancock, New York, Palenville, Phoenicia, Shandaken, Shokan, Tannersville, Wawarsing, Windham and Woodstock |
| Parent range | Appalachian (Allegheny Plateau) |
| Borders on | Poconos, Shawangunk Ridge, Hudson Valley, Great Appalachian Valley and Mohawk Valley |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Devonian and Mississippian |
| Type of rock | Sedimentary |
Geologically, the Catskills are a mature dissected plateau, a flat region subsequently uplifted and eroded into sharp relief by watercourses. The Catskills form the northeastern end of the Allegheny Plateau (also known as the Appalachian Plateau).
The Catskills were named by early Dutch settlers. They are well known in American society as the setting for films and works of art, including many 19th-century Hudson River School paintings, as well as for being a favored destination for vacationers from New York City in the mid-20th century. The region's many large resorts gave many young stand-up comedians an opportunity to hone their craft. Since the late 19th century, the Catskills have been a haven for artists, musicians and writers, especially in and around the towns of Woodstock and Phoenicia.