Catskill Park State Land Master Plan

location of Catskill ParkCatskill Park spans 700,000 acres inside the “blue line” in Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster counties in New York State. Over 40 percent of the land within the blue line is Forest Preserve owned by the state and managed by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Another 5% is owned by New York City to protect four reservoirs that are within the park.

The park boundary stretches from near the Hudson River just west of Kingston NY to the East Branch of the Delaware River. Its northern extreme is at Windham and its southernmost point is near the Rondout Reservoir. In contrast to the Adirondack Park, the Catskill Park doesn’t include every peak of the Catskill Range. Only 33 of the 35 highest peaks are inside the Catskill Blue Line.

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Friday Fantasy Photo #24

Riva Ridge • Whiteface, NY • December 26, 2010

“At the summit of Whiteface there’s a sense that the runs drop perilously from the ledge sculpted into the side of the mountain. On this particular day clouds shrouded the valleys below and the High Peaks rose in the distance. I photographed this lone snowboarder as he admired the dramatic view from along the ledge…” -takeahike46er

Matt Joins NY Ski Blog

Matt is a photographer and adventurer from Queens, NY. He’s most comfortable on a remote high peak with his skis pointed over a cornice, imagining a snowy and trackless descent. He’s always loved skiing, but it was a visit to a remote, abandoned, high-altitude mining town in Colorado where he learned that traversing the winter world on skis is a great way to challenge yourself in the outdoors.

Cornices are hard to find near New York City, but Matt has discovered his own path in the outdoors that has resulted in the same feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. He’s found that photographing adventurers enjoying themselves outdoors can be as rewarding as accomplishing goals alone. While he loves to ski, Matt also enjoys the outdoors in all seasons, camping, hiking, surfing, paddling and watching baseball when the time is right.

Stay tuned for more of Matt’s adventures on NYSkiBlog.