A trip to the Sullivan Catskills rewards those who slow down. Not slow like bored — slow like you finally stopped checking your phone. The kind of trip where you actually remember what you ate for dinner.
So, why wait for the weekend? Here, the “office” is when and where you make it. Wednesday is the new Saturday.
Go Midweek & Go Deeper
Ten reasons why the Sullivan Catskills is better on a Wednesday. Consider this your permission slip.
1. Avoid Traffic & Score Fresh Pie
There is a right time and a wrong time to leave (and return to) the city, especially when you’re pinned to a Friday to Sunday itinerary. Zipping in and out midweek provides more options and overall, is way less stressful. Besides, it opens the secret “Side Quest Lane” that always seems to be closed when you’re on a fixed schedule. The country store you’ve been meaning to stop at does its baking for the weekend rush not on the weekend.
2. Book the Room You Actually Want
Not only are lodging reservations easier to come by midweek, but it’s likely they’re less expensive. Places like the Outlier Inn, Roscoe Mountain Club, Kenoza Hall, The Arnold House and The DeBruce have no problem putting heads in beds on weekends, so the price is what it is. On Tuesday night, there’s a little more flexibility with inventory and therefore, more wiggle on cost without sacrificing an ounce of amenity or experience.
- Outlier Inn: At 14 acres, the Outlier Inn in Woodridge is a year-round retreat center with a unique variety of lodging options that includes tiny houses, geodesic domes, a cottage, bungalow, camper and main house. Outdoors, you’ll find three kitchens, showers (with hot water), spring-fed swimming pond, a sauna, picnic tables and a 50-seat dining table. Access to hiking and rail trails are right nearby as well as the quaint hamlet of Mountaindale.
- Roscoe Mountain Club: Pick any of the 1,000 acres to hang out on and you’ll find a winner at the Roscoe Mountain Club. You’ll also find a year-round 24-room inn, golf, pickleball, disc golf, hiking, axe throwing, a private lake with a boathouse, and the best freshwater fishing around. Not to mention a spa for massage, yoga and meditation. After axe throwing.
- Kenoza Hall: Both couples and families alike love staying at Kenoza Hall. In addition to 22 rooms and 10 bungalows, the luxurious and comfortable property boasts a three-meal-period restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking Kenoza Lake. A bonus is the on-site Hemlock Spa that was named one of “The Best Spas in Upstate New York to Decompress in Style” by Wallpaper.com.
- The Arnold House: For country comfort, midweek life is made better at The Arnold House located on Shandelee Mountain. Rich in history, the building has been welcoming city escapists for over 100 years. The tavern itself is worth a trip by itself, but it’s best to make it a few nights to enjoy the pool, greenhouse, evening s’mores and take in all the quaint smalltown amenities of nearby Livingston Manor. Oh, and bring your pup. Dogs are welcome.
- The DeBruce: Upstream from The DeBruce, George LaBranche cast the first American dry fly where the Mongaup Creek joins the crystal clear Willowemoc River. Today, the circa 1880’s property has been fully restored into a haven of relaxation for that perfect getaway. Dip your toes in the river, relax by the fire and savor some of the most spectacular farm-to-table dining anywhere in the region.
3. The Trail is All Yours Midweek
Whether visiting to cast a line, take a hike, snag a cozy corner at a café or simply to escape the speed and noise for a few days, Sullivan County delivers quiet midweek. In peak seasons, parking at popular hiking trails is a known challenge. The secret swim spots are not so secret on weekends either. But pick a weekday morning to explore and you’ll experience something special.
“There are incredible swimming spots and hiking trails in every direction, but you wouldn’t find me anywhere near the most popular ones on weekends. For one, you won’t get a parking spot and if you happen to snag one, you definitely won’t feel like you’re discovering something. All of that changes on a warm, but perhaps overcast Tuesday.”
– Josh Druckman, Owner of the Outlier Inn
4. Pull Up a Chair. No Reservation Needed.
Food is best experienced when not rushed, especially in the Catskills where time is also something to be relished. A bonus of being so close to so many major metro areas is this is also where the uber talented chefs come to slow down and hone their culinary craft. Bistros, brew pubs and open-air cafés fill up on weekends and often require a reservation to get in. Not so midweek, where you can also hear and enjoy the live music, and a specialty cocktail without the extra chatter.
5. Stroll Main Street with Elbow Room
The Historic Main Streets of places like Livingston Manor, Narrowsburg, Wurtsboro and Roscoe carry an entirely different vibe outside of the weekend window. The shops are open and folks are around, but there’s room to take your time, stroll, window shop and genuinely poke around without feeling crowded when flipping through hand-drawn greeting cards.
6. Book a Guide Who Knows When Fish are Biting
To truly sneak away, midweek is the perfect time to book a fishing, climbing or photo guide. They know when and where the fish are biting, what walls are in the best shape and how to get there for the perfect light. They also know how to get you somewhere you’ll have all to yourself.
“Sometimes after a good day on the river, we end up hanging out at the truck for a beer. Other times, we take the conversation to the brewery. Either way, there’s no better way to end a day of fishing than continuing to create an experience in a place that’s always fresh with ideas.”
– Brian Comfort, Owner of the Beaverkill Angler
7. No Itinerary Required
If you’re the impulsive type and pulled the last-minute travel trigger, it’s totally okay not to have a plan to explore the Sullivan Catskills midweek. This is the kind of place where people love to provide honest advice. Especially to those with an open mind about what they’ll find. Dinner spots, sunset scenes, happy hour, you name it. Locals will point you in the right direction. No itinerary required.
8: Wi-Fi with a Catskills View Hits Different
If you absolutely must spend a little time on the clock, or if all you need is a little more room to get the creativity flowing, why not rock Wi-Fi from a shaded picnic table with a Catskills view? Most lodging properties have wired the entire grounds so “the office” is wherever you need it to be. And when you’re ready to log out, the dock is a quick jump away.
9. Pick a Parsnip & Meet the Goats
The biggest farmers markets in the Catskills are on weekends, but during the week is when the work gets done. It’s also when you can book a farm tour to go behind the agricultural scenes. Pick a parsnip, wash some greens, hop on a horse and really get to know the place. Many of the farms who offer tours also offer lodging, workshops, and yoga. Some with goats.
10. Mix & Match & Come Back Again
Pick three. Pick seven. Stack them however you like and you’re bound to find bliss at a pace only possible in the Sullivan Catskills. Besides, if you only get to a few of them, there’s always next week. This is the kind of place where you’ll make friends who live there and you’ll keep coming back until you stay.
Just ask Josh Druckman. To him, Sullivan County is a frontier with plenty of space to spread out, explore and discover.
“There’s freedom in peaking around and seeing what you’ll find,” says Josh. “It didn’t take me long to see enough to decide that this is where I wanted my office to be.”
Or not be. All options are open midweek and completely up to you.
Five Midweek Musts. Thank Us Later.
Curated by the very professional Guest Services Team at Foster Supply Hospitality, who owns and operates The DeBruce, The Arnold House and Kenoza Hall.
- Taste This – Try the James Beard recognized tasting menu at The Debruce
- Go on a Picnic – Get on the river if you can with a picnic basket; river rafting or tubing is one of the best things to do
- Spa Time – Go to Hemlock in Neversink and hike with goats or get an amazing spa treatments
- So Fuzzy – Visit the alpacas at Buck Brook Alpacas
- Goal! – Catch a World Cup soccer match at The Arnold House Tavern