Catskill Mountains

Catskill Mountains, low mountain group in southeastern New York, forming part of the Appalachian Mountains, near the Hudson River. The highest peak is Slide Mountain, 1,281 m (4,204 ft) above sea level. The region is drained by the headstreams of the Delaware River and has several reservoirs owned by New York City. The Catskills are well wooded and contain many lakes and streams for fishing and swimming. Picturesque features of the area include many deep gorges and waterfalls. The summer climate is cool, and the region is noted as a vacation area. The large Catskill Forest Preserve is here. The American writer Washington Irving used the region as the locale of his short story “Rip Van Winkle” (1820). During the 1800s a group of American landscape painters known as the Hudson River School were attracted to the scenic beauty of the Catskills.