Catskill Mountains
Mountains in southeastern New York State, U.S. / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province 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 |
| 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).[1][2]
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.