June is the Catskills' best kept secret. We're telling anyway.
Two hours from Manhattan. Emerald mountains. Quiet trails. A fire pit that doesn't care what your inbox looks like.
Here's something that happens every year without fail. A New Yorker promises themselves, hand on heart, very seriously, that this summer they're getting out of the city more. Then July arrives. Then August. Then somehow it's Labour Day and the closest thing to nature they experienced was the spider plant outside their favourite coffee shop. We'd like to offer a modest intervention.
Because right now, this week, this month, the Catskills are doing something genuinely special. And if you wait until July to notice, you'll be sharing it with everyone else who also waited until July. June belongs to the people who figured it out first.
Crackling campfire at Alpine Four Season Lodge in Highmount, NY — the perfect Catskills evening after a day on the trails.
The mountains are at their most ridiculous green. Wildflowers are having their annual moment. Farmers markets are overflowing. The evenings cool down enough that a fire pit isn't just atmospheric, it's actually necessary. And the stars show up every single night without requiring a reservation. You can still find a quiet trail. Still hear a creek. Still grab a table without a three-week lead time. This is the Catskills before everyone remembers how much they love the Catskills.
The unofficial "you actually needed this" checklist → Drink coffee outside, slowly, without a screen (not glancing at your phone — actually just sitting there) → Finish the book you've been carrying since January (it's June; the book has been waiting longer than your plants) → Watch a fire without filming it (the fire pit at AFSL has seen things; it will not judge you either way) → Fall asleep with the windows open (mountain air at night — there is genuinely nothing better) → Go an entire day without checking work email (your team survived before you; they'll manage)
Lush green rolling hills of the Catskills in June, near Alpine Four Season Lodge in Highmount, NY
What to do when you get here Hike the trails at Belleayre Mountain — summer activities are in full swing and it's minutes from the lodge. It’s on….. farmers markets, live music, and local festivals running all month. For serious hikers, Catskill Mountaineer has the best trail guides and current conditions. Wander through Phoenicia. Hit the Margaretville farmers market. Make a detour to Woodstock Brewery on Route 28 For the full regional picture, the official Catskills Visitor Guide covers everything. Then come back to the lodge for sunset, mountain air, and a fire pit that doesn't care what your quarterly numbers looked like.
One last thing A weekend up here won't solve your hard problems or reply to that email you've been avoiding since March. But it will remind you what it feels like to slow down. To eat dinner outside. To have a conversation that isn't squeezed between two other things. To wake up and hear nothing but birds, wind, and the particular quiet that only exists when you're properly away from a city. That's not nothing. That's actually quite a lot.
June weekends are going fast. Yours shouldn't be. Multiple lodging options — from private suites to full lodge buyouts. Book direct for the best rates. No platform fees, no algorithms, just a real conversation about what works for you. Book direct at Alpine Four Season Lodge →
Daniel & The Crew
32 Galli Curci Road · Highmount, NY 12441 — Alpine Four Season Lodge
