Whether you’re a winter warrior or a winterphobe, New York’s Sullivan Catskills is for you and offers a mix of cold-weather fun or indoor relaxation just 90 minutes from New York City.

Winter here can be exhilarating, relaxing, or both. A great way to embrace winter and chill out is by spending a few days at the newly opened Driftwood Ranch Resort. Located in White Lake, just a few miles from Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, this Montana-style horse and cattle ranch (currently in a soft-opening phase) offers you all the trapping of a Western lifestyle without the travel time. You can go horseback riding or hiking and watch daily life on the ranch unfold as cowboys care for livestock and train horses. You can even feed the longhorns. Cowboy owner Steve Dubrovsky tells us they love bagels! Accommodations include rustic, luxurious, and spacious suites with modern conveniences suitable for remote work.  Holiday Mountain Ski and Fun Park— now under new ownership of the Taylor family, long-time skiers, and local business owners— offers all-new trails, chairlifts, a learning center, and 12 snow tubing lanes. Long-term plans include 17 ski and snowboarding trails and a mountain of family adventure every season. 

Ice fishing is a popular pastime when the lakes and ponds freeze over. Layer up in moisture-wicking clothing, including a warm jacket, gloves, a hat, and insulated pants. Don’t forget your ice auger to drill holes and a set of tip-ups to drop your fishing line in the water. Most importantly, make sure the ice is at least four inches thick. Weather conditions permitting, don’t miss the popular King of the Ice contest on White Lake in February. 

Put on a set of snowshoes to get your heart rate pumping on the trails. Trailkeeper.org can help you find trails that are suitable for various fitness levels. Another popular activity is eagle-watching on the shores of the Upper Delaware River. Up to 200 eagles winter here. The Sullivan Catskills Dove Trail is worth a tour in winter. The trail honors the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair held in Bethel and features 75+ hand-painted dove sculptures. During your tour, you can stop in the quaint downtowns and at the craft breweries, wineries, distilleries, and cideries on the award-winning Good Taste Beverage Trail. There’s always Catskill-icious food. Some have live music, and one includes a trek up picturesque Beer Mountain.

If winter is a time for soul searching, introspection, and self-care, or you just hate the cold, this area, long known as a haven for well-being, boasts wellness resorts, fitness centers, yoga and pilates studios, massage therapists, and naturalists. 

There are many options for health and wellness in the Sullivan Catskills—pamper yourself at Awana Spa at Resorts World Catskills or the Hemlock Spa at Kenoza Hall, or find wellbeing at The Chi Hive Studio in Narrowsburg, Mountaindale Yoga & Wellness, The Yoga Space, Somewhere in Time Retreat, Jurni Healing in Cochecton, or the Salt Cave at Crystal Connection.

There’s great family fun to cure your cabin fever at the Kartrite Resort and Indoor Waterpark where it’s always a balmy 84 degrees inside to enjoy the water rides and waterslides. There’s also arcades, 3D gaming, and virtual reality. There are 324 suites and eight dining options. Villa Roma Resort and Conference Center— with a fine selection of rooms and suites— features an indoor pool, game room, sports complex, bowling alley, bounce houses, and racquetball. Or try downhill skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. There are nearly a dozen dining options and cocktail lounges. Roscoe Mountain House is planning a bevy of winter activities. Check their website, RoscoeMountainClub.com, for updates.

Interested in a romantic couple’s winter escape? Consider a boutique inn. Many are located near the hip towns of Narrowsburg, Callicoon, Livingston Manor, Roscoe, and Mountaindale including Kenoza Hall, The Boarding House at Seminary Hill Cidery, The Stickett Inn, Chatwal Lodge, and Callicoon Hills. 

Plan to spend the weekend or take advantage of a discounted mid-week visit. For details on a cozy winter getaway, visit SullivanCatskills.com.