Four Tips to Planning Your Next Family Vacation in the Catskills

The Catskills is an ideal getaway for a family-friendly vacation any time of year. With abundant hiking trails, lakes, and outdoor activities and tons of great places to stay, it’s the perfect place to escape the day-to-day grind. Here are our tips to planning a family vacation in the Catskills.

Come Prepared for Outdoor Activities

Make sure everyone in the family packs for outdoor activities - there’s so much to do outside any time of year that you’ll want to be prepared. Here’s what we recommend packing:

Sneakers for hikes and long walks - not cute sneakers, utility ones! You never know when you’ll want to take a stroll through the woods (at the Inn, we have miles of hiking trails available!).
Hiking boots if you intend on taking a long or rocky hike. Don’t forget the thick socks.
Swimsuit - yes, even in the winter! The Inn has an indoor pool with glass ceiling, available year round. During the warmer months, you never know when you’ll want to take a dip in a swimming hole or the river. Don’t forget your water shoes, if you have them.
Jackets for cooler nights in the warm months (it can get chilly when the sun goes down).

Forgot something? Hit up local outdoor shop Morgan Outdoors for anything you left at home.

Plan Ahead

While we’re always fans of unstructured family time, there are definitely some things you’ll want to plan ahead for. Make sure to get tickets for the Catskill Mountain Railroad if you have young kids.

You can also check out Sullivan Catskills for events that might be taking place during your stay.

Enjoy the local fare

Trust us, there are so many good food spots that you won’t want to miss out on.

The Walk In Manor makes the best breakfast around, and their sister shop across the street sells the best fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

The Kaatskeller is a kid-friendly pizza place with a charming beer garden covered in bistro lights.

You can make a day out of Upward Brewery; hike Beer Mountain to get a token for free beer, then enjoy your lunch while checking out the sweeping views from their patio or indoor dining seats.

Keep the kids entertained - no screen time needed

Even on rainy or snowy days, there’s always something to do in the Catskills, no screens needed. At the Inn, we have an ice-skating rink in the winter with skates and equipment available for guests.

During fly-fishing season from April through October, you can book a fly fishing lesson with our guide Nick. We have equipment available for guests, a casting pond to practice casting, and a mile of private river for you and the kiddos to try out their new skills.
And the aforementioned indoor pool is always open - we actually think it’s pretty cool to swim during a rainstorm or when it’s snowing, because you can enjoy the views through the glass roof.

You can play croquet on the croquet course, basketball in the barn, take a tennis lesson with our tennis pro, roast s’mores at the fire pit, or just play a board game on the front porch.