Catskill Mountain House

Among the things to do in the area is to climb to the site of the Catskill Mountain House, long since gone, from where you can enjoy incredible vistas made famous by artists of the 19th century. Built in 1824, high above the valley, perched upon the cliffs, the Mountain House was one of the magnificent resorts built in the heyday of the Catskills. The property was abandoned in 1941 never to re-open. The hotel was famous in the region for its notorious "Fried Chicken War" between the hotel owner and a guest who requested fried chicken for his daughter rather than the offered roast beef. When told no and if he wasn't happy to build his own hotel, the battle ensued and the guest did in fact build a competing hotel across the way, opening the very next year. This is an area of many vacation homes and much recreational activity of every form including swimming, boating, rafting, skiing, golfing, bicycling, fishing, horseback riding, and snowmobiling. This is also a great area for climbing and many of the trails have been in use for more than 150 years. A visit to the Catskills can be just a few hours’ diversion on the way north or you can make it into an overnight stay.