A guide to the Catskills

Think the Catskills are about Dirty Dancing Theater Camp and Borscht Belters? Think again. You probably know there's no shortage of outdoor pursuits like fly-fishing, river-tubing and hiking. But few visitors explore the area's wealth of organic farms, art galleries and Buddhist yoga retreats. The Catskills' four counties offer four distinct slices of culture and history that are as diverse from one another as the neighborhoods in Manhattan. But here, there's enough green and tranquillity for everyone.

SULLIVAN COUNTY

GOOD FOR: Antiquers, foodies, fly fishermen

The most developed areas of the Catskills are found here (some overdeveloped like Monticello, home to a "racino" - comb- ination track and casino - and shopping centers). But charming Livingston Manor, Callicoon and Narrowsburg teem with shops, cafes, B and Bs and restaurants.

STAY

Hidden on a country road on the cusp of Delaware and Sullivan counties, the rustic three-room Golden Guernsey B and B is a born-again barn painted saffron, and stocked with vintage housewares and furniture. (It also promises to be "100% teddy-bear free.") Breakfasts are vegetarian but hearty. $125 for a double (31 Mitchell Pond E., Cochecton; 845-932-7994; thegoldenguernsey.com).

EAT

Narrowsburg Roasters proprietor Will Geisler's maple shortbread and biscotti are in de- mand at NYC restaurants like Veloce Pizzeria, but his lattes and hand-pressed panini have long impressed townfolk. Check out the specialty food shop in back (25 Main St., Narrowsburg; 845-252- 6688). For dinner, settle into Livingston Manor's new Lazy Beagle Pub and Grill, peddling asparagus and Roquefort soup and pan roasted brook trout (2 Pearl St., Livingston Manor; 845- 439-3405; lazybeaglepub.com).

TO DO

Weekend workshops on stream ecology and programs on cane-rod-making are offerings at Livingston Manor's Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum (1031 Old Rte. 17, 845-439-4810, cffcm.net). Peruse the creaky- floored Ferndale Antiques Marketplace, where shoppers can find old tin toys, Depression-era glassware, furniture and ephemera in a four-story Victorian mansion converted into a multi-dealer shop (52 Ferndale Rd., Ferndale; 845- 292-8701; ferndaleantiques.net). 

GREENE COUNTY 

GOOD FOR: Families, outdoors enthusiasts, campers

In summer, Greene County's Hunter Mountain and Ski Windham draw outdoorsy types and families, while its proximity to the Hudson River lends it historical roots. The county was settled by Dutch and English colonists 500 years ago, and was home to Native American tribes like the Mohawk even further back.

STAY

With 95 rooms, Kaatskill Mountain Club is an ideal mega-resort for groups to bunk down. It offers crowd-pleasing features like fireplaces, hot tubs, and heated outdoor pools, a fitness room, spa, a video arcade and a full-service restaurant, Van Winkles. Doubles from $160 (62 Liftside Dr., Hunter; 518- 263-5580; kaatskillmtnclub.com).

EAT

Don't be stingy with syrup at Maggie's Krooked Café, where stacks of pancakes wait to be drizzled. The all-day breakfast is hard to beat. (6000 Main St., Tannersville; 518-589-6101, krookedcafe.com)

TO DO

Hike to Kaaterskill Falls, popularized by the Hudson River School of artists in the 19th century. The impressive waterfalls are a short hike from Route 23A in East Windham and part of the breathtaking 24-mile Escarpment Trail, which winds past the remnants of the Catskill Mountain House, America's first resort (catskillguide.com/hike-1.htm).

Hunter Mountain is full of fun things to do. The vertigo-inducing sky ride is the longest and highest in the area (3,200 feet above sea level) and offers exceptional views. New zip lines have opened this spring and are less about view, more about speed. They are the longest and highest lines in North America, offering 5 miles worth of zip, with three tours (888-486-8376, 518-263-4388; huntermtn.com).

ULSTER COUNTY

GOOD FOR: Midcentury shoppers, hikers

The Hudson River laps at the eastern shores of Ulster, originally settled by the Dutch and English. Charming, historic Colonial river towns such as New Paltz and Saugerties characterize its eastern border, while windy, woodsy roads ascend west to even funkier weekender hamlets like Woodstock, Phoenicia, Mt. Tremper and Shandaken.

STAY

Take a plunge in the 20- person salt Jacuzzi (complete with underwater light show) at Kate's Lazy Meadow, run by B-52s rocker Kate Pierson. The campy motor lodge is filled with pink and aqua Eisenhower-era fridges and ovens. Tricked-out vintage Airstream trailers also are available for rent out back, along the Esopus River (doubles from $175, 5191 Rte. 28, Mt. Tremper; 845-688-7200; lazymeadow.com).

EAT

Pancake-seeking New Yorkers rave about Sweet Sue's creations, which come in pumpkin or Red Monkey (topped with strawberries and bananas), and sometimes create long weekend waits (49 Main St., Phoenicia; 845-688-7852). Hidden in the woods perched on a knoll is the romantic La Duchesse Anne Inn, a charming old B and B legendary for its French cuisine, such as roast duck and rack of lamb (1564 Wittenberg Rd., Mt. Tremper; 845-688-5260; laduchesseanne.com).

TO DO

Grab an inflatable tube and don a pair of beat-up sneaks for the popular and sometimes frightening river-tubing expeditions that snake through the chilly, untamed Esopus River. FS Tubing provides you with gear and transportation. Ideal for groups (11 Church St., Phoenicia; 845-688-7633; fstuberental.com). The new Scandinavian Grace Butik and Kafe hawks Swedish pastry, sandwiches, lingonberry preserves and coffee upfront, but has a massive showroom in the back stuffed with vintage Danish modern furniture and more contemporary pieces (2866 Rte. 28, Shokan; 845-657- 2759, scandinaviangrace.com). The tranquil Dai Bosatsu Zendo Zen Monastery offers meditative getaways to frazzled New Yorkers in need of a break (223 Beecher Lake Rd., Livingston Manor; 845-439-4566; zenstudies.org).

DELAWARE COUNTY

GOOD FOR: Foodies, farm-lovers, ecotourists

Long the domain of Scottish dairy farmers and their Jerseys and Guernseys, the verdant hill towns of Delaware County, which include Andes, Delhi, Bovina, Hamden, Margaretville and Roxbury, are the favored weekend getaways of eco-minded city dropouts looking to visit an organic farm or photograph a weathered barn.

STAY

Delaware County's Stony Creek Farm (1738 Freer Hollow Rd., Walton; 607-865-7965, stonycreekfarm.org) is one of the first American farms to host the cozy new Featherdown farm tents (featherdown.com; from $219 and sleeps six), which feature hardwood floors and come equipped with a woodstove, a bathroom and rustic-farmhouse furniture like gas lanterns, enamel camp cookware and a cold hutch for perishables. A 24-hour honesty farm shop is stocked with organic local veggies, honey-sweetened cherry butter and locally raised bone-in beef steaks.

EAT

Experience farm-to-table cuisine without leaving the farm at Fable, the elegant dining room of the farmers at Stone and Thistle Farm (1211 Kelso Rd., East Meredith; 607-278-5800, stoneandthistlefarm.com), where weekly themed meals and brunches include a tour of the grounds and farm.

TO DO

The Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown (5775 N.Y. Rte. 80, Cooperstown; 607-547-1450; farmers museum.org) has everything from collections of antique wallpaper and butter molds to workshops on beekeeping, blacksmithing and maintaining the farm medicine cabinet. Lucky Dog Farmstore and Cafe (35796 Main St., Hamden, 607-746-8383, luckydogorganic.com/the-farm-store) is a general store that provides food from the area, including yogurt, cheese, bread and baked goods. The cafe out back is draped in 1950s classroom maps and serves modestly priced, flavorful soups, salads and sandwiches. The Cheese Barrel features a fantastic selection of local cheeses and specialty artisanal foods (798 Main St., Margaretville; 845-586-4666; cheesebarrel.com).