The 23rd Annual Catskills Lark in the Park is Saturday, October 3rd through Monday, October 12th, 2026
The Catskills Lark in the Park was founded in 2004 to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Catskill Park. The Lark is a series of events celebrating the Park with a full range of offerings across the region. Since its inception, the Lark has brought together thousands of people that have participated in hundreds of events, all aimed at enjoying the recreational assets of the Catskill Park and Catskill Region. While the main organizing partners are the Catskill Mountain Club, the Catskill Center, the Catskill 3500 Club, we couldn’t do it without the enthusiastic participation of so many volunteers.
2026 Events
This year’s events are listed below. Scrolling over and clicking on an event will bring up all the details. For a calendar view of all events choose the Events Calendar link above. Special thanks to all the volunteer event leaders that make the Lark successful every year!
* Note, the Catskill 3500 Club will also be leading a series of hikes during the Lark in the Park (see https://www.catskill3500club.org/)
Red Hill (Fire Tower), October 3
Dry Brook Ridge Hike and Trail Maintenance, October 3
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Bonnie’s Trails Trail Dedication & Maintenance Day (Lexington), October 3
NJTC Catskills Lean-to Crew Workday, October 3
Hike to Bald Mountain on Headwaters Trails, October 4
Hike to Ashokan High Point, October 4
Hike the Ashokan Quarry Trail, October 4
Trail Maintenance Workshop (In-the-field at Alder Lake), October 4
Hike, Bike, or Run Headwaters Trails (Stamford) October 6
Hike to Mud Lake, October 6
Shawangunk Gravel Bike Ride, October 6
Sunset Hike to Bramley Mountain, October 7
Yoga at the Mountaintop Arboretum, October 7
Dry Brook Ridge Trail Maintenance Hike, October 7
Hike the Frick Pond Loop, October 7
Hike to the Beaver Meadow from Alder Lake, October 8
Thursday Night Mountain Bike Ride, October 8
Hike the Sugarloaf Mountain Loop (Devil’s Path), October 8
Plattekill State Forest Hike and Trail Maintenance, October 9
Hike to Mount Utsayantha (Fire Tower), October 9
Visit John Burroughs’ Grave for a Discussion on his Life, October 9
The Third Dimension – Topo Map Reading Basics, October 9
Hike Tremper Mountain from Willow (Fire Tower), October 10
Hike to Huckleberry Point, October 10
The Railroading History of Kaaterskill Junction, October 10
Hike to Indian Head and Twin Mountains, October 10
North Point and the Escarpment Trail, October 10
Screening of “Calico Rebellion”, Anti-Rent War Documentary, October 11
Mountain Bike Ride at Jockey Hill, October 11
Hike Pakatakan Mountain, October 11
Hike the Huckleberry Trail Loop (Dry Brook Ridge), October 12
Volunteer cleanup at Crystal Lake Wild Forest, October 12
Hike the Frick Pond Loop, October 12
Explore the Future Hunter Rail Trail along the Cortina Connector, October 12
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Hike the Six CMC Hiking Trails and Earn a Star!
Introducing a new hiking program from the CMC, this hiking tour will take you on a journey touring the six remarkably varied trails built and maintained by the CMC in partnership with the NYCDEP, local governments and with the generous cooperation of private landowners.
Hike them all and for your efforts you can earn a beautiful embroidered patch. If you have hiked some of them previously, those count. Just finish the list, send in your application and we’ll send you your award at no charge. Click here for to learn how you can get you star!
Paddling
Paddling is a great way to enjoy the foliage and with easy social distancing! Explore one of the beautiful NYC reservoirs or take a trip down the East Branch of the Delaware like John Burroughs. See our paddling suggestions here.
Hiking
This Lark in the Park, take the trail less traveled. Since the pandemic started, the more well known Catskills trails have seen a significant increase in usage. We think it is more fun to explore the trails the crowds don’t know about. Check out our suggestions for those here.
Bike Riding
It’s hard to beat fall bike riding. The weather is cool and comfortable and the scenery is spectacular. Some of the best rides in the Catskills are found in the scenic farming valleys and around the reservoirs. Many of them are relatively flat or ascend gently towards the head of a valley on dead end roads. Check out where to ride by the pictured view and other great biking suggestions here.
Scenic Byways, Scenic Overlooks and Scenic Walks
Scenic drives are a great way to see big views and spectacular foliage while social distancing. To help you find some of the best, see our recommendations here. The Palmer Hill scenic overlook is pictured .
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Since its inception in 2004 to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Catskill Park, the Lark in the Park has brought together thousands of people who have participated in hundreds of events sponsored by dozens of organizations, all aimed at heightening awareness of the Catskill Mountain region of New York State.
Recognized as America’s First Wilderness, the Catskills have played a crucial role in forming our sense of wilderness as a place of intrinsic value that should be protected. Early American artists such as Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand and Frederick Church celebrated and popularized the notion of nature as sacred in their Hudson River School paintings. Similarly, authors such as Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper and William Cullen Bryant wrote stories, novels and poems that spread the word about the Catskills worldwide. A few decades later, Catskills native John Burroughs famously wrote about the area with the eye of a naturalist. One of the most important early writers of wilderness and nature, his articles were published in national magazines and his books sold widely. The modern conservation and environmental protection movements can be traced to the Catskills, in no small part as a result of these early works of art and literature.
Today we celebrate the Catskill Park and Mountains annually with the Catskills Lark in the Park. From hiking to paddling to cycling, and from natural history to human culture to stewardship service the Lark offers everyone opportunities to live and learn in and about nature. There could be no more appropriate place for this celebration than the Catskills. We hope you will join us.
The coordination of this event is managed by a partnership of the Catskill Mountain Club, The Catskill Center, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The Catskill Park and its Forest Preserve is a 705,000-acre patchwork of public and private lands in the Catskill Mountain Region of New York State, including nearly 300,000 acres of public lands . The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for managing the forest preserve lands within the Catskill Park, which are designated “forever wild” in the New York State Constitution.. The purpose of the designation is to conserve these lands, to protect the environment and to provide public access to outdoor recreation. In addition to the Forest Preserve lands, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection owns and manages over 150,000 acres of land to protect New York City’s watershed for drinking water. The remaining land of the Catskills is owned privately and hosts services for visitors and residents, including lodging, restaurants, cultural institutions, farm stores and entertainment venues.