Transportation
From 1872, the Catskills were served by the Catskill Mountain Branch of the Ulster and Delaware Railroad which was absorbed into the New York Central railroad in 1932. Passenger rail service continued until 1954. Part of the line still exists but now serves only freight.
The Catskills are accessible by automobile from the east along Interstate 87, part of the New York State Thruway, which runs north-south through the Hudson Valley. To the south and southwest, the Catskills are accessible by a variety of highways, including New York State Route 55, U.S. Route 44, U.S. Route 209, and New York State Route 17 (also known as "Future I-86"). Access to the western Catskills is provided by New York State Route 30; and the vaguely defined far-western edge of the region is variously considered to be New York State Route 10 or Interstate 88, though this boundary remains a matter of local preference. New York State Routes 28 and 23A cut east-west through the heart of the Catskills, serving many of the most popular outdoor tourist destinations. New York State Route 23 runs east-west across the Catskills' far-northern section.
The closest major airports to the Catskill region are Albany International Airport to the north and Stewart International Airport in Newburgh to the south. Smaller airports in the region include the following:
- Kingston-Ulster Airport
- Randall Airport in Middletown
- Kobelt Airport in Wallkill
- Wurtsboro-Sullivan County Airport
- Joseph Y. Resnick Airport in Ellenville
- Columbia County Airport in Hudson
- Sullivan County International Airport in Monticello
- Dutchess County Airport in Poughkeepsie
Read more about this topic: Catskill Mountains