Active Pursuits

Golf

There are nearly a dozen golf courses in the northeastern Catskills. Call tel. 866/840-GOLF or check out the website www.greenecountygolf.com for additional information. The finest is Windham Country Club, South Street, Windham (tel. 518/734-9910; www.windhamcountryclub.com), a championship course highly rated by Golf Digest.

Winter Sports

Skiing is the big draw in these parts. Hunter Mountain, Route 23A West, Hunter (tel. 888/HUNTER-MTN; www.huntermtn.com), is a skier's (and boarder's) mountain -- the closest "big mountain" to New York City, its management likes to say -- that's long been popular with hard-core, rowdy singles who party it up afterward at the bars in Tannersville. A couple of years ago, the mountain added The Learning Center, a huge and superb beginner's ski facility that's doing much to attract families. It features excellent learners' packages. The resort itself has some great black-diamond runs and a nostalgic clubhouse where the drinking cranks up. In off season, there is a host of festivals, such as Oktoberfest and Celtic, German Alps, and Microbrew festivals. Mountain Trails Cross-Country Ski Center, Route 23A, Tannersville (tel. 518/589-5361), has 20 miles of groomed trails, along with instruction, rentals, and a warming hut. Bike rentals are available at Twilight Mountain Sports, North Lake Road and Route 23A, Haines Falls (tel. 518/589-6480).

Windham Mountain, C.D. Lane Road, Windham (tel. 518/734-4300; www.skiwindham.com), has a nice variety of trails and facilities. If you're not into the singles scene and, perhaps, less of a hard-core skier, Windham is an excellent choice. Both Windham and Hunter mountains feature mountain biking on trails in the off season and chairlifts up for the views (a great idea in fall foliage season). Check out Windham Mountain Outfitters, Route 296 and South Street, Windham (tel. 518/734-4700), for ski and snowboard rentals and other equipment, including bicycle and kayak rentals.