Introduction to Sullivan County

Rivers are, even more so than mountains, the defining characteristic of Sullivan County, in the southwestern quadrant of the Catskills. The Upper Delaware River paints the southwestern border of Sullivan County, separating New York State from Pennsylvania and running about 75 miles, all the way from Hancock to Sparrowbush. In addition to the Delaware, considered one of the top-10 fishing rivers in the world, the county boasts Beaverkill and Willowemoc creeks, making it one of the most important destinations in North America for trout fly-fishing. River sports like canoeing and kayaking are also huge. Beyond the area's natural bounty, Sullivan County is a picturesque region of covered bridges, scattered historic sights, and a sprinkling of towns undergoing revitalization and positioned to take advantage of growing outdoors and cultural tourism, like Narrowsburg, Livingston Manor, and Roscoe.

Although many know that the legendary (or infamous, I suppose, depending upon your viewpoint) 1969 Woodstock concert took place in the Catskills, few are aware that all those hippies descended on an open field near Bethel, not the town whose name the festival adopted (which is 60 miles northeast). The biggest news of the last couple years in the region is the great new museum (and concert pavilion) on the original site, summoning the legacy of Woodstock's countercultural moment in the sun (actually, it was in the rain and mud, wasn't it?).