Catskill Mountains

Catskill Mountains
Slide Mountain and nearby peaks as seen from Twin Mountain in the northern Catskills
Highest point
Peak	Slide Mountain
Elevation	4,180 ft (1,270 m)
Coordinates	41°59′55″N 74°23′11″W / 41.99861°N 74.38639°W / 41.99861; -74.38639
Dimensions
Length	111 mi (179 km) N/S
Width	102 mi (164 km) E/W
Area	15,259 km2 (5,892 sq mi)
Geography
Main regions of the northeast Appalachians, with the Catskills as "C"
Country	United States
State	New York
Region	Hudson Valley, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley
Counties	Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster
Rivers	Esopus Creek, Neversink River, Rondout Creek and Schoharie Creek
Communities	Ellenville, Fleischmanns, Hunter, Liberty, Margaretville, Hancock, New York, Palenville, Phoenicia, Shandaken, Shokan, Tannersville, Wawarsing, Windham and Woodstock
Parent range	Appalachian (Allegheny Plateau)
Borders on	Poconos, Shawangunk Ridge, Hudson Valley, Great Appalachian Valley and Mohawk Valley
Geology
Age of rock	Devonian and Mississippian
Type of rock	Sedimentary

The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province and subrange of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas close to or within the borders of the Catskill Park, a 700,000-acre (2,800 km²) forest preserve protected from many forms of development under New York state law.

Geologically, the Catskills are a mature dissected plateau, a flat region subsequently uplifted and eroded into sharp relief by watercourses. The Catskills form the northeastern end of the Allegheny Plateau (also known as the Appalachian Plateau).^[1][2]

The Catskills were named by early Dutch settlers. They are well known in American society as the setting for films and works of art, including many 19th-century Hudson River School paintings, as well as for being a favored destination for vacationers from New York City in the mid-20th century. The region's many large resorts gave many young stand-up comedians an opportunity to hone their craft. Since the late 19th century, the Catskills have been a haven for artists, musicians and writers, especially in and around the towns of Woodstock and Phoenicia.