Catskill Mountains

Catskill Mountains
Slide Mountain and nearby peaks as seen from Twin Mountain in the northern Catskills
Highest point
PeakSlide Mountain
Elevation4,180 ft (1,270 m)
Coordinates41°59′55″N 74°23′11″W / 41.99861°N 74.38639°W / 41.99861; -74.38639
Dimensions
Length111 mi (179 km) N/S
Width102 mi (164 km) E/W
Area15,259 km2 (5,892 sq mi)
Geography
Main regions of the northeast Appalachians, with the Catskills as "C"
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
RegionHudson Valley, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley
CountiesDelaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster
RiversEsopus Creek, Neversink River, Rondout Creek and Schoharie Creek
CommunitiesEllenville, Fleischmanns, Hunter, Liberty, Margaretville, Hancock, New York, Palenville, Phoenicia, Shandaken, Shokan, Tannersville, Wawarsing, Windham and Woodstock
Parent rangeAppalachian (Allegheny Plateau)
Borders onPoconos, Shawangunk Ridge, Hudson Valley, Great Appalachian Valley and Mohawk Valley
Geology
Age of rockDevonian and Mississippian
Type of rockSedimentary

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.

  1. ^ "REGIONAL TOPOGRAPHY". Catskills GIS Atlas. Catskill Center. Archived from the original on October 29, 2009. Retrieved October 12, 2009.
  2. ^ "Physiographic divisions of the conterminous U. S". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved December 6, 2007.

Developed by StudentB