Catskills vs Hudson Valley: How the Two Regions Compare

Catskills lodging leans toward independent boutique inns and renovated motels near hiking, swimming holes and other outdoor draws. Inness in Accord, with 28 cabins and a farmhouse on 220 acres, and Eastwind Hotel & Bar in Windham, a 1920s-era lodge redesigned in a Scandinavian modernist style, are two examples.

Hudson Valley lodging is older and more varied, with 18th- and 19th-century inns, converted industrial buildings, spa properties and farm stays. On the west bank, Hotel Kinsley has 42 rooms in four restored buildings in uptown Kingston, and Hutton Brickyards occupies a former brickyard on the river. On the east bank, Cold Spring and Beacon are on Metro-North, so a trip there needs no car.

Cold Spring and Beacon, at the southern end of the Hudson Valley, are about 60 to 75 minutes from Midtown Manhattan by car. Kingston and Hudson, farther north, are about 2 to 2.5 hours, and Woodstock and Phoenicia about 2 to 2.5 hours, about the same as the mid-Hudson Valley.

Without a car, the Hudson Valley is the easier choice. Metro-North's Hudson Line runs frequently to Cold Spring and Beacon on weekends, and Amtrak stops in Hudson and Rhinecliff. The Catskills have no rail service, and Trailways buses reach only a few towns, such as Woodstock and Phoenicia.

The Catskills have more hiking and outdoor sport: the 35 peaks over 3,500 feet, the Devil's Path, fly fishing on the Beaverkill and the upper Delaware, and swimming holes on the Esopus Creek. The Hudson Valley has hiking too, especially in the Shawangunks near New Paltz, known for rock climbing and for the trails around Mohonk Mountain House and Minnewaska State Park Preserve, but most outdoor time in the valley goes to cycling, farm visits and the river.

The Hudson Valley has more museums and historic sites, including Dia Beacon, Storm King Art Center, Olana and Boscobel, along with historic estates along the river. For a weekend that mixes some outdoor time with museums, the Hudson Valley offers more.

Both regions are busiest during fall foliage, at slightly different times: the Catskills, on higher ground, usually peak from late September to early October, and the Hudson Valley in mid to late October. Summer is the Catskills' busiest outdoor season, while the Hudson Valley's museums and farms keep visitors coming more evenly through the year. The Catskills have downhill skiing at Hunter, Windham and Belleayre; the Hudson Valley has no major ski area. In winter, the Hudson Valley's museums, restaurants and towns stay open, and the Catskills draw skiers and visitors looking for a fireplace and a quiet inn.