Destination Backcountry Adventures

Happy snow memories!

Happy hikers among majestic trees. Did you know that hemlocks once composed 80% of trees in the Catskills? While logging in the nineteenth century changed that, hemlocks can still be found all over the Catskills (at the right elevation and in the right conditions), including a few incredible old growth trees that are 400+ years old, if you know where to look! Join us for a hike to learn more about the incredible Catskill ecosystem. #hemlock #hemlocks #hemlocktrees #upstateny #catskills #catskillmountains #catskill3500 #happyhikers #snowshoe #snowshoeing #wintertrails #enchantedforest #brilliant_forest #tree_brilliance #tree_magic

The only thing Winnie loves more than hiking is snuggles. And snuggles WHILE hiking, the best. We've got cross-country skiing on the calendar this coming Saturday. No experience necessary and all equipment provided. Watching Winnie plow through the deep slow comes free with the adventure #dogshiking #hikingdog #hikingdogs #catskill #catskills #guidelife #destinationbackcountry #winteradventure #winteradventures #freshair #lovethewild #exploremore #getoutside #optoutside

Special birthday day shout-out to Leslie! Our Valentine's Day snowshoe became a birthday hike this weekend, and we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than in the woods together Winnie wanted to join the photo, but got distracted so only her green backpack made it into the frame The perfect conditions were only made better by our fantastic group of hikers. More photos of the rest of the crew, some stunning winter landscapes, and Winnie in the woods coming this ...week. #birthdayhike #catskill #catskills #wintery #winterywoods #enchantedforest #ontrail #trails #catskillmountains #destinationbackcountry #guidelife #upstateny #winterforest #YesNY #winterwonderland #wintermagic #hikingtrail #hikingtrip

We are officially reopening! Like many small businesses, we will be opening in stages, increasing our offerings as conditions allow. NYC has not yet reached Phase 1, which means we are unable to provide transportation for our adventures for the time being. However, we believe we have come up with a few creative ways to get you back to nature until we’re able to resume full operations. Please see our homepage for more information on new safety protocols, how we're offering adv...entures at this time, responsible travel to upstate NY, and more! https://destinationbackcountryadventures.com/ If you're too eager to read the full plan, you can fill out our new Adventure Survey right away here >> https://bit.ly/2BvWSby

We're so proud to share a recent article in Backpacker Magazine by one of our owners, Jessica Tackett, about making hiking clothes for women more inclusive. We want to highlight a few of the brands that are leading the way on these initiatives, including Marmot, AlpineCurves, Sportive Plus - Activewear for sizes 14 & up, and Ottomatic Threads. Thanks for reading!

New August Adventures are live!!!! Plus, we’ve added a few day hikes, so book now before they sell out (in all seriousness though, requests are coming in very quickly). Check out the Reopening Adventures collection on our website to see them all. See you in the forest everyone! #destinationbackcountry #catskill #catskills #catskillmountains #escapebrooklyn #upstateny #nysoga #guidelife #greatwesterncatskills #greatnortherncatskills #catskillpark #nystateparks #iloveny #yesny

Photo op. Spotted while hiking off trail. We’ll be adding a ton of August adventures to the calendar soon so stay tuned. It feels so good to be back in the woods! #whilehiking #naturelovers #naturephotograpy #hikingadventures #destinationbackcountry #guidelife #offtrail #bushwhack #catskills #catskillmountains #nysoga #backcountry #backcountrycamping #enchantedforest #coolrocks #outdooradventures #upstateny #iloveny

Is there anything more peaceful than sitting next to a beautiful, bubbling brook? Maybe napping next to one we managed to make it through the entire weekend without seeing more than six people. Off-trail hiking truly opens up new possibilities. Message us if you’d like to learn more. #destinationbackcountry #guidelife #catskill #catskills #catskill3500 #offtrail #backcountry #nysoga #bushwhack #bushwhacking #hiking #brook #backcountrycamping #enchantedforest #forest #treelove #forestbathing #treemagic

Real life s'more action.I like that this photo shows all the various stages of s'more consumption: delicately trying to avoid the stickiness, stickiness in action, and an all-in bite. Truly nothing beats a night in the woods with good company. #destinationbackcountry #smores #canihavesmore #backcountry #camping #happycamping #guidelife #campfire #smorenight #backcountrycooking #dessert #summervibes #forest #backpacking #catskills #catskillmountains #offtrail #NYSOGA #woods

Back to the woods!!! Wow, we knew we missed guiding, but an all-star first group out really brought home how much we love exploring the Catskills with our hikers. This incredible group was game for everything, including starting the weekend bushwhacking to a remote spot so we could enjoy some seclusion. It's pretty spectacular when you can enjoy a gentle exploration of a backcountry stream just as much as a crazy intense bushwhack up a rugged 3500' peak (we did both)! Thanks... for reminding us why it was all worth the wait. See you all in camp soon! PS if you're wondering where we camped, we don't provide geotags or routes so we can help preserve the wild nature of the Catskills. We're always happy to provide suggestions for places to go if you get in touch. PPS all of our hikers provided their own transportation and signed a responsible travel agreement to join this trip. To learn more about our safety protocols, please visit our website. #catskill #catskills #catskill3500 #destinationbackcountry #ispyny #backcountry #guidelife #upstateny #escapebrooklyn #catskillhiking #catskillmountains #ispyny #YESNY #nystateparks #happyhiking #forestbathing #enchantedforest #forest #happycamping #NYSOGA

Every year we spend Memorial Day weekend guiding an epic backpack in the Slide Mountain Wilderness, eventually bushwhacking to a secluded old growth forest. We look forward to guiding this trip every year and taking people to one of the most stunningly beautiful off-the-beaten path places in the Catskills. We thought the only year we wouldn’t be guiding this trip was the year we got married, but here we are heading off into the wilderness just the two of us and Winnie. While ...we wish we were with our hikers, one of the beautiful aspects of guiding is going back to the same place year and year and seeing how it has changed. Even after something devastating like a major storm like Irene that can completely change the landscape, the forest always heals and returns, even if it looks a little different. Our wild places will be waiting for us. Have a lovely Memorial Day everyone. #catskills #catskillmountains #destinationbackcountry #guidelife #forestbathing #backcountry #backcountrycamping #enchantedforest #oldgrowthforest #forestbathing #peacefulplace #catskillpark #offtrail #hikinghappy #smallbusiness #familybusiness #smallbusinesslife

It can take up to seven years after germination for trout lilies to mature and bloom. This year the trout lilies are blooming at least three weeks later than usual and we are so grateful for their arrival. It’s always worth the wait so see these gentle yellow flowers swaying in the breeze. #wildflower #wildflowers #troutlily #troutlilies #flowermacro #yellow #springflowers #catskills #catskillmountains #destinationbackcountry #guidelife #forestfloor #forestfinds #nysogs #catskillsvshamptons #catskillsmountains #catskillsny #greatwesterncatskills #catskillpark #nyhiking

Living near the Catskills, it’s easy to take places like this for grantedan old growth forest within a five mile walk from a trailhead. There are few places where you can stand among hemlock and birch trees that are hundreds of years old and know humans only by a few wandering hikers. There’s no peace quite like sitting on the shore of this river. #happyhiking #backcountry #greatwesterncatskills #ispyny #YESny #exploreny #upstatenewyork #hikingny #bushwhack #destinationbackcountry #guidelife #enchantedforest #river #brook #catskills #catskillmountains #catskillhiking #forestphotography #forestbathing #oldgrowthforest #oldgrowth #oldgrowthtrees

You may have spotted brilliantly colored red efts on a hike in the Catskills, but did you know they are actually the juvenile stage for newts? Ref efts are land dwelling, while this newt is aquatic. We spotted him near a backcountry pond teeming with newts because... spring is also mating season in the forest. We could watch his cool meandering walk for hours. Head over to our stories to here the familiar, cheerful sound of peepers. Happy spring! #newt #redeft #easternnewt #wildlife #forestfloor #catskill #catskills #catskillmountains #catskillhiking #amphibians #amphibiansofinstagram #backcountry #offtrail #pond #pondlife #ispyny #yesny #nyhiking #nystateparks

Can you identify the park in this picture? Here’s a hint: it’s early spring, but we’re already thinking about wild blueberries... #hudsonvalley #hudsonvalleyhiking #nystateparks #upstateny #hiking #hikinghappy #destinationbackcountry #guidelife #hikeny #hikenystate #brook #stream #enchantedforest #forest #forestphotography #treelove #naturebathing #naturelovers #treemagic #yesny #ispyny

Hey all, if you're not doing anything in a few minutes, please join me and Heather Rolland for a virtual "Ask and Outdoor Pro" Q+A hosted by the Catskills Visitor Center

I’m not going to lie, I find moss captivating. I plopped down next to this boulder to listen to a stream and couldn’t believe the incredible moss wall next to me. The closer you look, the more you begin to discover. What in the forest gets you excited? #moss #mossy #mossyforest #boulder #forest #forestfinds #enchantedforest #guidelife #nystateparks #catskills #catskillmountains #destinationbackcountry #nysoga #guidelife #backcountry #offtrail #happyhiking #byrology #mosswall #lichen

Having difficulty keeping track of the date/month right now? In the woods it’s pale yellow violet and spring beauties time. The trillium are just about to bloom and the trout lilies are still formingwe spotted a lot of leaves and a few closed flowers. The Dutchman’s breeches look more like Dutchman’s onesies right now... more wildflower photos coming soon to our stories. #wildflower #wildflowers #paleyellowviolets #violets #catskills #catskillmountains #hiking #foresrfloor #yellow #signsofspring #forest #happyhiking #greatnotherncatskills #destinationbackcountry #wildflowerseason #springhike #springhiking #guidelife #nysoga