Located less than four hours from the Harrisburg and West Shore area, Sullivan Catskills is an amazing vacation spot for families. Filled with lots of history, fun resorts, amazing activities, and delicious food and drink options, Sullivan Catskills has something to offer for everyone. We spent an amazing three days checking out the area and easily could have spent a full week and still had more to do!
The author was hosted to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are their own.
Here are some of my top suggestions for fun in Sullivan Catskills:
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1.) Check out the Sullivan Catskills Dove Trail
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the famous Woodstock Festival, Sullivan Catskills installed the Sullivan Catskills Dove Trail, where more than 50 doves were added across the area at resorts, fun attractions, local businesses, and in cute villages and towns. Each dove is hand-painted and decorated by a locally commissioned artist and is a permanent resident of where they're located. The doves are all so different and unique in the artwork but all tie together so nicely to link the community and these fantastic local businesses together.
Be sure to get a physical copy of the map or find one online. It's a fun thing for kids to keep an eye out for as you drive through town and check out all of the local fun.
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2.) Stay at The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark
Offering more than 300 suites ranging from the junior suites through two- and three-bedroom suite options, the Kartrite is the largest indoor waterpark in New York. The Kartrite is only a few years old, is tucked into the beautiful mountainside of Sullivan Catskills, and offers something for all ages.
The waterpark features a lazy river, a bunch of different size slides for all thrill levels, a fun multilevel play structure for for kids, a waverider, and a big play area for even the youngest of the family. The waterpark area also offers a bar on the second level and a restaurant to grab a quick bite to eat. At a warm 84° year-round, the waterpark is big enough that kids will have plenty of options and fun, but not too big that I'd worry about losing them or not being able to keep an eye on them.
The Kartrite also offers delicious restaurants, a sweets shop, an arcade PACKED with some of your favorite games, an amazing outdoor space to enjoy, and more! I love that there is plenty of room for the kids to run around, fun firepits, a bunch of different seating areas, and hiking trails to get your whole family outside, too.
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3.) Visit Bethel Woods, home of the original Woodstock Festival
Visiting Bethel Woods, once known as the farm of Max Yasgur, was an amazing experience. It was surreal to be standing on the field where just over 50 years ago, a handful of talented artists and around half a million attendees made music history at the famous Woodstock Festival. I grew up listening to, and still love a bunch of the artists who performed, so it was surreal to be back in the spot where history was made and so many moments of music legend occurred.
John, our fabulous docent, gave us an amazing tour of the museum where he shared so many personal stories from his time at the festival. He had so many fun tidbits and personal anecdotes that you'll never find in a history book. We left the museum all saying we wish John could have spent all day with us just sharing his stories and all of the knowledge he has.
We spent close to 5 hours at Bethel Woods touring the grounds and the museum, but I easily could have spent longer. The grounds of Bethel Woods are massive – you could spend an entire day walking around, checking everything out. Bethel Woods is a place I think families of all ages would enjoy, from grandparents through kiddos.
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4.) Stay at Villa Roma Resort
During our trip, we made sure to stop by Villa Roma Resort to enjoy the multi-course dinner that we kept hearing so many fantastic things about. It was an amazing meal! Everything came out plated so nicely, the food was so flavorful, and the options were plentiful.
Villa Roma is the type of resort you probably picture in your head when you think "Sullivan Catskills." It's a resort known for generation after generation returning to stay and offers a variety of fun activities for all ages including a game room, live entertainment, indoor and outdoor pools, spa, horseback riding, and more.
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5.) Take a Trip Down the Delaware River
One of the things I was most excited about during this trip was taking a five-mile journey down the Delaware River with Lander's River Trips. Knowing that this part of the river is the second largest bald eagle nesting ground, I kept a close eye on the trees during our journey and was so excited to see seven eagles during our journey. I've never seen a bald eagle out in the real world, so it was truly a lovely experience seeing them soar overhead.
Lander's River Trips provides all of the equipment, instructions and tips you'll need for a fun trip. The Delaware River is incredibly clean, you could easily see 6+ feet deep in the water, so it was fun getting out of the boats a bit to enjoy the river. Gliding down the Delaware River was so calming and enjoyable. Depending on how fast you paddle and the level of the river, it could take anywhere from 2.5 - 4 hours to make the trip.
I really enjoyed the trip to Sullivan Catskills and am already looking at coming back with my family. It's a quick and easy drive from central PA and offers so much fun for families. For more info on Sullivan Catskills CLICK HERE.
