Catskills Or Adirondacks: Which One Has The Vacation Vibe You're Really Looking For?

If you're looking to explore the outdoors through some of the best mountain ranges New York has to offer, you're either heading for the towering Adirondacks or the rolling Catskills. Both mountain ranges are breathtakingly beautiful and provide ample opportunities for hikers, climbers, and nature-lovers of all kinds to enjoy the wild — but they are very different places. Which one is best for you depends on exactly where you're coming from, what you hope to do while you're there, and how much experience you have.

The time of year may also be a factor in which New York mountain range destination you choose. Both have great trails for pretty spring hikes dotted with wildflowers and are some of the best places to see fall foliage in the U.S. If you're looking for a skiing or snowboarding adventure, you're probably better off booking a winter trip in the Adirondacks. If you are hoping to go out hiking in the bright summer sunshine without competing for space on the best trails, the Catskills are the perfect choice.

The Adirondacks are a larger, wilder, more challenging mountain range to explore. If you're looking for mountains that stretch well over 4,000 feet, steep rocky cliff sides, and treacherous rocky hikes that give way to breathtaking views of the untamed forests below, you cannot go wrong with a journey into the Adirondacks. While the Catskills have their fair share of tricky treks (like the popular but dangerous Devil's Path), Adirondack trails are in general longer, steeper, and more difficult. The Adirondack High Peaks in particular have staggering views but are only for experienced hikers and climbers — and are definitely not for anyone with a fear of heights.

Adirondack Park was the first ever Forever Wild Forest Preserve, and its 6 million acres of land can truly feel like untouched wilderness, ready to be explored by hikers that are up for a challenge. However, there are still plenty of tiny riverside villages in the Adirondacks to make your home base during your trip. Consider a stay in the gorgeous, tourist-friendly Lake George or Keene Valley's hikers' paradise so you have a cozy place to spend the night after a day of navigating muddy trails and scrambling up rocky mountainsides.

Although it might seem impossible when walking through midtown, Manhattan is only about a 1.5-hour drive from some of the best Catskill views (the Adirondacks are around four hours away). From little hippie towns like New Paltz, you can adventure on easy trails to see the absolute best of this beloved New York mountain range. If you're hiking with beginners of any age, the Catskills have plenty of options for beautiful nature trails that won't leave you sore for days. If you do get into trouble on the trails, you can always call for backup — the Catskills generally have better cell reception than the Adirondacks.

As a bonus, the Catskills are full of hidden waterfalls, so even if the hikes don't take you quite as high as the Adirondack ones, you might be rewarded at the end of a sunny summer hike with a cool spray of water and the sound of rushing water thundering in your ears. Kaaterskill Falls [pictured] in Greene County might just be the perfect place to start, as it's less than a 2-mile trek from the trailhead to the falls and back.