Tannersville and Hunter are two of the most appealing base towns in the Catskill Mountains, sitting less than 5 miles apart in the upper Catskills near some of the region’s best-known attractions — Kaaterskill Falls, Hunter Mountain, and North-South Lake. Their proximity to each other and to the area’s biggest draws makes this stretch a strong central location for a Catskills trip, whether the goal is hiking, skiing, or simply a relaxed mountain weekend.
This guide covers how to get there, where to stay across every budget tier, and the best things to do in both towns, including the cafes, restaurants, shops, and outdoor destinations that make this corner of the Catskills worth a dedicated visit.
Getting to Tannersville and Hunter
| Detail | Info | Notes |
| Distance from NYC | 123 miles | Car required for most attractions |
| Drive time from NYC | ~2 hours 15 minutes | |
| Distance between towns | Under 5 miles | Easy to base in one and visit both |
| Best way to get around | Car | Most points of interest require driving |
Where to Stay Near Tannersville and Hunter
| Budget Tier | Option | Price Range | Notes |
| $ | North-South Lake or Devil’s Tombstone Campground | $16–$22/night | |
| $$ | The Twilight Lodge | From ~$70/night | |
| $$$ | Scribner’s Lodge | From ~$225/night | |
| $$$$ | Deer Mountain Inn | $275–$950/night |
Camping at North-South Lake Campground or Devil’s Tombstone Campground is by far the cheapest option, but both are summer-only and popular enough to require reservations months in advance — North-South Lake runs about $22 per night and Devil’s Tombstone about $16, both bookable through the New York State DEC reservation system.
Things to Do in Tannersville, NY
Mountain Top Arboretum
Mountain Top Arboretum offers well-kept, wide, flat trails through different plant collections, making it a strong choice for a leisurely walk or a family outing with young children. The section nearest the entrance features a pond, varied pine plantings, and outdoor art installations from local artists. Admission is free (donations accepted), with maps available at the small visitor center near the parking area. The arboretum is consistently quiet and uncrowded, offering a genuinely peaceful contrast to the area’s more popular hiking destinations.
Rip Van Winkle Lake
Just a few blocks from Tannersville’s Main Street, Rip Van Winkle Lake is a low-effort, high-reward stop, particularly at sunset, when the sky’s colors reflect across the water against a mountain backdrop. A parking lot and a few benches make this an easy spot to bring coffee or a snack without any hiking required.
Bear and Fox Provisions
Bear and Fox Provisions combines a coffee shop with a boutique selling flowers (including pre-orderable arrangements) and an eclectic mix of goods, with a strong focus on locally made Catskills products.
Last Chance Antiques and Cheese Café
This restaurant is one of the standout dining stops in Tannersville, built heavily around cheese-forward dishes. The French Dip and Mozzarella Sandwich and the Local Cheese Platter are particularly well regarded. Outside mealtimes, the café operates a small retail shop selling antiques and house-made chocolates, including chocolate-covered orange peels.
Antique shopping on Main Street
Tannersville’s Main Street has a strong concentration of antique stores worth browsing even without a specific purchase in mind. Tannersville Antiques stands out as a particularly large shop with a wide and genuinely interesting product range.
Stewart’s
Stewart’s is a regional gas station chain specific to upstate New York (with a small presence in neighboring Vermont) known for its own line of ice cream, food, and beverages. The ice cream comes in an unusually wide range of flavors, including rotating seasonal options, and is genuinely good enough to justify a stop on its own. A Stewart’s location sits near Tannersville, close to the junction toward Kaaterskill Falls.
Kaaterskill Falls
Kaaterskill Falls is one of the tallest and most visited waterfalls in the Catskills, with multiple access routes offering different hike lengths and difficulty levels. The falls look meaningfully different across seasons, making repeat visits worthwhile throughout the year.
North-South Lake
North-South Lake offers extensive hiking alongside a campground and picnic facilities. The North-South Lake Loop via Schutt Road trail circles the lake and connects to Kaaterskill Falls a few miles to the west. Shorter trail options from this area include routes to the historic Catskill Mountain House Site and to Artists Rock.
Things to Do in Hunter, NY
Hunter is less walkable than Tannersville but holds several destinations worth a stop.
Fellow Mountain Café
Fellow is one of Hunter’s newer cafes and has earned a strong reputation for both coffee and house-made pastries — large cinnamon rolls and varied focaccia options stand out specifically. The broader café menu, including breakfast toasts, cookies, and soups, has been consistently well-reviewed. The shop also carries fresh flowers and local goods, including a notable local maple syrup brand.
Hunter Mountain Resort
Hunter Mountain Resort operates as a year-round destination. Winter brings skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing; summer shifts to 4×4 off-roading, hiking, and a scenic chairlift ride to the summit for panoramic views without requiring a hike.
Hiking Hunter Mountain
Hunter Mountain is the second-highest peak in the Catskills and home to the tallest fire tower in New York State. Several trail routes reach the summit, all rewarding hikers with 360-degree views of the surrounding Catskills from the fire tower at the top.
Tannersville vs. Hunter: Which Should You Base In?
| Factor | Tannersville | Hunter |
| Walkability | More walkable; concentrated Main Street | Less walkable; spread out |
| Dining/shopping density | Higher — cafes, antiques, restaurants on Main Street | Lower — fewer but strong individual stops |
| Best for | Strolling, antiquing, casual dining | Skiing, mountain biking, resort activities |
| Proximity to Kaaterskill Falls | Closer | Slightly farther but still close |
| Proximity to Hunter Mountain Resort | A few miles away | Direct — Hunter Mountain is the resort’s namesake |
Given the under-5-mile distance between the two towns, basing in either one and day-tripping to the other is entirely practical — most visitors end up splitting time between both regardless of where they sleep.
For a full guide to hiking Kaaterskill Falls, including all access routes, see our ultimate guide to Kaaterskill Falls.
For details on hiking to the summit of Hunter Mountain, see our complete guide to hiking Hunter Mountain.
Best Time of Year to Visit Tannersville and Hunter
Each season brings a genuinely different version of this part of the Catskills. Fall is the area’s signature season — Kaaterskill Falls and the surrounding ridge trails turn vivid color through early-to-mid October, and the towns themselves take on a classic New England-adjacent autumn feel that draws significant weekend traffic. Winter centers almost entirely around Hunter Mountain Resort’s ski and snowboard season, with the towns becoming a quiet base for skiers commuting up to the slopes each day. Summer offers the most balanced mix of activities — hiking, the resort’s off-road and chairlift offerings, and lake access at North-South Lake, alongside the most reliable warm-weather camping window at the area’s two campgrounds. Spring tends to be the quietest and least crowded season, though trail conditions can be muddier from snowmelt.
A Suggested One-Day Itinerary
For visitors with a single day to explore Tannersville and Hunter, this sequence makes efficient use of the area’s proximity:
• Morning: Coffee and pastries at Fellow Mountain Café in Hunter, then drive the short distance to Kaaterskill Falls for a morning hike before crowds build
• Midday: Drive to Tannersville for lunch at Last Chance Antiques and Cheese Café, followed by a leisurely walk through Mountain Top Arboretum
• Afternoon: Browse Main Street’s antique shops, including Tannersville Antiques, and stop at Bear and Fox Provisions
• Evening: Watch the sunset at Rip Van Winkle Lake, then return to Hunter for dinner or, in ski season, an evening at Hunter Mountain Resort
This itinerary can easily be extended into a weekend trip by adding a hike to the summit of Hunter Mountain or a longer loop around North-South Lake, both of which require a half-day or more on their own.
Why This Corner of the Catskills Works as a Base
What distinguishes Tannersville and Hunter from other potential Catskills base towns is the sheer density of attractions within a very short drive. Most visitors to the Catskills end up spending meaningful time driving between destinations spread across the broader region, but the under-5-mile gap between these two towns means a typical day trip — Kaaterskill Falls, North-South Lake, Hunter Mountain, plus a meal and some shopping — can be completed without the long transit stretches common elsewhere in the Catskills.
The towns also complement each other functionally rather than competing for the same experience. Tannersville delivers the walkable Main Street, cafe, and antiquing experience, while Hunter centers around the resort and mountain itself. Visitors do not need to choose one over the other for their full stay; the short drive between them means accessing both is a normal part of any multi-day visit rather than a meaningful detour.
This concentration also makes the area genuinely practical for repeat visits across seasons. A summer trip focused on hiking and lake access looks almost nothing like a winter trip centered on Hunter Mountain Resort’s slopes, yet both can be based from the exact same lodging without adjusting the broader trip logistics — a meaningful convenience for travelers who return to the Catskills regularly throughout the year.
Camping reservations deserve particular attention if budget travel is the priority: both North-South Lake and Devil’s Tombstone campgrounds are genuinely popular and routinely sell out for peak summer weekends months in advance through the New York State DEC reservation system. Travelers hoping to camp during a July or August weekend should plan to book as early as the reservation window opens rather than waiting until closer to the trip date.
For travelers without camping gear or interested in a more comfortable stay, The Twilight Lodge represents strong value among the paid lodging options — the inclusion of breakfast and the personal touch of an on-site host distinguish it from larger, more impersonal hotel chains in the broader region, at a price point well below the area’s higher-end properties.
Packing for a trip to this part of the Catskills should account for genuine temperature swings between valley towns and the higher elevations around Hunter Mountain’s summit fire tower — even on a mild day in town, conditions at the top of the mountain or along the exposed sections of the Kaaterskill Falls trail can run noticeably cooler. Layers, sturdy footwear, and rain protection are worth bringing regardless of season, since mountain weather in the Catskills changes faster than forecasts for the valley towns typically suggest.
Pet owners traveling with dogs will find the area broadly accommodating — Mountain Top Arboretum’s flat trails are well suited to leashed dogs, and the outdoor seating common at cafes like Fellow Mountain Café and Bear and Fox Provisions makes it easy to bring a dog along on a coffee stop. Always confirm current pet policies directly with individual restaurants and lodging properties before a visit, since these can change seasonally.
Cell service throughout much of this stretch of the Catskills can be inconsistent, particularly along trails near North-South Lake and on the upper sections of Hunter Mountain. Downloading offline maps and sharing a planned hiking route with someone before setting out remains good practice here, as it does throughout most of the broader Catskills region away from the main towns.
Both towns sit firmly within Greene County, and visitors planning a longer regional trip may want to combine a stay here with nearby stops in Windham or Catskill village, each roughly 20 to 30 minutes away and offering their own smaller selection of shops and restaurants worth a brief detour if time allows.
Related Guides
Source: NYS Catskills tourism guide.
Source: Hunter Mountain official website.
Bottom Line
| Distance from NYC | 123 miles / ~2 hours 15 minutes |
| Distance between towns | Under 5 miles |
| Best budget stay | Camping at North-South Lake or Devil’s Tombstone ($16–$22/night, summer only) |
| Best mid-range stay | The Twilight Lodge — from ~$70/night, breakfast included |
| Best luxury stay | Deer Mountain Inn — up to $950/night |
| Best coffee | Fellow Mountain Café (Hunter) — house-made pastries and local goods |
| Best meal | Last Chance Antiques and Cheese Café (Tannersville) |
| Must-do hike | Kaaterskill Falls or Hunter Mountain summit via fire tower |
| Best easy walk | Mountain Top Arboretum — flat, family-friendly, free |
| Best sunset spot | Rip Van Winkle Lake — no hiking required |
| Year-round resort activity | Hunter Mountain Resort — skiing in winter, chairlift/off-roading in summer |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Tannersville and Hunter, New York?
Tannersville and Hunter are towns in the upper Catskill Mountains of New York, located less than 5 miles apart. They sit approximately 123 miles and a 2 hour 15 minute drive from New York City, and are close to major Catskills attractions including Kaaterskill Falls, North-South Lake, and Hunter Mountain Resort.
What is there to do in Tannersville, NY?
Tannersville offers Mountain Top Arboretum (free, flat, family-friendly trails), Rip Van Winkle Lake (a few blocks from Main Street, great at sunset), antique shopping along Main Street, dining at Last Chance Antiques and Cheese Café, coffee and gifts at Bear and Fox Provisions, and easy access to Kaaterskill Falls and North-South Lake for hiking.
What is there to do in Hunter, NY?
Hunter is home to Hunter Mountain Resort, offering skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing in winter, and 4×4 off-roading, hiking, and chairlift rides in summer. Hunter Mountain itself, the second-highest peak in the Catskills, has multiple hiking routes to its summit fire tower — the tallest in New York State. Fellow Mountain Café is the town’s standout coffee and pastry stop.
Where should I stay near Tannersville and Hunter?
Budget travelers should consider camping at North-South Lake Campground or Devil’s Tombstone Campground (summer only, $16–$22/night, book months ahead). Mid-range options include The Twilight Lodge (from ~$70/night with breakfast) and Scribner’s Lodge (from ~$225/night). For a luxury stay, Deer Mountain Inn offers rooms up to $950 per night.
Is a car necessary to visit Tannersville and Hunter?
Yes. A car is necessary to access most points of interest around Tannersville and Hunter, including Kaaterskill Falls, North-South Lake, and Hunter Mountain Resort. While Tannersville’s Main Street itself is walkable for in-town dining and shopping, reaching the area’s outdoor attractions requires driving.