Hike the Hotel Kaaterskill Site with MTHS

HUNTER — The Mountain Top Historical Society of Greene County invites you to Hike the Hotel Kaaterskill site with us! HIKE HOTEL KAATERSKILL with MTHS Chief Archivist Bob Gildersleeve and George Hewitt, Saturday, May 17th at 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

The Historical Society has gathered a vast amount of material on the Hotel Kaaterskill in the past several years that really brings the Hotel to light. An 1883 survey of the building apparently created for insurance purposes allows us to pinpoint everything from the elevator shafts to the location of the ice house, bowling alley, water tower barns, and more. Photos donated to the society by the great grandson of Hotel Kaaterskill owner George Harding (also named George) give images of the hotel not seen elsewhere. The photos of the grounds and hotel interior were taken in the 1920s when the Harding family was preparing to sell the building and are the most extensive interior shots that we have seen. They include the only known shot of the interior of the bridge between the main building and the annex and others of the courtyard.  We will take the carriage road used to take Hotel visitors from the railroad stop at South Lake to the Hotel Kaaterskill grounds. Elevation Gain approximately 500 ft. Distance 3 to 4 miles round trip (depending on optional excursions). Meeting place will be established closer to the date of the hike. A per-car day use charge may be charged on entering the campground.

• Meeting time: 9:00 AM May 17th, 2025. We will return at approximately 3:00 PM.

• Difficulty: Moderate (some rock scrambles possible)

• Limited to 20 participants. Registration is required. For more information or to register, please email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.

DON'T FORGET TO REGISTER. Email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.

The Mountain Top Historical Society mission is to discover, preserve, interpret, and share the Greene County Mountain Top’s unique history, culture and geology with residents as well as visitors from around the world. The mission is reflected on our website, www.mths.org, our Facebook page and our Instagram account where we share the latest information about our programming, hikes and archival activities. Registration required. Please email mthsdirector@mths.org or call 518-589-6657.

Submitted by Jessica Kimmel, Office Manager for the Mountain Top Historical Society