Schoharie County

The county in brief

A traveler's read on Schoharie County

Article XIV §1 of the New York State Constitution mandates that all state-owned forest land inside the Catskill Park boundary remain 'forever wild' — the most restrictive constitutional land-protection clause in any US state, predating the federal Wilderness Act by 70 years (adopted 1894). Schoharie County is the western gateway to the 700,000-acre Catskill Park; the county itself wraps the Schoharie Creek watershed, the northern Catskill escarpment, and the Schoharie Reservoir (one of six NYC Catskill/Delaware water-supply reservoirs that delivers half of New York City's drinking water 130 miles south by gravity through the Shandaken and Catskill Aqueducts). Howe Caverns 6 miles east of the county seat (privately owned by Howe Caverns Inc., opened to the public in 1929 and continuously operated since) is the second-most-visited natural cave attraction in New York State (after the Niagara Falls observation deck per New York State Tourism Industry Association rankings); the 80-minute tour includes a 1/4-mile boat ride on the Lake of Venus 156 ft underground and walking access to a 100,000-year-old limestone cavern formation system.

Mine Kill State Park accepts rigs to 35 ft with electric hookups on 50+ sites administered by NY State Parks; Max V. Shaul State Park 8 miles south accepts rigs to 30 ft on a smaller 30-site loop. Catskill State Park dispersed-camping permits (required for stays exceeding 3 nights or for groups larger than 9 per NYSDEC regulation 6 NYCRR §190.4) are available at most Trailhead Information Centers and through the NYSDEC online permit portal. The 622-sq-mi county was the site of the 1845 Anti-Rent War (the tenant uprising against the patroon manor system that ended Hudson Valley feudal land tenure), and Schoharie village itself (population 933) holds the Old Stone Fort (1772 Dutch Reformed church converted to a Revolutionary War supply depot, now a 9-building museum complex). 2011 Hurricane Irene caused catastrophic flooding along Schoharie Creek — the highest recorded flood crest in the village (per USGS Schoharie Creek gauge) was 26.7 ft, and many county roads required full reconstruction.