Margaretville is so close to so many places and outdoor activities in the Catskills, so it’s really hard to list them all.  A quick Google search will be sure to give you a ton of an options, but here a few great places in the area we recommend:

• ‍Shavertown Trail - A relatively easy hike with great views of the Pepaction Reservoir. About a 20 minute drive.
• ‍Dry Brook Ridge Trail- An easy to moderate hike, this is a 6 mile loop that leads to a fire tower at the top, which offers excellent panoramic views of the Catskills.
• ‍Big Indian Wilderness- One of the most beautiful parts of the Catksills with a ton of hiking trails, many of which are only a 30 minute drive away.
• Big Pond - A beautiful, under-the-radar pace to hike, swim, or paddle. About a 30 minute drive.
• ‍Little Pond - Close to Big Pond, and also a good place to swim, though smaller and more restrictive since there’s also a campground there.
• ‍East Branch Delaware River - Drive 10 minutes down the road to Route 30 as you go into Margaretville and there are several places you can pull over to take a dip in the refreshing Delaware. There’s a short path to it from Maragaretville Park (on the left before you get to the center of town), or you can park at a couple places before that on the side of road that also have easy access.
• ‍Bellearye Beach - A small, but well-maintained beach for swimming, kayaking, and picnincing. More family-oriented, with a small entry fee. About a 20 minute drive away.
• ‍Esopus Creek - Drive 3o minutes east on Route 28 towards Phoenecia and you’ll start seeing plenty of spots to pull over on the side of the road to take a dip in the beautiful Esopus.
• ‍Canoe/kayak rentals - The closest place to rent a boat is Susan’s Pleasant Pheasant Farm in Halcottsville (8 minutes away). If they’re out, Al’s Sport Store in Downsville (40 minutes away) usually has them.

• Bellearye - Our personal favorite Catskill ski mountain, and only a 20 minute drive away.
• Plattekill - Also only 20 minutes away, Plattekill is a smaller, family-owned mountain that gets less crowds and is a lot of fun for a small mountain.
• Hunter/Windham - Both are slightly larger mountains that are about a 45 minute drive away.

• Bellearye gondola rides - From July to October you can take a scenic gondola ride up Bellearye Mountain.
• Hanah Mountain Resort & Country Club - This place has a pretty beautiful course, is open to the public, and is only a 5 minute drive away.
• Fly fishing - In spring and early summer the East Branch of the Delaware River and Esopus Creek are popular destinations for their excellent fly fishing.

‍Margaretville/Arkville - There are several options within a 10 minute drive, including:

• Freshtown Marketplace is your best option if you’re just looking for a grocery store. Margaretville Liquor Store has you covered for your wine/liquor needs. These are both in the center of town and a 1 minute
  walk from each other.‍
• Cafe Marguerite - Best coffee in town, plus delicious pastries and breakfast and lunch sandwiches, with plenty of vegetarian options.‍
• Picnic! - Tasty, reasonably priced breakfast and lunch options.‍
• Arkville Bread & Breakfast - Cheap, tasty diner-style breakfast.‍
• Binnekill Tavern - The closest place for a nice dinner and drinks, with outdoor seating available.‍
• Arkville Bowl & BBQ - A fun place to bowl with friends or family, or just go to have some pretty decent BBQ and beer.‍
• Union Grove Distillery - A full bar with delicious cocktails made with their various liquors distilled on site, and local beer and wine options too.‍
• Zada’s - Newly opened (as of writing this) speakeasy-style bar with live music and a great overall ambiance.

Other Towns:

• Fleischmanns - Has a couple nice cafes (The Village East Cafe & Market and Bebert’s Condiments Cafe & Gallery) and a great new bar called The Print House, and it’s only 10 minutes down the road.
• Andes - A cute town about 15 minutes away with several nice cafes/bakeries, including Rosalino’s, Draginfly55, and Wilson’s Bread. Stop for a walk along the Pepacton Reservoir on your way back! 
• Roxbury - Another cute, quintissential Catskills town that’s about a 20 minute drive away and has multiple restaurants/cafes, including Watershed, Chappie’s, The Fierce Grizzly, and our personal favorite for dinner and drinks—The Old Mill.
• Big Indian - Peekamoose is one of our favorite places in the area for dinner and drinks, plus they have a lot of different seating options (various inside rooms and outdoor areas). Try the parsnip cake! It’s about a 20 minute drive.
• In Phoenicia - A 30 minute drive away are a couple of can’t-miss spots, including the famous Phoenicia Diner and one of the best Catskill-area breweries, Woodstock Brewing.
• West Kill Brewing - Really good beer and often some pop-up food options, with a lot of outdoor seating. It’s also right down the street from several fantastic trailheads (Hunter Mountain, Rusk Mountain, and West Kill). Make a day trip out of it! It’s about a 40 minute drive.

• Margaretville - An 8 minute drive will take you to the center of town where there are a bunch of cool shops to check out, like Le Petit Marché, Species by the Thousands, Kria World, Forever Wild Catskills, and Home Goods of Margaretville. Make sure to check the hours beforehand though – some are only open on the weekends. 
• Pakatakan Farmers Market - In Halcottsville, about a 10 minute drive away. This place is really worth a visit if you’re staying between mid-May and mid-October, but it’s only open on Saturdays from 9 am - 1 pm. Aside from the usually fresh produce, you’ll find a lot of vendors selling various prepared foods, baked goods, cheeses, jams, artisan goods, etc. 
• Antique/vintage/thrift stores - Route 28 is lined with them, but there’s also at least one (and often two ore more) in Margaretville and all the surrounding towns (Andes, Fleischmanns, Roxbury, etc.).