Checked October 9, 2026. Hours change after Columbus Day and again after Thanksgiving, so check before you drive.
Margaretville is a small village in the Town of Middletown, Delaware County, where the East Branch of the Delaware River runs through a wide valley at the western edge of the Catskill Park. Delaware County calls this corner the Great Western Catskills. Main Street is short and flat, and it has the basics: a café, a gallery, a 1922 theater, a couple of good dinners and a real grocery store. It works better as a base than a stop. The river train leaves from Arkville just up the road, Fleischmanns and Belleayre are east on Route 28, and the Saturday farmers’ market is a few minutes north.
It’s about 50 minutes from Jefferson, where we’re building Juniper Ridge, and about 45 minutes from our Clove Creek Cabin in Hunter, NY. Next door is our Fleischmanns field guide. For the high peaks, see Phoenicia, Hunter, Tannersville, Windham and Woodstock.
Margaretville at a glance
- Go for: Main Street on foot, the train along the East Branch, the Saturday market at a round barn, and a steep hike that starts just outside the village.
- Walkable: the village center, yes. For everything else you’ll need a car.
- This weekend: October 10 is the Pakatakan market’s last regular Saturday, and the train runs Saturday. Belleayre’s Fall Festival and gondola rides end October 11, about 20 minutes east.
- Next Saturday: “No Stone Left Unturned,” a field history walk to an old bluestone quarry near the village with a former Halcottsville quarryman, October 17 at 1. The Historical Society of the Town of Middletown runs it, and you have to register (845-586-2400).
- From New York City: about three hours by car.
- From our Juniper Ridge build: about 50 minutes. From Clove Creek: about 45 minutes.
Coming soon · our next cabin
We’re building Juniper Ridge, a tiny cabin with a hot tub and a wood-fired sauna on five wooded acres near Jefferson, about 50 minutes north of Margaretville by Route 30. The footings went in in September, and the cabin is being built in the workshop now. The opening date isn’t set yet, so join the list to hear first.
Things to do in Margaretville this fall
1. Dry Brook Ridge Trail to Pakatakan Mountain
Trail · Dry Brook Ridge Trail to Pakatakan Mountain
- Distance: 1.8 miles to the top of Pakatakan Mountain, so about 3.6 miles out and back. The whole Dry Brook Ridge Trail runs 13.6 miles.
- Climb: about 1,100 feet, from roughly 1,400 feet at the trailhead to 2,500 feet on Pakatakan. It’s steep right away.
- Markers: blue DEC trail markers.
- Park: the DEC lot on South Side Spur Road, about 4 minutes from Main Street.
- Going farther: the German Hollow junction is at 2.65 miles and the Huckleberry Loop junction at 3.5 miles. The views west open up about 5 miles in.
- Know before you go: there’s no water on the trail, and it’s often muddy and overgrown. Hunting season is on, so wear something bright.
- From our Juniper Ridge build: about 55 minutes. From Clove Creek: about 45 minutes.
This is the hike you can start almost from Main Street. The first stretch climbs hard through hardwoods, and the top of Pakatakan is wooded, so treat it as a short, steep workout through fall color. If you want the views, keep going along the ridge, and turn around when the light or your legs say so. Check the DEC page for Dry Brook Ridge for current conditions.
What we bring for a steep Catskills climb
Knees
Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Trekking Poles
The first mile to Pakatakan is steep and slick with wet leaves. Poles help most on the way down.
Light
LHKNL Rechargeable Headlamp, 2-pack
The valley goes dark early under the ridge in late October. Two in the box, USB-C charging.
Warmth
HotHands Hand Warmers, 10 pairs
For a frosty start at the trailhead, or a cold seat on the train.
2. The Delaware & Ulster train from Arkville
The Delaware & Ulster Railroad runs from Arkville Station on Route 28, about 4 minutes east of Margaretville. This fall the train heads west along the East Branch toward Halcottsville, the first time it has run that way since 2019. The round trip takes about 45 minutes. Trains leave on Saturdays through October 31 at 10:30, 12:15, 2:00 and 3:45. Reserve ahead. There are no restrooms on board, so use the ones at the station first. Leashed dogs can ride in the open-air car.
3. Pakatakan Farmers’ Market at the round barn
The Pakatakan Farmers’ Market sets up inside the Kelly Round Barn on Route 30 in Halcottsville, about 10 minutes north. The regular season ends with the Saturday, October 10 market, 9 to 1. After that, the extended and holiday market runs Saturdays from October 17 to November 28, 10 to 1. Leave the dog at home, because dogs aren’t allowed.
4. Main Street: Longyear Gallery, the Galli-Curci and Open Eye
Longyear Gallery (785 Main St) is open Friday to Sunday, noon to 5, through October 11, then 11 to 4 starting October 16, when a show of Sheila McManus’s work opens and runs to November 15. Up the street, the Galli-Curci Theatre (801 Main St) was built in 1922 by Clarke Sanford, the publisher of the Catskill Mountain News, and named for the opera soprano Amelita Galli-Curci. It’s on the National Register and now hosts shows and events, not movies. The Open Eye Theater (960 Main St) stages the comedy “Dog Mom” from October 15 to 25.
5. Disc golf at The Meadows
The Meadows Golf Center (42565 State Highway 28) opened a new 9-hole disc golf course by the East Branch this year. It’s open daily from 8 to 7 through October 25. You don’t need a tee time, just check in at the clubhouse, where you can get discs. Leashed dogs are welcome outside.
6. A rainy-day swim at the Catskill Recreation Center
The Catskill Recreation Center (651 County Highway 38, Arkville) has an indoor pool. Pool hours are Tuesday and Thursday 8 to 2, Wednesday and Friday 8 to 7, and Saturday 8 to 4:45. It’s closed Monday.
7. Belleayre’s last fall weekend
About 20 minutes east, Belleayre Mountain holds the last weekend of its Fall Festival on October 10 and 11, from 10 to 5, with free admission and parking. The scenic gondola runs both days, and the last ride up leaves at 4:45. After that, the gondola is done for the season. See our Fleischmanns field guide for the hike up Belleayre, and our sister site’s Belleayre guide for winter.
Towns near Margaretville
- Arkville, about 5 minutes east: the train station, the Catskill Recreation Center and the Pakatakan Motel.
- Halcottsville, about 10 minutes north on Route 30: the Kelly Round Barn and the Saturday market.
- Fleischmanns, about 10 minutes east: a Gilded Age resort village with a gallery and a park where a baseball great once trained. See our Fleischmanns field guide.
- Andes and Roxbury, about 20 minutes each, to the west and north. A local tip for leaf-peeping: start up in the northwestern Catskills, around Delhi and Andes, then follow the color south and east as the weeks go on. Margaretville sits right on that path.
- Belleayre Mountain in Highmount, about 20 minutes east.
- Phoenicia, about half an hour east on Route 28. See our Phoenicia field guide.
- The Pepacton Reservoir starts a few miles downriver. It was finished in 1954 to supply New York City, and boating or fishing on it needs a free NYC DEP access permit.
Margaretville restaurants and coffee
Many kitchens here close two days midweek, so plan food around midweek hours.
- Café Marguerite (746 Main St). Pastries baked from scratch, and good coffee. Friday and Saturday 8 to 5, Sunday 8 to 3.
- Tomato Tomahto (520 Main St). An Italian diner and bakery from the team behind Oda, open Friday to Sunday as of this summer. Check before you go.
- RAE’S (814 Main St). Dinner Monday, Tuesday and Friday to Sunday, 4 to 9:30. Closed Wednesday and Thursday. Sunday Supper runs through October. Reserve on Resy, or walk in for the bar.
- Oda Wine Garden. Balkan small plates and natural wine. Hours shift with the season, so check first.
- For cabin supplies, Freshtown in the village is a full grocery store.
Where to stay near Margaretville, NY
Coming soon · Jefferson, NY · about 50 min to Margaretville
Juniper Ridge
We’re building a modern tiny cabin on Blenheim Hill, near Jefferson in Schoharie County, on about five private acres of maple, beech and birch forest. It’s a single-story, 361-square-foot studio with a full bath, a kitchenette and a small covered porch. The plan includes a hot tub under the trees, a wood-fired sauna, a fire pit and a private trail through the woods.
- Getting there: about 50 minutes from Margaretville, north on Route 30 through Roxbury.
- Close by: Mine Kill State Park and Stamford, each about 15 minutes away.
- Where it stands: footings went in in September, and the cabin is being built in the workshop now. The opening date isn’t set yet.
It suits two people who want a quiet woods base, with Margaretville’s Saturday market, the river train and Belleayre all within an hour.
It isn’t open yet. Join the list and you’ll hear first when it opens.
Open now · Hunter, NY · about 45 minutes
Clove Creek Cabin
If you want a cabin this fall, Clove Creek is open now, about 45 minutes from Main Street by Route 214 and Route 28, past Phoenicia. It sits between two creeks, with a hot tub, a sauna and an indoor fireplace, two queen bedrooms, an Ooni pizza oven and a Solo Stove fire pit on about 600 square feet of deck. Dogs are welcome when they’re on the reservation. Cell service is close to none, but the Wi-Fi is strong and handles Wi-Fi calling.
It suits two couples splitting a weekend between the high peaks and a slow Saturday in Margaretville.
Juniper Ridge and Clove Creek are run by Unplugged Cabins, our sister brand.
Rather stay in the village? The Margaretville Mountain Inn is a bed and breakfast, and the Margaretville Motel is close to the village. The Pakatakan Motel is in Arkville. More ideas in our Catskill cabin rentals guide.
Pack for cold nights
The East Branch valley holds the cold. October mornings in Margaretville often start near freezing, even after a warm afternoon. Our packing list lives on the Gear page: camping essentials for cold nights, from a warm bed to a camp kitchen that actually works.
One perfect Saturday
Pastries and coffee at Café Marguerite at 8. The Pakatakan market at the round barn by 9. Back to the South Side Spur Road lot by 10:15 for the climb up Pakatakan, down by 12:30. Lunch at Tomato Tomahto, then the 2:00 train from Arkville along the river. Longyear Gallery before it closes, then dinner at RAE’S.
Margaretville FAQ
Is Margaretville a walkable town?
The village center is. Main Street is flat and compact, and the café, gallery, theater, restaurants, grocery store and hardware store are all a few blocks apart. For the train in Arkville, the farmers’ market in Halcottsville and the trailheads, you’ll want a car.
What towns are near Margaretville, NY?
Arkville is about 5 minutes east and Halcottsville about 10 minutes north. Fleischmanns is about 10 minutes east on Route 28. Andes and Roxbury are each about 20 minutes away, and so is Belleayre Mountain in Highmount. Phoenicia is about half an hour east, and Jefferson is about 50 minutes north.
What is Margaretville known for?
It’s a Main Street village on the East Branch of the Delaware River, at the western edge of the Catskill Park. People know it for the 1922 Galli-Curci Theatre, for the Pepacton Reservoir a few miles downriver, for the Cauliflower Festival every September, and for coming back after the floods of 1996 and 2011. Parts of the films You Can Count on Me and The Dead Don’t Die were shot in the area.
How far is Margaretville from New York City?
It’s about 137 miles from Midtown Manhattan, or roughly three hours by car without traffic. The village says Trailways buses run here from New York City, so check the current schedule before you count on it.
How far is Margaretville from Belleayre Mountain?
About 20 minutes east on Route 28. Fleischmanns is on the way.
Where should you stay near Margaretville?
In town there’s the Margaretville Mountain Inn, a bed and breakfast, and the Margaretville Motel, plus the Pakatakan Motel in Arkville. We’re building Juniper Ridge, a tiny cabin near Jefferson, about 50 minutes north. It isn’t open yet, so join the list to hear first. Our Clove Creek Cabin in Hunter, NY is open now, about 45 minutes east.
Keep reading
- Fleischmanns, NY field guide
- Juniper Ridge: a tiny cabin in the Catskills, coming soon (Unplugged Cabins)
- Phoenicia, NY field guide
- Hunter, NY field guide
- Tannersville, NY field guide
- Windham, NY field guide
- Woodstock, NY field guide
- Cooperstown, NY field guide
- Plan Catskills fall foliage by town base (Unplugged Cabins)
- Catskills peak foliage this week (Unplugged Cabins)
- Upstate day trips for adults