Admire, Respect, and Enjoy from Afar

The Catskills is home to some truly amazing wildlife, from majestic bald eagles soaring overhead to mischievous raccoons raiding your trash at night. While it’s tempting to get up close and personal, remember that these creatures are wild and prefer to keep it that way. Admire them from afar, give them space, and resist the urge to share your snacks (especially with the bears). Click below for more info on what wildlife you might encounter during your stay!

Mammals

Black Bears

White-Tailed Deer

Avoid at all costs, especially if they have babies. They don’t want to share your trail mix.

White-Tailed Deer

Majestic and serene—until they bolt in front of your car at 40 mph.

Bobcats

White-Tailed Deer

Bobcats

Like house cats, but angrier and with zero interest in cuddling.

Coyotes

Gray Foxes

Bobcats

They’re not your dog. Don’t try to pet them.

Red Foxes

Gray Foxes

Cute, sneaky, and way better dressed than you.

Gray Foxes

Basically the red fox’s quieter sibling who doesn’t want attention.

Beavers

Nature’s engineers, but don’t expect them to fix your Wi-Fi.

Fisher

Beavers

A feisty forest ninja known for climbing trees and snacking on porcupines (yes, really). Rarely seen but always up to something sneaky in the woods.

Raccoon

Beavers

Raccoon

Masked bandits who consider your garbage a five-star buffet.

Skunks

Easter Cottontail Rabbits

Raccoon

Give them space unless you want your rental to smell like regret.

Porcupines

Easter Cottontail Rabbits

Spiky little loners. Look but don’t touch. Seriously, don’t.

Easter Cottontail Rabbits

Fluffy, fast, and too cute for their own good.

Snowshoe Hares

Like rabbits but with better footwear for winter.

Squirrels

Snowshoe Hares

Nature’s ADHD mascot, constantly auditioning for Cirque du Soleil.

Chipmunks

Snowshoe Hares

Chipmunks

Tiny hoarders who’ll steal your snacks and your heart.

Muskrats

Sasquatch

Chipmunks

Kind of like beavers but with less ambition.

Bats

Sasquatch

The true MVPs of mosquito control. Thank them later.

Sasquatch

The elusive, oversized forest dweller who’s great at hide-and-seek and terrible at selfies. If you spot him, congratulations—you’ve just beaten the odds

Reptiles and Amphibians

Eastern Box Turtles

They move slow but will definitely outlive you.

Painted Turtles

Eastern Box Turtles

Like tiny, portable art galleries.

Snapping Turtles

Eastern Box Turtles

Timber Rattlesnakes

Dinosaur vibes with a bad attitude. Keep your fingers far, far away.

Timber Rattlesnakes

Northern Copperheads

Timber Rattlesnakes

A firm “nope” with a built-in warning system.

Northern Copperheads

Nature’s way of saying, “Stay on the path.”u.

Garter Snakes

Northern Copperheads

Harmless noodles who just want to be left alone.

American Toads

Red-Spotted Newts

American Toads

They’re lumpy, but they’ve got personality.

Spring Peepers

Red-Spotted Newts

American Toads

Tiny frogs with big voices. The original boy band of the forest.

Red-Spotted Newts

Bright orange show-offs who demand attention.

Salamanders

Red-Spotted Newts

Slimy, secretive, and surprisingly cool.

Birds

Bald Eagles

The ultimate sky celebrities. They don’t have to try hard to impress. God Bless America.

Hawks

Bald Eagles

Masters of the dramatic swoop. Small animals beware..

Owls

Bald Eagles

Wild Turkeys

Silent, mysterious, and probably judging you from a tree.

Wild Turkeys

Pileated Woodpeckers

Wild Turkeys

Proof that dinosaurs are still among us, and they’re kind of awkward.

Pileated Woodpeckers

Basically nature’s jackhammer. Hope you like the sound of banging.

American Robins

Pileated Woodpeckers

Everyone’s favorite bird, for no particular reason.

Eastern Bluebirds

Instagram-ready, if they ever stay still long enough

Ruffed Grouse

Eastern Bluebirds

Fluffy ground birds pretending they’re important.