When most people think of a Catskills getaway, they imagine a dusty cabin or a quiet bed and breakfast. But just 2.5 hours from NYC, a massive 200-acre resort is rewriting the rules of the upstate escape.
Urban Cowboy Lodge is the ultimate, full-scale wilderness playground. With its signature maximalist design–think: patterns on patterns, Pendleton robes, and hand-picked antiques–it feels less like a hotel and more like a high-end adult summer camp tucked into the Big Indian Wilderness.
🛀 The Ultimate Forest Bath: Copper Tubs with a View
The hallmark of the Urban Cowboy experience is their ritualistic bathing. While most NYC apartments barely have room for a shower, the signature suites here are built entirely around the art of the soak.
- Indoor Tubs: signature suites feature deep, hammered copper or classic clawfoot tubs placed right by the window so you can watch the sunrise over the peaks while you soak
- Outdoor Soaking: for a true Alpine experience, the Walden suites offer Japanese cedar soaking tubs on private outdoor decks–perfect for stargazing in the crisp mountain air
- In-Room Coziness: after your bath, you can dry off by a private pot-belly stove or gas fireplace found in almost every signature room
🌲 A 200-Acre Playground: Saunas, Treenets, & Trails
You don’t have to leave the property to find adventure. The lodge sits on a massive vacation valley where the Esopus Creek meets its mountain tributaries.
- Estonian Saunas: sweat out the city stress in hand-built steam saunas located right in the woods
- The Treenet: for the adventurous, there’s a massive custom treenet installation where you can lounge or climb high above the forest floor
- Private Hiking: the property features miles of dedicated trails that wind through the Big Indian Wilderness, plus a natural swimming hole for the warmer months
- The Pool: a 40-foot-long pool offers a spot to cool off with a backdrop of 360-degree mountain views
🎳 Ralph’s Bar & Bowling: The Heart of the After-Hours
The newest addition to the property is Ralph’s Bar & Bowling, a nostalgic tribute to the old-school Catskills resorts of the 1950s. Located just down the hill, this isn’t your average bowling alley. It’s a boutique, two-lane vintage den featuring:
- Free Bowling: two lanes of classic, first-come-first-served bowling
- The Vibe: mounted moose heads, original woodwork, a dance hall, and a retro arcade
- Cowboy Cocktails: sip on a wood-fired Old Fashioned or local craft brew while you play
- Tiny Pizza Kitchen: on weekends, Auggie’s Tiny Pizza Kitchen (a fan-favorite from NYC) pops up to serve wood-fired pies
🍽️ Wood-Fired Dining & Late-Night Beats
You won’t go hungry in the woods. The lodge’s culinary program is centered around The Dining Room, where the menu is thoughtful, seasonal, and hyper-local.
- The Food: expect elevated lodge fare like cabbage with pecans, house-made pasta, and wood-fired meats
- The Music: every Friday, local DJs spin vinyl from a massive wall of deep cuts (mostly funk and soul) while guests mingle on the sprawling outdoor deck
- The Motto: staying true to their “Arrive as Strangers, Leave as Friends” ethos, the nightly communal fire pits are the place to be for s’mores and stories
🗽 What New Yorkers Need to Know Before They Go
If you’re planning a getaway to the Big Indian Wilderness, here are the essentials:
- The Accommodations: there are 44 rooms total, ranging from cozy Lodge Kings to massive standalone 6-bedroom houses for big groups of friends
- The Gear: bring your hiking boots and a swimsuit–between the creek, the pool, and the sauna, you’ll be in and out of the water all weekend
- Pro-Tip: book a room in the Walden or Alpine buildings if you want the bath-centric experience the lodge is famous for
❤️ Why It’s Worth the Trip for New Yorkers
While New York City has its own brand of magic, Urban Cowboy offers a level of decadent mountain luxury that you simply can’t find in the five boroughs…