Let the River Flow at Eldred, New York

Whether vacation means a week spent holed up in a vacation rental or time spent braving the wilds and living rough, it’s a precious few days of respite from the normal routine.  Visitors in Eldred, in New York’s Catskills Mountains, can get a taste of adventurous life without sacrificing the comforts of home.

Set in the southernmost part of New York, Eldred is a hamlet in the town of Highland in Sullivan County.  It’s a curving 22 miles from Port Jervis, on the border of New York and New Jersey.  The route actually follows the contours of the Delaware River as it flows toward the Atlantic Ocean.

This should give you a big hint about the draw for Eldred - the river.  The village is home to the Eldred Preserve, a veritable fishing hotspot.  Over 3,000 acres are available to fishers of all calibers, from beginner to expert.  A selection of trout and bass fishing lures experienced casters, while newbies can benefit from the classes on offer.  The onsite restaurant and banquet facilities prepare trout 12 different ways; you can have your catch cooked or - if the fish got away - eat the ones already caught.

A vacation rental in Eldred offers more than just fishing, of course.  It can also be a gateway to the scenic Delaware River Valley, which stretches northward as far as Hancock, where the East and West branches of the Delaware combine.