Smallwood, NY

Smallwood is a small hamlet in the town of Highland, in Sullivan County, New York, tucked into the western foothills of the Catskill Mountains. With a population of roughly six hundred residents, it is one of the quieter corners of a county long associated with the storied "Borscht Belt" resort era, when summer visitors from New York City filled the surrounding mountains with dance halls, lakeside bungalow colonies, and all-Jewish resorts. Today, the community retains a quiet, wooded, lake-oriented character, drawing visitors who come for the forests, the water, and the slower pace of the Catskills. Smallwood lies approximately ninety-five miles northwest of New York City, an easy drive along Route 17, and serves as a quiet gateway to the broader Sullivan Catskills region, including the county seat of Monticello just a short distance to the east.

At the heart of the hamlet sits Smallwood Lake, sometimes called Mountain Lake, a small private lake that has long given the community its summer-camp feel. The lake, surrounded by modest cottages and second homes, anchors the area's identity as a low-key retreat, and the smallwood community beach and lake access have been central to the hamlet's appeal for generations. It is the kind of place where summer means canoeing, swimming, and porch-sitting rather than resort nightlife.

Just a few minutes south lies the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the nonprofit performing arts venue built on the original 1969 Woodstock festival site in Bethel, New York. The campus includes a covered outdoor pavilion, a museum dedicated to the 1960s and the Woodstock era, and a calendar of concerts, lectures, and family events throughout the warm months. For guests, the mix of a peaceful lakeside hamlet and a major cultural venue a short drive away is a particular draw.

To the south and east, the surrounding Sullivan County landscape opens up to Catskill Mountains country, with the Catskill Park and the larger Forest Preserve offering hiking trails, waterfalls, and scenic drives. State-operated recreation areas in the county, including Lake Superior State Park on the eastern shore of its namesake lake, give visitors easy access to swimming, picnicking, and short hikes within a modest drive. Resorts World Catskills, a casino and entertainment complex in the town of Thompson, also lies within easy reach for travelers looking to add an evening out to a quieter daytime itinerary.

For a short-term rental investor, Smallwood offers a compelling combination of small-town character, established Catskills tourism traffic, and proximity to marquee draws like Bethel Woods. Its distance from New York City is short enough to fill weekend calendars, while the hamlet's lake, forest setting, and lower density distinguish it from the busier resort villages nearby, giving owners a niche in the rental market for guests seeking a quieter, more residential Catskills experience.