Adirondack chair on the overlook deck above the Delaware River in Narrowsburg, NY — The best seat in Narrowsburg, right above the Delaware.

I'd only ever visited Narrowsburg and Callicoon on day trips from NYC, so this time we wanted to see what it was like to stay overnight. It was quiet in a good way, with plenty to take in: river views, small downtowns, and local shops and restaurants.

Both towns sit right on the Delaware River in Sullivan County, about two and a half hours from New York City. They're small and easy to walk, and only 14 miles apart along New York Route 97, the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway. In fall, the drive between them is half the reason to come.

Here's how we spent it: both towns, the cozy modern cabin we stayed in, and a couple of memorable stops on the way home. I hope it inspires you to explore this side of the Catskills, and maybe stay awhile.

In This Post

Planning Your Weekend
Narrowsburg, NY
Where We Stayed: Black Pine
Callicoon, NY
On the Way Home: Hawk's Nest and Milford, PA
Final Thoughts

Planning Your Weekend

Getting there: About 2.5 hours from NYC by car. You'll want one, because the towns are about 20 minutes apart and there’s no direct public transit between them.
When to go: In my opinion, every season has its charm, so you can’t go wrong. Most of this itinerary is indoors, so it works year-round.
How to split it: Stay two nights if you can. Arrive the night before, do Narrowsburg on day one and Callicoon on day two, then catch Hawk’s Nest and Milford on the drive home.
Where to stay: A cabin if you want the slow version; Blue Fox if you'd rather be close to dinner and a bar.

Main Street in Narrowsburg, NY, with hanging shop signs, including Narrowsburg Proper and The Heron, in late afternoon light — Narrowsburg, NY

Narrowsburg is a hamlet in the town of Tusten, a few blocks along a bend in the Delaware River. You could see most of Main Street in an hour or two, but give it a full morning anyway.

If you're there on a Saturday between May and October, start at the Narrowsburg Farmers' Market. It's full of seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, and locally made goods.

For a morning drink, try 2 Queens Coffee, run by husbands Charles and Martin, originally from Ohio and New York. Or try The Herbal Scoop, a botanical tea shop run by herbalist Kendra Payne, where I ordered an iced matcha layered over berry purée.

2 Queens Coffee

The Herbal Scoop

Both are in the same building as Iris, so stop in there next. It's fun and whimsical, with everything from women's clothing and accessories to home goods, gifts, and a kids' corner.

Then wander Main Street. At One Grand Books, the shelves are stocked with picks from writers, artists, and other creative people, each choosing the 10 books they'd take to a desert island. Browsing it feels like looking through someone else's bookcase. Even though it's small, it's easy to lose track of time here.

Further down the street, Tony Coscia and Barry Becker run The River Gallery; they spent their careers in fashion before opening the shop. It mixes art and antiques and also does framing, and you can tell they know how to put a room together. And, across the street, Madame Fortuna is worth a stop for highly curated vintage jewelry, clothing, and home pieces.

The River Gallery

Madame Fortuna

After a few hours in town, we checked into our Airbnb and headed back out for dinner at Blue Fox. It's a restored mid-century boutique motel located in Narrowsburg, with a restaurant and bar that locals actually go to. If it looks familiar, the restaurant stood in for the Midnight Ramble motel in season two of Netflix's The Four Seasons. I went with the seafood special and a beer from Catskill Brewery, brewed in Livingston Manor.

Where We Stayed: Black Pine

We booked Black Pine, a modern cabin Airbnb in Narrowsburg, and it set the pace for the whole weekend. Our host, Tejas, left a bottle of wine and plenty of snacks for us, which made it feel like a special stay from the moment we walked in. The cabin is surrounded by trees, with a backyard lined with ferns, a fire pit, a grill, and patio seating. Inside, there's a fireplace, a kitchen made for cooking dinner or breakfast, and a cozy living room for a movie night in. It sleeps a group, with three bedrooms (one king, two doubles) and two bathrooms.

Having a quiet place to come back to is what makes this a weekend rather than a day trip. You explore a town, go back, and do nothing for a while.

The historic Western Hotel on Main Street in Callicoon, NY — Callicoon, NY

Callicoon is about 20 minutes up the river, and it’s a little quieter than Narrowsburg. The downtown is a short stretch of shops near the old train depot.

We happened to catch live music by the depot during the Callicoon Art Walk, which set the tone for the afternoon. We grabbed a quick lunch at The Kitchen Table, where I ordered the KB Grilled Cheese, and it was absolutely delicious.

After that, stop by Spruce Home Goods, a country store that serves both locals and visitors, and The Callicoon Pantry, a low-waste refill shop inside the Callicoon Marketplace with organic and specialty foods.

Spruce Home Goods

The Callicoon Pantry

Two more stops are worth planning around, even though neither worked out this time. Up the hill from town, Seminary Hill is an orchard and cidery overlooking the Delaware River, named for the old Franciscan seminary nearby. I’ve been before and loved it, but it was closed the day we came through, so check to make sure no special events are happening during your visit. And a short drive from downtown on Route 97, the Cochecton Pump House was built in 1879 as a Standard Oil pumping station. The roofless brick ruin has since been turned into an open-air restaurant, bar, and live music venue. It’s at the top of my list for next time.

On the Way Home: Hawk's Nest and Milford, PA

Instead of heading straight back to the highway, we drove south on Route 97 through Hawk's Nest in Deerpark. It's a short stretch of road along the cliffs above the Delaware and the highest point along this stretch of the Upper Delaware. The pull-offs are on the river side, so it's an easy stop when you're heading south.

From there we crossed into Milford, PA, for a walk around downtown. Café Wren was our final stop: a plant-filled café with good coffee, a full breakfast and lunch menu, and shelves of local provisions. I went for, you guessed it, another iced matcha.

Final Thoughts: Is a Weekend in Narrowsburg and Callicoon Worth It?

Yes, especially if you’ve only done these towns as a day trip. Staying overnight is what made the difference for me. Instead of squeezing everything into a few hours, there was time to browse the towns leisurely, go back for a second matcha, and end the day by the fire instead of in traffic. Two days felt right, just long enough to slow down, and short enough that I’m already thinking about coming back.