8 Abandoned Resorts In The Catskills Of New York That Nature Took Back

The Catskill Mountains of New York were once home to the bustling ‘Borscht Belt,’ a vacation haven filled with glamorous resorts catering primarily to Jewish families from New York City. As air travel became more affordable and vacation preferences changed, these once-thriving destinations fell into disuse. Today, these forgotten palaces of entertainment stand as haunting time capsules, slowly being reclaimed by the persistent forces of nature.

1. Concord Resort Hotel: From Decay to Rebirth

Once crowned the largest resort in the Catskills region, the Concord’s massive 1,500-room complex hosted everyone from vacationing families to heavyweight boxing matches. Its closure in 1998 marked the end of an era, leaving behind a ghost town of empty swimming pools and silent nightclubs.

For two decades, the abandoned property stood as a decaying monument to changing vacation trends. Wildlife established territories throughout the grounds while plants reclaimed the famous golf course where professionals once competed.

Unlike many of its counterparts, the Concord site eventually found redemption through complete transformation – the old structures were demolished in 2018 to make way for Resorts World Catskills casino.

2. Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel: The Fallen Crown Jewel

Once the glittering star of the Catskills resort scene, Grossinger’s now sits in eerie silence. The legendary complex that hosted celebrities and inspired the film ‘Dirty Dancing’ closed in 1986 after more than 70 years of operation.

Most striking was the indoor pool area, where nature created a surreal greenhouse effect as plants burst through broken windows and crawled across tiled floors. Moss-covered walkways and crumbling tennis courts tell stories of bygone luxury.

Though most structures were demolished by 2018, the property’s ghostly imprint remains, a poignant reminder of the region’s golden age.

3. Nevele Grande Hotel: The Tower That Time Forgot

Standing sentinel over the decaying remains of the Nevele Grande Hotel was its iconic dodecahedral tower, a modernist landmark visible for miles. After operating for over a century, this sprawling resort shuttered in 2009, leaving behind a treasure trove of abandoned artifacts.

Ski equipment gathered dust in storage rooms while nature worked its patient magic. The once-pristine swimming pools transformed into murky ponds teeming with frogs and wildflowers.

Recent fires have accelerated the resort’s return to nature, with charred remains creating an apocalyptic landscape that urban explorers find both beautiful and melancholy.

4. The Pines Resort: Paradise Lost to Flames

Hidden behind overgrown tennis courts and crumbling signage, The Pines Resort stood as a haunting monument to faded glamour for more than two decades. After closing in 1998, the property became a canvas for nature’s artistic reclamation project and a magnet for photographers documenting decay.

Peeling wallpaper hung like ancient tapestries in ballrooms where celebrities once entertained crowds. Moss carpeted the indoor pool while saplings pushed through cracked concrete around the property.

Nature’s slow conquest was dramatically accelerated in 2023 when flames consumed much of what remained, leaving only charred memories behind.

5. Homowack Lodge: From Family Haven to Forgotten Ruin

Tucked away in Spring Glen, the Homowack Lodge welcomed generations of vacationers before shutting its doors in 2007. What made this abandonment particularly striking was its bowling alley – pins still set up as if waiting for one final game that never came.

Families once splashed in the Olympic-sized pool now filled with rainwater and fallen ceiling tiles. The dining hall that served countless holiday meals became home to raccoons and birds nesting in light fixtures.

Hope for revival briefly flickered after a 2014 auction, but those dreams went up in smoke when fire claimed the main building in 2023.

6. Kutsher’s Hotel and Country Club: Last Survivor of an Era

As the final holdout of the Borscht Belt era, Kutsher’s Hotel and Country Club maintained its welcoming charm until 2013, outlasting all its competitors. The legendary establishment hosted basketball tournaments where Wilt Chamberlain once worked as a bellhop before his NBA fame.

After closing, nature quickly began its work. Mold bloomed across the famous nightclub stage where comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Joan Rivers had performed. Deer wandered through the abandoned lobby where generations of families had checked in for summer getaways.

Unlike other resorts, Kutsher’s found new purpose when developers transformed most of the property into a wellness retreat.

7. Tamarack Lodge: Where Fire Accelerated Nature’s Claim

From humble beginnings as a six-room boarding house in 1903, Tamarack Lodge expanded into a 400-acre playground where generations of New Yorkers escaped summer heat. The resort’s distinctive A-frame entrance welcomed guests to a wonderland of swimming pools, hiking trails, and nightly entertainment.

Nature’s reclamation of Tamarack took a dramatic turn in 1994 when fire damaged portions of the property. The resort limped along until a second, more devastating blaze in 2012 sealed its fate.

Today, woodland creatures roam freely through burnt-out buildings where forest vegetation creates a hauntingly beautiful tableau of nature’s triumph over human construction.

8. The Old Catskill Game Farm: Where Wild Things Return

Though not a traditional resort, the abandoned Catskill Game Farm offers one of the region’s most uniquely haunting experiences. Once America’s largest privately-owned zoo, this 150-acre property housed over 2,000 animals before closing in 2006 after 73 years of operation.

Empty animal enclosures create a surreal landscape as nature reclaims the once-manicured grounds. Giraffes once stretched their necks where trees now grow tall through broken fencing. The rhinoceros house stands empty while wildflowers bloom where exotic hooves once trod.

Unlike other abandoned properties, portions of the Game Farm found new life as an inn and campground where visitors can explore the hauntingly beautiful ruins.