CAMP CATSKILL

About a year ago (at the end of March 2022), Ryan Penny opened Camp Catskill on Main Street in Tannersville. He said the brick-and-mortar store, which previously existed online only, merited a physical presence in Greene County because there wasn’t such a store in the northern Catskills with a hiking and clothing focus.

"Tannersville has seen a resurgence," said Penny, a lifelong hiker and camper. "It’s an exciting time to get a foothold here," he said, referring to recent state investment in Tannersville, known as "The Painted Village in the Sky."

In December 2022, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Village of Tannersville was awarded $10 million for 11 projects as part of the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). The DRI is intended to leverage the community’s historic, cultural, and natural resources.

Penny, who lived on Long Island most of his life, frequently ventured to the Catskills and moved to the area full-time more than three years ago. He bills Camp Catskills as an ethical outdoor shop, limiting impact on the environment. His store carries products from vendors who adhere to fair pay and who use recycled materials in most of their products. Penny also aligns with organizations that take climate action. Camp Catskill is a member of 1% For The Planet, donating 1% of its revenue to a local nonprofit. This nonprofit is the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, which is also a member of the 1% For the Planet.

Camp Catskill became a Catskill Center business member in November 2021, when the shop was online only. Camp Catskill was the first business member to join under the Catskill Center’s revised membership levels. Penny joined as an individual member a few years before opening the store. Penny said he likes that the Camp Catskill logo appears on the Catskill Center website as part of a business member benefit, and he enjoys reading Catskills Magazine.

Camp Catskill also participated in the Catskills Great Outdoor Expo, which returned in June 2022 after a hiatus during the Covid pandemic. It was held at the Catskills Visitor Center, and featured numerous local retailers, service providers, and many others. (The Summer Gathering and Great Outdoor Expo return to the Catskills Visitor June 9 and 10, respectively, this year.)

"I’m happy to support the Catskill Center, whose mission to protect the Catskill Park aligns with my goals as an individual, as a business," Penny said.

Penny says the Catskill Center hits the perfect balance.

"The Catskill Center is an advocate that I want here," said Penny. "They balance sustainable economic development with the absolutely necessary conservation work."

What’s Camp Catskill’s top-selling item? Penny says the Catskills Mountain t-shirt featuring a fire tower is a hit. (This is a good place for a reminder that the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge is on through the end of the year. Climb all six towers, including the Upper Esopus Fire Tower in the Catskills Visitor Center’s backyard, and receive a fire tower patch, along with the glory of accomplishing this feat.)

Meanwhile, Penny is working on building his local presence in the sense of joining organizations that make sense for Camp Catskill, but feels differently about growing his actual store.

"I’m not looking to create an empire of Camp Catskills," Penny said. "I just want people to get what they need and spend time outdoors."

Camp Catskill

6006 Main St., Tannersville campcatskill.co

518-303-6050