The Catskills named one of the most underrated U.S. travel spots for 2025: Here’s why
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
The Catskills named one of the most underrated U.S. travel spots for 2025: Here’s why
U.S. News & World Report named the Catskills one of the best underrated places to visit. The Hudson Valley region is ideal for skiing and hiking, the report says. The small towns of Catskill and Bethel are “well worth checking out,” the report said. These are the 26 most underrated travel destinations in the U.S., according to U.s. News’ list of destinations. The list is based on user votes, editor input and other factors. The top 25 destinations will be announced on December 11.
“Designating a destination as underrated can be challenging,” U.S. News & World Report said. “A vacation spot that may have slipped under one reader’s radar might be a well-known favorite for another. But visiting places that haven’t gained clout on a national level — those that aren’t frequently featured on travel lists, including our own — can feel like you’re getting in on a little secret.”
Here’s what to know.
Why the Catskills were named one of the best underrated destinations
The Catskills region is ideal for skiing and hiking, U.S. News says, has “sublime lodging options” ranging from cabins to casinos and the small towns of Catskill — located right on the Hudson River — and Bethel — site of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair — are “well worth checking out.”
“Though its heyday has fizzled, the Catskills remains an enchanting travel destination,” the report said.
What other destinations made U.S. News’ list?
These are the 26 most underrated travel destinations in the U.S. in 2025, according to U.S. News:
St. Simons Island, Georgia Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho Door County, Wisconsin Chattanooga, Tennessee Block Island, Rhode Island Big Bend National Park, Texas Portsmouth, New Hampshire Duluth, Minnesota Charlottesville, Virginia Crested Butte, Colorado Des Moines, Iowa Baxter State Park, Maine Yachats, Oregon Omaha, Nebraska Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota and Wyoming Flagstaff, Arizona The Catskills, New York Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan Gloucester, Massachusetts Winston-Salem, North Carolina Cambria, California Brown County, Indiana Stone Harbor, New Jersey Paducah, Kentucky St. George Island, Florida Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
Emily Barnes on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com.