In Bethel, New York, the festival of peace, love, and music never quite faded into history but rather it became part of the very landscape it inhabited. The Dove Trail turns the memory of Woodstock into a path you can follow, guiding travelers across the Sullivan Catskills it has forever changed.
Established in 2019 to mark Woodstock’s 50th anniversary, the trail stretches across the Sullivan Catskills with more than 80 painted sculptures. The Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association uses this trail to commemorate a community of music driven individuals, one that shaped the region’s artistic identity in the decades after Woodstock. The original planners were looking for an idea that could stand as a lasting symbol for peace,” says Skylar Strauss, Communications Manager for the Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association, making doves the marker for the trail. Each dove is distinct, reflecting the artist’s personal interpretation of the peace that lives on.
Each dove is placed at a local landmark, whether it is a shop, restaurant, park, or gathering space. The miles-long trail offers visitors a chance to experience the surrounding landscape, passing mountain overlooks and quiet riverbanks between each stop. From its origin in Bethel Woods to the present-day culture of the Town of Liberty and the riverside arts spaces of Narrowsburg, the trail crosses different settings while rooted in the same harmonious sentiment.
Notable Stops Include:
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, located on the grounds of the 1969 festival. The grounds include an amphitheater, performing arts center and museum, this hillside invites visitors to relive the music in the place where it first gathered.
The Forestburgh Playhouse is a historic theater that reflects the impact of Woodstock on the Catskills. The location brings live performances and art together showing that the stop is a continuation of Woodstock’s values. Live productions bring people together in a way that makes individuals allowed to experience life collectively.
Catskill Brewery is a modern interpretation of how Woodstock’s spirit lives on at the present time. The location is a gathering place where listening to live music and spending time together feels like part of everyday life. The space encourages visitors to listen and linger, offering what Woodstock once promised, but on a more intimate scale.
WJFF Radio Catskill is a community radio station in Liberty. The station circulates music throughout the region, broadcasting local voices and regional musicians while showing that Woodstock’s values survive only when they are shared.
To view all trail stops, visit the official website here.
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