Pepacton Reservoir fills a long, bent valley in the western Catskills, a deep blue lake many miles long, built in the early 1950s to supply drinking water to New York City, a hundred and thirty miles away. The East Branch of the Delaware was dammed at Downsville, and the rising water drowned four villages, including Pepacton itself, along with farms, roads and a good many orchards. The old foundations, it is said, still lie beneath the surface, and in dry years the water drops enough to show a few of them.
Route 30 follows the lake's shore for much of its length, a quiet, winding road with views over the water and the forested hills beyond. It is not a high-speed road, but it is a fine, easy one, with long gentle curves and little traffic, especially on weekdays. The Catskills here are older and rounder than the Alps, worn by glaciers into rolling ridges, with hemlock and hardwood forests and rushing creeks. Autumn colours are famous, and the weather can turn cool and misty in any season.
The reservoir is strictly a water supply, so swimming, boating and wading are banned, and the shore is patrolled by watchful rangers. Fishing is allowed with a permit, and the trout in these cold waters are famous; the Delaware's branches are some of the most storied fly-fishing streams in the country. Downsville, at the dam, has an old covered bridge from the 1850s, a lovely wooden span over the river, and a small fishing museum nearby.
Services are thin. Livingston Manor, Roscoe and Margaretville are the nearest places for fuel and a meal, and Margaretville has a pleasant main street and a few diners. Fill the tank before you come, since the stretch along the lake has none. Cell service is patchy. Winters bring snow and ice, and some small roads close, while spring brings mud and fog. Late September to mid-October is the best window, with the hills ablaze and the air crisp. Bring a camera and an extra layer.