Slide Mountain, in Shandaken, Ulster County, is the highest peak in the Catskills and the highest natural point in the New York metropolitan area, and outside the Adirondack High Peaks it is the state’s highest ground. Named for an 1819 landslide still visible on its north face, it was not recognized as the tallest Catskill summit until 1886, after Arnold Henry Guyot’s work overturned earlier claims. The mountain soon became important to tourism and conservation, with early trails, public recognition tied to New York’s Forest Preserve, and a strong association with John Burroughs. It remains a defining Catskill summit for its height, scenery, recreation, and historical importance.