“THE CATSKILL ADVENTURE”
Day Hikes and Paddles for Families in The Catskills
Courtesy of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
“The Catskill Adventure” is part of the DEC’s on-going efforts to make visitors more aware of the recreational and educational opportunities throughout the 700,000 acre Catskill Park. “Adventure” offers descriptions of short day hikes and canoe paddles selected specifically for families with children.
If you and your family complete the “adventure” consider it a proud achievement! You will better understand the terrain, flora, and weather of the Catskill Park, and be more attuned to the pleasures of the natural world.
Most trails are marked with small circular discs colored red, blue, or yellow. All distances are round trip.
Detailed trail maps are produced by The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and are available at The Catskill Hiking Shack.
TIPS FOR HIKING AND PADDLING WITH CHILDREN
When hiking, stop frequently to observe plants, animals, or views. If you don’t stop to look around, children will find hiking (and looking at the ground) pretty boring.
Rest frequently when hiking. Merely waiting for your children to catch up, then walking again, does not allow time for rest. Let children lead and set their own pace. Don’t be upset if you don’t complete the trail. Have fun!
 Carry plenty of water/fluids. Children lose fluids during exertion faster than adults, particularly during warm weather. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to offer liquids.
Carry lots of snacks.
Always carry a compass and a good map (with topography) of the area you are hiking. Stop during the trip to look at the topography and see if youngsters can match it to the map. Teach them how to use a compass. Kids like to know what they are looking at and where they are.
Whenever children go into the backcountry, they should wear a whistle. If they get separated from the family, it is easier to blow regular blasts on a whistle than to shout over a long period of time. 
When canoe paddling, children must wear USCG approved floating devices, and to serve as good examples, their parents should too. Flotation devices for all passengers must be in the boat.
Avoid canoeing in early spring or late fall when water temperatures are frigid. Tipping over in summer is inconvenient. Tipping over in spring or fall can mean hypothermia and even death.
Weather changes quickly in the Catskills. Carry rain gear and extra clothing at all times, since hypothermia can set in even when temperatures are as high as 50 degrees Farenheit. Cotton clothing conducts the cold - try to avoid wearing jeans and cotton sneakers.
Encourage young hikers to carry their own daypacks with a jacket, water and snacks.
Explain why youngsters should stay on the trail: to protect plants, contain erosion AND prevent anyone from getting lost.
1. Onteora Lake
Town of Kingston, Ulster County. Distance 1.8 miles, Ascent 200 feet.
Bluestone mined in the area was transported by wagons to Kingston, where it was shipped to cities around the world. The yellow-marked woods road/trail loop starts at the parking lot on the lake and winds through upland oaks and pines, old bluestone quarries, dense hemlock forests, continuing alongside several ponds (including Pickeral Pond) and the Onteora Lake swamp back to the start. About 1/4 mile is on the grass shoulder alongside Route 28. Please be careful and stay away from the pavement! Also excellent for a short mountain biking tour. A Bluestone Wild Forest Brochure is available. West on State Route 28 from Kingston traffic circle. The lake entrance is about 3 miles on the right, just before LaBella Pasta. Drive the unpaved gravel road to a parking lot near the 16.5 acre, 3/4 mile long lake.
2. Giant Ledge
Town of Shandaken, Ulster County. Distance 2.7 miles, Ascent 1,000 feet.
State Route 28 from Kingston to Big Indian. South (left) on County Rte 47 (Big Indian Hollow Road) 7 miles to parking lot on your right. Follow yellow Phoenicia-East Branch Trail 0.75 miles to the blue Giant Ledge Trail, turn north (left), then 0.6 miles up to Giant Ledge (3200 feet) for multiple views of the mountains to the east and west (Wittenberg, Terrace, Cornell, Spruce, Hemlock and Balsam Mountains.)
3. Kanape Brook
Town of Olive, Ulster County. Distance 3.0 miles, Ascent 500 feet.
A 1.5 mile hike takes you along the Kanape Brook, remnants of hillside farms on what was once known as Freeman Avery Road. John Canape was one of the first farmers in the area. You pass streams rushing to the brook, stone walls, farm foundations (on your left), Norway Spruce plantings, a spring box planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps at 1.25 miles, and finally a clearing where the trail crosses the brook (small trout have been spotted). Here the trail runs through a dark, dense plantation of Norway Spruce trees. Once these trees would have been used for lumber and logs and protected the farm that once stood here from winds and snowdrifts.
The road and trail continues up to Ashokan High Point Mountain (3,080’). Round trip is about 7 miles. The last 1 1/4 miles is very steep.
Take Route 28A around the Ashokan Reservoir and dams from Kingston or Boiceville to Watson Hollow Road (Cty Rte 42), then 3.75 miles to the Kanape Parking lot and information board (to your right). Trail (red markers) crosses road just downhill of the lot and crosses a wooden bridge, trail register is just beyond.
4. Vernooy Kill Falls
Town of Rochester, Ulster County. Distance 2.4 to 3.6 miles, Ascent 200-650 ft.
Vernooy Kill Falls is a series of picturesque little waterfalls with pools, dropping about 30 feet in four stages. A foot bridge crosses the base of the falls for a nice view. Nearby is a tall stonewall, a remnant of the Vernooy Mill which 200 years ago was a major crossroads where farmers near and far brought their grain for milling. A major road ran through this area which now looks so wild. Recently 300 acres burned on nearby Cherrytown Mountain.
3.6 miles roundtrip from the parking lot on Upper Cherrytown Road (the first half is up a steep hill on the old road, now a snowmobile trail). Ascent 650 feet. Drive on the unpaved Trails End Road for a more leisurely 1.2 mile hike to the Falls - ascent 200 feet. The road is rough, so use a high clearance / 4-wheel drive vehicle. Park on the grass to the right side of the road just beyond the curve.
5. Day Use Area
Town of Shandaken, Ulster County. Each trail loop is .5 miles.
Two loop trails - The Old Field Trail and the Winnie Farm History Trail - interpret the meadows, woods and history of the area. Both are flat and easy to walk. An interpretive booklet is available for the Old Field Loop trail. This property has been partially developed as the future site of the proposed Catskill Interpretive Center (CIC).
State Route 28 to Mount Tremper Entrance off Route 28. Cross the bridge and park at the turnaround parking lot. Follow signs to interpretive trails.
6. Rochester Hollow
Town of Shandaken, Ulster County.
State Route 28 from Kingston, about 1 mile past Big Indian. Make a right turn onto Matyas Road and follow to the parking lot just before the gate. Swim at the Pind Hill Day Use Area, one mile west on your left (day fee use charged).
From the parking lot, the abandoned road climbs gently and steadily along the stream, passing two hemlock stands. At about 1 mile, the trail gets steeper for 1/2 mile, then becomes gentler, passing a 1921 Burroughs Forest Memorial, 2 small ponds and house ruins before stopping at private lands (about 3 miles). Good for cross-country skiing and mountain biking.
7. Diamond Notch Falls
Town of Lexington, Greene County. Distance 2 miles, Ascent 300 feet.
From the last parking lot by the gate at Spruceton Road, follow the Diamond Notch Trail (not The Spruceton Trail) east for one mile to the Falls. The trail, once a town road, rises gently with the headwaters of the West Kill River. The falls drop about 25 feet into an ampitheater-like setting, with a small meadow resting nearby.
Take State Route 23A west to Lexington, left on State Rte 42, left on Co. Rte. 6 (Spruceton Road). State Route 42 can also be reached from Shandaken on State Route 28 from Kingston and Margaretville. Spruceton Road becomes rough after crossing two small bridges before reaching the parking lot. The 7-mile road is not busy and becomes quieter as one approaches the end. May be considered with care for mountain biking.
8. Colgate Lake
Town of Jewett, Greene County. Distance less than 1 mile.
Canoe or paddle the 26 acre lake. (No motors allowed) Mountains surround the valley, with good views of the Blackhead Mountain Range. (Thomas Cole 3,940 feet, Black Dome 3,980 feet, Blackhead 3,940 feet.) State Route 23A west to Tannersville, where you make a right on County Route 23C. Right onto County Route 78. Park at any one of the three parking lots along Route 78 and walk the road to or from Colgate Lake. The Colgate Lake Trail (yellow markers) from the last parking lot takes you to a beaver wetland (at 2.35 miles) and onward into the mountains.
9a. North-South Lake Hikes
9b. Catskill Mt. House Site, Alligator Rock & Boulder Rock
Town of Hunter, Greene County
This very short hike brings you to beautiful views of the Hudson Valley. On a clear day you can see five states. It is the former site of The Catskill Mountain House. In its heyday, between the 1850’s and the 1870’s, this renowned hotel catered to 400 guests a night, including such notables as Presidents Arthur and Grant.
Drive through the North Lake Beach parking lot and park in the gravel lot just beyond (open May - October, day use fee charged). Walk uphill through the lot looking for the blue trail markers and a sign directing you to turn right. Follow the blue markers uphill for 0.2 miles to the open ledges of this famous spot.
Afterwards, go back to the gate at the end of the parking lot and follow the old carriage road for a gentle hike to Alligator Rock.
Distance (Mt. House) 0.5 mile, Ascent 80-feet.
Distance (Alligator Rock) 1.0 mile
To get to Boulder Rock, take the Blue Escarpment Trail from the Catskill Mountain House site near the Historical Marker which leads to Boulder Rock. Look out towards Palenville and Hudson Valley.
Distance 1.5 miles, Ascent 200 feet.
9c. Mary’s Glen and Ashley Falls
 Distance 0.6 miles, Ascent 20 feet.
This hike starts out a little rough - on a cobbled streambed. However, it’s a good hike for parents with small children who want to avoid hiking near open ledges. This short, easy hike takes you through a lovely wooded glen alongside a beaver meadow to the base of a heavily forested cascade known as Ashley Falls. The place name, Mary’s Glen, remembers Mary Scribner, whose husband, Ira, once operated a sawmill on the creek.
As you enter the North-South Lake Campground (open May-October, day use fee charged) the trailhead parking is about 1 mile on the left. From this small, graveled lot, cross over the stone bridge and turn right, following the red markers and a sign directing you to North Point and Mary’s Glen. At 0.2 miles the yellow spur trail leads straight ahead (sign says Mary’s Glen Falls) 0.1 miles to the rocky base of the falls.
9d. Artist and Sunset Rocks
Distance 0.6 to 1.8 miles, Ascent 200-300 feet.
This hike has narrow ledges. Be prepared to hold back your children.
A mostly gentle climb with two steep segments, through a forest of flat rocks and pines, passing several rock ledges. Begin this hike at the bulletin board just before you get to the North Lake Beach parking. A short connector trail with yellow markers leads into a pine forest and joins the Escarpment Trail at 0.1 mile where you turn left and follow the blue trail markers. Here you find a trail register. There is a steep scramble over boulders up to a ledge at 0.2 mile. Following the ledges over flat slabs of rock and passing through the pitch pine forest brings you to many good views before a short, steep segment brings you to Artist Rock Ledge at 0.3 mile. A favorite stop for such artists as Thomas Cole in the mid-1800’s. Their paintings are found in museums throughout the world in what is known today as the Hudson River School of Landscape Painters.
After an easier stretch and another short climb, take the yellow trail at the junction to Sunset Rock for magnificent views of North and South Lake and the Hudson River (0.9 mi.)
10. Kaaterskill Falls Trail
Town of Hunter, Greene County. Distance 0.6 - 1.8 miles, Ascent 200-300 feet.
Junction of Rte 23A and Kaaterskill Creek. Parking is uphill to the west. Trail leaves northside of highway at Bastion Falls and follows stream through mixed hardwoods and hemlocks to the base of 260 foot Kaaterskill Falls. At 260 feet, these are the highest falls in New York State consisting of two tiers; the upper falls dropping 175 feet and the lower falls 85 feet into the rocky basin. From the parking lot, walk downhill along the road across the bridge and turn left onto the yellow trail. Care should be taken walking along this narrow busy roadway. The trail climbs steeply from the road with several good spots from which to view Bastion Falls. After crossing several rockslides, the trail passes large 200+ year old hemlock trees on its way to the often mist-shrouded base of the falls.
Please do not hike beyond the end of the trail. Do not attempt to climb the falls, as this is dangerous.
11. Trout Pond
Town of Colchester, Delaware County. Distance 1.8 miles, Ascent 400 feet.
Trail starts near a small meadow, waterfall and the ruins of an old mill site, and follows the Trout Pond outlet stream to this man-made and very scenic 19-acre pond. Hike is a steady, gentle climb. Snowmobile trail in winter. State Route 17 to Exit 93, turn left, then right on Russell Brook Road for 3.5 miles (3 miles unpaved) to a parking lot on the left side of the road. (0.5 miles south of junction with Morton Hill Road.)
12. Little Pond Campground and Big Pond
Town of Andes, Delaware County. Distance 0.5 to 2 miles, Ascent 0 to 300 feet.
Start of yellow marked trail is at the end of the road on the west side of Little Pond State Campground. Open mid-May to mid-October (day use fee charged). When closed, there is a 1-mile walk from the gate. The loop around the 13 acre pond will take you past a beaver lodge and an old stone fireplace (about 0.5 mile). From the north end of the pond, you can follow the trail paralleling the inlet stream to ruins of an old farm, pond and fields with fine views to the east on Touchmenot Mountain (about 1 mile from the start).
At 50-acre Big Pond, a small parking lot allows you to put in boats without motors. Several unmarked trails and meadows connect a larger parking lot several hundred feet to the south with the lake. Big Pond is about one-half mile north of the entrance road to Little Pond Campground on Barkaboom Road.
Route 17 to Exit 96 at Livingston Manor, take first two right turns. Make a right just past Kings Cutery House. Follow County Rte 151 to County Rte 152. Campground is 8 miles on the left.
13. Alder Lake
Town of Hardenburgh, Ulster County. Loop about 1 mile.
Streams, wet meadows and wetlands on the far side. Beautiful views of nearby hillsides, particularly impressive in the Fall. Balsam Lake Mountain and Little Pond State Campground are nearby. State Route 17 to exit 96 (Livingston Manor). County Rte 151 past Beaverkill State Park Campsite to County Rte 152 (Lew Beach). Continue on Route 152 to Turnwood Road (County Rte 54) into Turnwood. Make a left on Turnwood Road. Turn right to Alder Lake at about 2.3 miles. Park at the lot near the gate. Walk past the Coykendall Lodge ruin, built in 1899 as a retreat for guests and friends of Samuel D. Coykendall (the great financier and railroad owner). Please stay away from the building, as it is closed. Walk to the lake, cross the dam and follow the old road/trail around the lake. Nonmotorized boats are allowed on this 44-acre lake.
14. Balsam Lake Mountain Firetower
Town of Hardenburgh, Ulster County. Distance 3.5 miles, Ascent 1,250 feet.
Follow directions for Alder Lake, but continue straight about 4 miles in Turnwood to the end of Beaverkill Road. Last few miles on a dirt road. Park at DEC parking lot at the end. From there, hike up 0.9 miles on the blue Dry Brook Ridge Trail to where red Balsam Lake Mountain Trail intersects on the left. Then up a steep section (0.5 mi) to two lean-tos and another 0.35 miles to the Balsam Lake Mountain Summit (3,723 feet) and the firetower (currently closed). This summit is covered in Balsam Firs - the fragrant evergreens - found on many of the highest mountains in the Catskills.
15. Long Pond
Town of Neversink, Sullivan County. Distance 2.0 miles, Ascent 20 feet.
Follow red trail markers from the trailhead on Flugertown Road eastward for one mile to Long Pond. The trail (used by snowmobiles in winter) starts near Willowemoc Creek and leads through gentle forested hills to this 15 acre pond. A Willowemoc-Long Pond Wild Forest Map and Guide are available. Route 17 to exit 98 to County Rte 85 (Cooley Road) and 84 (Parksville Road) to Willowemoc Road. Left from Willowemoc Road onto Flugertown Road. Parking lot is about 3 miles on the right.
16. Frick Pond
Town of Rockland, Sullivan County. Distance 1.0 to 2.1 miles, Ascent 200 feet.
From the trailhead on Beech Mountain Road, follow the red markers 1/2 mile to 6-acre Frick Pond. A loop can be made around the pond following the yellow markers (about 1 mile). A Willowemoc-Long Pond Wild Forest Map and Mongaup Pond Public Campground brochure are available. From Route 17 at Exit 96 take County Roads 81 and 82 east to DeBruce. Turning left onto Fish Hatchery Road, you will go by the Catskill Fish Hatchery. Turn left again on Beech Mountain Road (one mile south of Mongaup Pond State Campground), then drive up 1/4 mile to the trailhead parking lot. The Catskill Fish Hatchery is open to the public for self-guided tours 7 days a week from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM except summer weekend and holiday hours of 8 AM to noon. For more information call 914-434-4328.
17. Overlook Mountain
Town of Woodstock, Ulster County. Distance 4.8 miles, Ascent 1370 feet.
A steady climb on an old woods road provides access to a TV tower just below the summit. A little long for children, but the rewards are great. There are nice views through the trees, except in summer. At 1.6 miles you can see the massive castle-like ruins of the Overlook Mountain House. You then move on to a fire tower at the 3,150 ft summit. The tower is scheduled to reopen by 2000. The spur trail to the right of the cabin takes you to a ledge with a magnificent view of the Hudson River, Ashokan Reservoir, the Central Catskills, and up to five states. Ledges and drop-offs require care, observe the ruins from the outside. Stay on the paths, snakes have been seen.
18. Kelly Hollow
Towns of Hardenburgh and Middletown, Delaware and Ulster Counties. Distance 2 to 3 miles, Ascent 450 feet.
Several trails crisscross through white pine, spruce and hemlock stands; over a steep ravine, to a small beaver pond. A picturesque cemetary, typical of the Catskills, is nearby. A lean-to is at the pond.
State Route 28 to Highmount, left on Cty Rte 49A past Belleayre Mountain Ski Center to Mapledale. Left at a T-intersection onto Cty Rte 49 about one mile to Mill Brook Road. Kelly Hollow is about 6 miles on the left. Trail register is to the left at the start of the loop, the cemetary is to the right at the end of the loop. A stream separates you from the cemetery. Use the road to get around during high water.
|
