Catskill Backpacking Suggestions Needed

[Steve D.]

Hi All,

We are looking to do a 3 day 2 night backpacking trip in the Catskills over Memorial Day weekend. We have never hiked in the area and are looking for some suggestions. This will be the first time backpacking for 2 of the 4 of us so we are looking for something fairly easy with not too much elevation change, maybe 15-20 total miles. We’ll have one vehicle so we’ll need a loop route. Thanks for any help. I am really looking forward to getting out in the woods again.

Steve

 

[YardSaleDad]

Woodland Valley would be a good starting point. You have a few options for great loop hikes from there.

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/do/camping/campgrounds/woodland.html

 

[una_dogger]

I'd definately say base camp at Woodland Valley and then either do the Wittenberg Cornell Slide loop or go out to do Giant Ledge/Panther. Good starter Catkill hikes, plenty of mileage but no serious super steep spots like you'd find on the Devil's Path.

 

[Steve D.]

Camping areas

Thank you for the suggestions. We have the Catskill Trail Maps from the NY-NJ Trail Conference. In the descriptions for the trails I did not see very much about camping areas or lean-tos in the Woodland Valley area. Our previous hikes were on trails that only allowed camping in designated areas. Is it different in the Catskills? Are there specific areas that you have had experience with or would recommend (near water source, nice view, etc)?

 

[YardSaleDad]

Check out this page on the various trails and the regulations for camping in that NYS wilderness area.

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/publands/cats/slide.html

There were a couple of Lean-tos in that area. Woodland Valley should be called for the most current info on lean-to status. Both trails that una_dogger recommended are very nice, and each has wonderful views. The top of Wittenburg gives you 50 mile+ panoramic views on a clear day. Giant's ledge is one of my favorites. I have always had it to myself each time I visit. Combined with the unbroken forest below, it lets you forget the modern world for a little while.

 

[Mike P.]

With two nights, you could do both the Witt-Cornell-Slide trail along with a short road walk on CR47 & hit Giant Ledge & Panther. I've done a few day hikes in the area but not as many as in NH. I can't think off the top of my head of many 15-20 mile loops.

Doing something over the Blackhead Range & over to Windham would work too.

 

[una_dogger]

Doing something over the Blackhead Range & over to Windham would work too.

Burnt Knob/Acra Point to Escarpment then over the Blackhead Range and back on the road is a nice loop that I've done as an overnighter. Check out the Northeastern Catskill map in your NYNJ TC map pack (sorry, all my maps are currently in packing boxes!).

I made this trek a loop but it included about six miles of road work at the end. If I were to do it again, I'd stash an old bike in the woods at the end of the trail, and ride back to my car instead of walking.

Have a great trip! Weather looks like its improving. Just a warning, not sure if the stinging nettles are out yet but there's lots of them on the trail heading up to Acra Point.

Sabrina

 

[Steve D.]

Sabrina / Mike / YSD... I just wanted to say thanks for the good info. We started at Woodland Valley and headed west. Because of a late start and rain on Friday we only got a few miles in before we decided we should set up camp at the first suitable site. It rained and thundered all night and we woke up pretty wet (not the most ideal conditions to introduce folks to backpacking). The rest of weekend was wonderful. The weather cleared up. We hiked up to Giant Ledge and found a nice site. Took a side trip up to Panther, had a warm meal back on Ledge & met some nice people along the way. The view from Ledge was inspiring and I believe it sold our new guys on backpacking. Overall I was very impressed by the Catskills. We were planning on doing a 5 day on the Appalachian Trail later in the summer but are now seriously considering going back to the Catskills. Thanks again for helping to make this trip successful.

Steve

 

[Mike P.]

Your welcome Steve, where on the AT were you looking?

 

[una_dogger]

Awesome!
Glad you had fun!
There are so many great places to backpack in the Catskills!

My first Catskill overnighter was out from Woodland Valley to a bootleg site on a sweet little overlook on Panther, then back to Woodland Valley the next day. The view of the cirque around Cornell/Wittenberg/Slide from Panther is amazing!!

As for the AT, the NY section from Nuclear Lake/Rt 55 to Cornwall Bridge, CT is my favorite in this area. That should take ya 4/5 days.

Happy Hiking and I look forward to reading your TRs!!!!

Sabrina

 

[YardSaleDad]

Glad you folks had a good time. I think it's better for a newbie to have a "little" inclement weather on their first trip. Bonus if it starts rough and ends great.

 

[Steve D.]

Mike, we have not yet decided on a destination for the AT. Last year we did a 3 day in CT in the Mt. Lionhead / Riga Lean-to area which was very nice. This year we’d like to do 30-35 miles in 5 days. Again we’re looking to find something with reasonable elevation changes. We may only have one vehicle as we did last year therefore we’d need to do an up and back linear trip if we did the AT. The biggest problem we had last year was water. It was late August and most of the springs were dry. On the 5 day I’d like to have the option of being able to resupply after 3 days, maybe stopping in a town if possible. We do have other options including the Catskills and Adirondacks. Within the next couple of weeks I’ll take a closer look to determine our possibilities.

 

[YardSaleDad]

Again we’re looking to find something with reasonable elevation changes. We may only have one vehicle as we did last year therefore we’d need to do an up and back linear trip if we did the AT.

Have you considered the long path and the Gunks?

http://www.nynjtc.org/trails/longpath/#gunk

http://www.catskillhikes.com/gunks.html

 

[catskills]

The places mentioned above are good choices. There are many nice areas. The Giant Ledge camping area with spring water has potential.

One of my other favorites is off of Route 42 between 23A and 28 is the Spuceton Road. The Spruceton Road has not changed in years. Its like going back in time. About 7 miles in on the Spruceton Road, it ends and there is a nice parking lot. Take the trail up to Hunter Mtn. fire tower. Less than 2 hour hike (with no pack) is John Robb's Lean-To with good clean water and an awesome view from 3500 feet. Another mile hike up is the Hunter Mountain Fire Tower from the 2nd highest mountain in the Catskills.

Another nice back packing area is Overlook Mtn fire tower and camp down by Echo Lake. This is near Woodstock NY. This is an easy 750 foot climb. Water will need to be filtered here.

North Lake area outside of Haines Falls with many nice views from the escarment trail and North Point.

Watch out for the bears in Woodland Valley. EMS sells a bear proof backpacking canister for your food.

Catskills Virtual hikes link -> http://www.catskillcenter.org/vhikes/hikes.html

 

[Mike P.]

With possibility of one car & trying to do 5 day loops, High Peaks & Whites are my two choices:

A variation of the pemi loop, hitting both lobes, not just the Franconia's & Bonds & in the Dacks hitting several peaks & Lakes including Avalanche, Lake Colden, Lake Tear & some of the Great Range & Johns Brook area. bring filter or enough fuel to boil, plenty of water in these two areas.

 

[catskills]

MikeP have to agree that Adirondack's Marcy Dam, Avalanche Lake, to Lake Colden is my favorite area to backpack on the east coast. Nice camping area on the other side of Avalanche Lake before you get to Lake Colden. From there you have lots of choices for an Adirondack high peaks day hike. Definitly need a good water filter here.

 

[YardSaleDad]

Remember that Steve's friends are tenderfoots. Woodland Valley to High Peaks is quite a step up for a second outing.

 

[Mike P.]

For a five day trip & some time looking over your topo maps, he should be able to put something together that is not too tough. Thanks for note YSD as I forgot that point so things to consider & make arrangements for:

Are you looking to reach a designated campsite/shelter each night? If so, pay more attention to elevation gain between shelters & total distance. Blisters & being sore & slower on days 2-5 are possible.

Would you be better heading into a spot to base camp & then do day trips from camp? For five days could be hike to camp 1, day hike one on day two, day three move base camp to Base 2, day four do day hike 2 & then hike out on day 5.

Trips in the areas around the Pemi & High Peaks can be done without much elevation again if looking for some trail mileage & limited views instead of climbing up to Alpine Summits. In NH, Zealand Notch & spots on Ethan Pond Trail offer great views without climbing much. The Wilderness Trail, Shoal Pond, Carrigain Notch, Cedar Brook, Hancock Notch can be utilized with one day of climbing peaks to do a loop, instead of the more traditional one or two night loop around Owl's Had in that section of the Pemi or the route over the peaks which in five days would not be hard but you'd have to find your own spots a couple of nights.

Likewise you could link some trails around the ADK lakes & under Wallface (brain cramp on what the name of that pass is called) so you could do a loop with just one day of moderate climbing. (Personally I'd rather climb the peaks for the views & fly by shelters & lakes but the routes do exist down low.

 

[Steve D.]

Designated campsites are nice but we would be ok finding our own. Sacrificing views to get mileage is a tough call. Actually we don’t need a whole lot of miles. We do need to fill BSA requirements for the Backpacking Merit Badge for my son (16 years old). The requirement that he has remaining: at least 5 days, at least 30 miles, at least 3 different campsites. He is in great shape and generally has been leading the way on our previous hikes, it’s me that slows us down. I realize that 30 miles in 5 days is easy and probably a piece of cake for most of the members here. I think that it could give us more flexibility if we want to still be able to do something that has nice views. Fewer miles / more rewards. After the views on Giant Ledge I’d like to be able to do something similar although I don’t feel I am up to something exponentially more difficult than that.

I also have to say that the best thing from this whole experience is that we both found something we love doing and I hope it’s something we can continue to do together as he gets older.

 

[catskills]

Steve, for more than 2 day backpaking, I strongly encourage you to take do a backpack trip in the Adirondacks near Lake Placid starting at Adk Loj, to Marcy Dam, to Avalanche Lake. As mentioned above there is a campsite beteween Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden. From there the oportunities are endless.

Bear proof food canister is required by DEC. You will need a water filtration system.

I have nothing against the Catskills. I have spent weeks backpacking the Catskills. But, if you want to see some truly inspiring country, there is nothing better than the Adirondacks high peaks region.