Woods Wisdom
Henry David Thoreau
I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees
— Henry David Thoreau
Hi! Bonjour! ¡Hola! 안녕하세요! Ciao! Hallo! Dia dhuit!
The Classic High Peaks
The Traditional List of Catskills Peaks Above 3500’
Most people start hiking the Catskills by climbing a few High Peaks: Indian Head, Slide Mountain & Balsam Lake are popular starting points. Here are the 35 summits you’ll need to bag if you want to join the 3500 Club.
The Best/Easiest Mountain Hikes
The Very Best Hikes You Can Do in the Catskill Park
These lists are a curated selection of the most rewarding hikes you can do in the Catskills: the best of the High Peaks, the best of the lower peaks, the best trails and bushwhacks. It’s an awesome time, every time.
Wilderness Safety Basics
Planning Tips, Kit Lists, Emergency Numbers
Start safely, hike well, and finish in one piece. Here’s everything you’ll need: your clothing, your kit, how to plan a safe hike in every season, the best apps, what to eat, what to bring. It’s all the advice in one place.
Or Start Here…
With hundreds of miles of hiking trails and countless bushwhack routes, there are so many ways to hike the Catskill Mountains
Apart from the two lists above — the Classic High Peaks and the Best Catskill Hikes — you can also view a list of All Catskills or go directly to Easiest, Moderate, Difficult or Hardest peaks
Sorry I can’t make new mountains — but I add new hikes every week
Recommended Catskills Hiking Trails
A mix of great hikes in the Catskill Mountains
Hike Sugarloaf & Twin from Roaring Kill
Any hike that includes Twin Mountain is a great hike. From either side, Twin offers some the funnest ascents in the Catskill Park. The eastern side is tough, with wonderful giant boulders to climb over and classic Devil’s Path terrain that leads up to one of the great ledge views in the Park.
Hike Kaaterskill High Peak & 2 Plane Wrecks
KHP’s summit is a Catskills classic with a spectacular view from Hurricane Ledge. This route takes in two eerie plane wrecks, and there is much to see on the long trek in and out. This a tough, muddy, rewarding hike.
Hike Blackhead & Black Dome from Big Hollow
An outstanding double-bill that combines an epic view of Black Dome from Blackhead with an epic view of Blackhead from Black Dome. This is one of my favorite hikes in the Catskills.
Hiking News, Reviews & Views
Stuff you should know
The Best Hiking Apps for 2020
These are the best hiking apps I’ve come across to date — broken into four categories: navigation/planning, field identification, photography, and fun. Whether you enjoy easy scenic trails or challenging mountain hikes, these apps will help you plan, plot and prepare for your next adventure.
Best Places to Eat in the Catskills for Hikers 2020
This up-to-date list of the best Catskills cafes and restaurants will help make your next Catskills hike extra-awesome I love Phoenicia Diner on Rte 28 for a glorious post-hike chow. So many great dishes, and their Bourbon Milkshake is such a fantastic adult treat.
New Permission System for Doubletop & Graham in 2020
After many years as head caretaker for the Gould Family, Bill Scholl has recently retired. The new caretaker is Bill Fiedler / (607) 221-1277 If Mr Fielder doesn’t answer, leave a polite voicemail with your full name and number, requesting permission to hike on Doubletop and/or Graham on whatever day you plan to go.
Mountain-Hiking.com
This site is currently an early version of what I hope will become a super valuable resource for Catskill mountain hikers over the next few years, particularly for new hikers and new mountain hiking enthusiasts.
My immediate next actions for the site are…
- Finish adding hike posts so that every mountain has at least one associated hike (nearing completion)
- Add brief mountain notes to all mountain header pages
- Add a lot more photography to all posts
- Go hiking ✅
- Add kit reviews — particularly winter kit reviews and lists ✅
- Add more hikes so all mountains have an increasing number of alternate routes
- Go hiking
- Add other kinds of content
- Best places to eat for hikers ✅
- Best hiking apps ✅
- Best Catskill hiking websites (coming soon)
- Best beginner hikes ✅
- Best clubs for group hikes — there are several excellent clubs running group hikes in the Park
- Posts on hiking health, Catskills history and geology, and climate change
- Catskills news ✅
- Get feedback from early users and integrate ✅
- Go hiking
That’s my plan for now, which will keep me busy until spring. Thank you for your interest in this project. I’m keen to hear your thoughts on FB or Instagram, or via the contact form here.
Okay, hope to see you out there…
Sean