What’s Next for the Formerly Trailless Catskill High Peaks?

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has released a draft of its long-awaited visitor management plan. Here’s what you need to know about what’s about to happen…

Over the last few years, some of the remotest and wildest summits in the Catskills Park have seen a massive surge in foot traffic. Once remote and quiet, they’re now crisscrossed with multiple unofficial “herd paths” as hikers chase peak lists and follow GPS apps into fragile terrain.

The DEC has released an extremely detailed and thorough draft Visitor Use Management Plan for these peaks. If you’re a Catskills nerd, it’s worth at least skimming.

Hike in the Catskills? This affects you. It’s a big step toward preserving the wilderness character of our peaks while still allowing access.

Here’s what’s going on, and how we can all help.

The Core Problem

Our “trailless” High Peaks aren’t so trailless any more.

Hiker interest has skyrocketed in recent years, especially since the pandemic which led to a massive jump in hikers learning about, and then working on, the Catskill 3500 Club challenge. Social media, Strava heat maps, and digital GPS routes have unintentionally encouraged more people to visit, and to follow each other’s footsteps.

Over time, it looks like this…

That’s a collection of the routes people have taken to the summit of Rocky Mountain.

That’s led to a surge in herd paths: informal routes forged by repeated footfall. The consequences?

• Erosion and compacted soil
• Damage to native plants
• Fragmentation of intact forest
• Disruption of bird nesting habitat
• Invasive species creeping in

In short: we’re loving these places to death.

The DEC’s Plan of Action

• Mark and Promote a Single Route to Each Summit
  They’ll choose the best existing route—often the most direct or least damaging—and make it the official line. The rest? Slated for closure and recovery.
• Close and Rehabilitate Extra Herd Paths
  Non-designated paths will be blocked, reforested, and monitored for regrowth. Expect signage and barriers in some areas.
• Monitor the Impact Over Time
  If hikers stay on the new official routes and the land starts to heal, great. If not, the DEC will step in with more formal, professionally built trails.
• Education and Outreach
  Partnering with the NY–NJ Trail Conference and other orgs, the DEC will increase education around Leave No Trace, route selection, and trail etiquette.
• Public Feedback and Involvement
  You’ll have a chance to shape the final plan. A virtual public meeting will be held on August 6, 2025, and written comments are open until September 15, 2025.

How You Can Help

This isn’t just about land management—it’s about culture change. Here’s how we can support this effort as a hiking community:

• Stick to the designated route once it’s marked.
• Don’t blaze side trails, even if you see GPS tracks heading that way.
• Spread the word to other hikers about the importance of staying on a single path.
• Practice Leave No Trace with intention and consistency.
• Join the virtual meeting on August 6 and submit a comment before Sept 15.

Final Thought

These peaks are special. Their remoteness and wildness are a big part of their appeal. The DEC’s new plan doesn’t shut down access. Instead, it invites us to be more mindful in how we explore.

Let’s do our part to preserve our mountains for future generation of hikers—one route, one peak, one footprint at a time.

BTW, you might also enjoy…

• ADK › Whiteface Mountain via Marble Mountain
• DANGER › 6 Feet Under? How Our Adirondack Hike Turned Deadly Serious (Substack)
• ADK › Hurricane Mountain Fire Tower
• CATSKILLS › Catskills Fire Tower Challenge 2025

• Follow › My Instagram @TotalCatskills
• Follow › My writing for Times Union

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