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A long and hard (but very do-able) hike over six tough Catskills peaks
Hiking Trail Description
The Catskill 6 crosses some of the most remote and demanding mountains in the region. This is an incredible hike but you should come well-prepared.
I first did this hike in 2019, as a relative noob to hiking. I was concerned about my ability to keep up with more experienced hikers. But I hooked up with a group led by Marv Freedman, who assured me I could absolutely do it. As it turned out, The Catskill 6 was completely do-able. We took regular breaks, nobody felt pressure to hurry, and we even finished a little under our expected time. In our group of eleven, every single one of us bled. It was awesome.
The forest routes have opened up since then. These days, it’s much less of a poke-fest. But there are still many patches when you need strong off-trail navigation skills, and many spots where you could get into real trouble.
This trail guide is general in nature. For a deeper dive, check the very detailed guides for Friday, Balsam Cap, Rocky, Lone, Table and Peekamoose.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Catskill 6
The Catskill 6 Hike Time
Allow 10-12 hours for this hike.
The Catskill 6 Elevation Gain
The elevation gain for this hike is 4,000 feet (apx 1,225 meters).
Is the Catskill 6 Do-able?
Yes. Absolutely. If you don’t rush, there are many places along the route to stop, rest and replenish. You need to plan for extra calories, extra water and extra electrolytes.
Catskill 6 Hike Guide
The Catskill 6 hiking route includes…
- Unrelenting initial climb
- Incredible rock formations
- Insane high peaks and reservoir views
- A long and tricky middle bushwhack section
- A very-long-feeling 4 mile descent at the end
- Major cred for completing this route
A full breakdown is provided below in the hike notes with lots of photos.
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Friday Mountain
More than half the total elevation gain of this route happens at the very start, with an unrelenting climb of Friday Mountain. From the lot on Moonhaw to the summit of Friday you’ll climb 2,400 feet of elevation in about 2.3 miles. That is quite steep. And there are no flat rest spots on the way up. It’s basically all climb.
Remember: there is no trail for much of the Catskill 6. To tackle this route, you either need to be with someone who knows the way or have excellent personal backcountry navigation skills and experience. The middle section is very remote and an accident out there is a big, big problem.
View of the Ashokan Reservoir with Ticetonyk to the left…
View of Ashokan High Point in the distance, with the summit of Balsam Cap to the right…
Balsam Cap
From Friday, there are several ways to get to Balsam Cap.
- Some hikers head back down to the pregnant tree, then hike back up from there.
- Others hike down to the big view on Friday (seen above) just above the ramp and go from there.
- On my third traverse of this route, the group stayed high and made its way over to a second good lookout on Friday, before connecting with the herd path in the middle of the col and then hiking up to Balsam Cap from there. (That’s the GPS route attached to this updated guide.)
You’ll pass this just-off-trail view on a flat section on the way…
This is the old gray canister on Balsam Cap.
The canisters have since been repainted bright orange to make them easier to spot…
Balsam Cap to Rocky
From the canister on Balsam Cap, the herd path runs southwest, descending into the col. Very quickly, things kick up a notch on the Catskill 6…
You’ve got the basic details, but there’s so much more…
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The Catskill 6: Friday, Balsam Cap, Rocky, Lone, Table, Peekamoose Trailhead
Small lot at beginning. Big lot at the end. Requires a car shuttle.
Google Maps Location: 41.983949, -74.327439
The map below shows the exact topographic location of the trailhead
Cell Service
Patchy throughout, some service up high. My network is Verizon. YMMV.
The parent mountain for this hike is Friday.
