Catskills High Peaks
This page sorts the Catskills High Peaks into four groups: easy, moderate, difficult, hardest.
This is the complete list of mountains you’ll need to hike to become a member of the Catskill 3500 Club, an extremely rewarding endeavor. Although there are only 33 peaks, four must be repeated in winter — so: 37 climbs in total. Full details at the Club’s website.
In early 2021, the traditional list of 35 Catskill High Peaks was reduced by two mountains after the closure of Doubletop and Graham to public hiking.
Navigating The Catskills High Peaks
To navigate these mountains, I use the fantastic NYNJTC map set for the area which includes detailed trail maps of the entire area. Grab this Catskill Trails Map 2023 map set. These are the definitive trail maps of The Catskills.
They’re also available for download as digital maps. Full details in 12 Best Hiking Apps.
Hardest 3500 Catskills (5)
Sugarloaf 3783’
Northeastern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
It’s big, it’s challenging, it’s the king of the park — Sugarloaf never disappoints. It’s the most Catskills you can get in a single mountain.
No. of Entries: 7
Lone 3700’
Southern Catskills
Bushwhack
Canister
Tough to get to. Difficult to climb. Impossible to forget.
No. of Entries: 5
North Dome 3605’
Northeastern Catskills
Bushwhack
Canister
Scenic
North Dome’s ledges are not for the faint of heart, but North Dome bragging rights are forever.
No. of Entries: 3
Friday 3500’
Southern Catskills
Bushwhack
Canister
One of the toughest and most rewarding mountains to hike in the Catskill Park: dramatic cliff bands, a pregnant tree, a steep and challenging summit. Plus a WWII bomber.
No. of Entries: 2
Rocky 3487’
Southern Catskills
Bushwhack
Canister
Often paired with the equally-remote Lone, Rocky is an all-day in-your-face bushwhack hike. There will be blood.
No. of Entries: 5
Difficult 3500 Catskills (13)
Black Dome 3994’
Northeastern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
One of my absolute favorite Catskills, Black Dome is a super fun mountain to hike from any direction.
No. of Entries: 3
Blackhead 3940’
Northeastern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
A tough climb, epic views, a long boreal summit, and ravens that mock.
No. of Entries: 2
West Kill 3898’
Northeastern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
The enormous final Devil’s Path mountain has so much to recommend it, including one of the best views in the Catskills.
No. of Entries: 5
Cornell 3857’
Southern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
Remote and wonderful, this mountain is a joy to hike. Cornell Crack is a well-known Catskills hiking highlight and, just past the summit, there’s an astonishing scenic view.
No. of Entries: 4
Plateau 3835’
Northeastern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
Two of the steepest ascents in the Catskills rise to a stunning 2¼-mile-long ridge — with epic views on either end
No. of Entries: 6
Wittenberg 3782’
Southern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
Is the finest view in the Catskill Park to be had from the Wittenberg’s ledge? Or does the view from Twin’s ledge edge it out? The only way to know is to climb both.
No. of Entries: 7
Rusk 3686’
Northeastern Catskills
Bushwhack
Canister
Steep, steep, steep but a good candidate for your first bushwhack hike. A little boring. (Add East Rusk for a much better time.)
No. of Entries: 2
Kaaterskill High Peak 3652’
Northeastern Catskills
Partially Trailed
Canister
Scenic
This iconic Catskill mountain packs several punches: an old Mohawk camp, two plane wrecks, two epic ledges and many scenic spots with some of the best mountain views in the Park.
No. of Entries: 6
Twin 3650’
Northeastern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
Incredibly fun to hike, Twin Mountain includes some the grandest views in the Catskills.
No. of Entries: 8
Fir 3629’
Central Catskills
Bushwhack
Canister
A moderate bushwhack mountain often climbed in conjunction with Big Indian.
No. of Entries: 2
Balsam Cap 3608’
Southern Catskills
Bushwhack
Canister
Often done in combination with Friday Mountain, Balsam Cap offers a good view of Cornell & Wittenberg on the way to its archetypal Catskills summit.
No. of Entries: 4
Mount Sherrill 3558’
Northeastern Catskills
Bushwhack
Canister
Everything about Sherrill is a little bit mysterious…
No. of Entries: 4
Halcott 3509’
Northeastern Catskills
Bushwhack
Canister
Steep and tough, with fifty false summits, this bushwhack mountain will test your legs and your patience.
No. of Entries: 1
Moderate 3500 Catskills (10)
Fire TowerFully Trailed
Scenic
A massive and vast mountain. Just so much hill. The fire tower at the summit offers an excellent 360° view.
No. of Entries: 9
Thomas Cole 3953’
Northeastern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Serene and aloof, Thomas Cole is surrounded on both sides by beautiful, varied terrain.
No. of Entries: 1
Table 3825’
Southern Catskills
Fully Trailed
The trail hikes to Table from either direction are some of the loveliest in the Catskills.
No. of Entries: 4
Peekamoose 3819’
Southern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
Contents include one massive erratic boulder at the summit, a solid view of points Ashokan, and a really wonderful pair of lookouts that take in Van Wyck mountain and surrounding lands
No. of Entries: 4
Southwest Hunter 3753’
Northeastern Catskills
Partially Trailed
Canister
The most straightforward Catskill bushwhack. It’s practically a straight line to the summit.
No. of Entries: 5
Panther 3724’
Southern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
Panther Mountain offers excellent hiking trails over varied terrain, an enormous boreal summit, and two wonderful scenic lookouts.
No. of Entries: 5
Big Indian 3699’
Southern Catskills
Partially Trailed
Canister
A trailed ascent over varied terrain. A handful of stream crossings. And a super-short bushwhack to the summit. This is a good mountain for adventurous families.
No. of Entries: 2
Balsam 3607’
Central Catskills
Fully Trailed
Balsam Mountain has beautiful hollows and excellent terrain, a fun off-trail summit marker, and a fantastic lookout.
No. of Entries: 3
Eagle 3583’
Central Catskills
Partially Trailed
Canister
Surrounded by extremely pleasant terrain, Eagle boasts the shortest “bushwhack” you’ll ever do.
No. of Entries: 2
Indian Head 3573’
Northeastern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
Still my favorite Catskill mountain. It has so much to recommend it. Pair with Twin Mountain for an absolutely amazing day hike in the Catskills.
No. of Entries: 6
Easiest 3500 Catskills (5)
Slide 4184’
Southern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
The tallest mountain in the Catskills is one of the easiest Catskills to hike. Slide Mountain also features a number of largely unknown treats…
No. of Entries: 5
Fully Trailed
Scenic
A short, easy hike to a fire tower with an epic view makes Balsam Lake one of the Catskill’s most popular and beloved peaks.
No. of Entries: 6
Bearpen 3587’
Northern Catskills
Fully Trailed
The Catskill 3500’s only dud. A boring mountain. You will be bored. A view near the peculiarly-wooded summit is… not too boring? But then you hike down a boring mountain. Bring a non-boring friend to help keep you awake.
No. of Entries: 1
Vly 3541’
Northern Catskills
Bushwhack
Canister
Vly is a good beginner bushwhack mountain. The herd path is unmaintained but clear. DEC boundary paint-marked trees will guide you to the densely-wooded summit.
No. of Entries: 1
Windham High Peak 3525’
Northern Catskills
Fully Trailed
Scenic
Easy to hike and exceptionally rewarding: an enchanted spruce forest, great views of the Blackhead range, and three superb summit lookouts.
No. of Entries: 6