I trail ran this route in 1h 40m. Hikers should allow around 3 hrs.

Start at Scutt Road parking lot (which is a great fallback parking lot for Kaaterskill Falls during Fall Foliage in The Catskills. Walk into the woods across from the parking area and follow the blue blazes of the Escarpment Trail down to the first junction.

Turn right and head downhill. At the long footbridge, turn left and head up the stone staircase.

Pass the junction that leads down to Kaaterskill Falls — unless you want to add it to your itinerary.

From here on, the trail is considerably less used and is a little rough and rugged in spots.

Continue downhill. At a sharp bend, you’ll find…

Layman’s Monument

The monument reads: “In memory of Frank D. Layman of Haines Falls who lost his life on this spot Aug. 10, 1900, while with others fighting a forest fire which threatened to destroy the homes and business interests of the people of this place. By those grateful for his devoted service this monument is erected.”

Lookouts

There are too many lookouts on the way to Inspiration Point to keep count. Some have chiseled graffiti. (Please don’t add more graffiti. We know better now.) Some have cairns — for no discernible reason. (Also not great.) But the views are fantastic…

Inspiration Point

You will know Inspiration Point when you arrive. The open rock ledge is enormous and the cliff’s drop-off is vertical and probably deadly. (Watch your small children and dogs.)

To your right, below Round Top, you can pick out the lines of homes in Twilight Park (also visible from the top of Kaaterskill Falls).

Directly across Kaaterskill Clove from Inspiration Point are the shark-like humps of Kaaterskill High Peak and Round Top. (The distance between the two summits is about ⅘ of a mile.)

Return / More Great Views

Continue east along the Escarpment Trail. There are still more excellent views to enjoy, including the opening of the clove below…

There are several ways back to Scutt Road. At the next junction, you can take the yellow-blazed Horse Trail.

On this day, I continued past that junction and took the next junction and continued to follow the blue blazes of the Escarpment Trail northwest to the red Schutt Road trail where I turned left/west and headed back toward Scutt Road. (The spelling difference is confusing. It’s the same Scutt Road.)

Hotel Kaaterskill

My original plan for this hike was to include the short loop around the summit of South Mountain to visit the historical ruins of the Hotel Kaaterskill — billed at the time of its construction as the largest mountain hotel in the world. However, by the end of my sunset hike, it was too dark. I trail ran out with my headlamp.

BTW, you can read about the Fried Chicken War that was the impetus of the building of the Hotel Kaaterskill.