The bushwhack to Little Ashokan is one of the steeper and sketchier routes I’ve hiked in the Catskills: craggy ledges, loose dirt and rocks, lots of blowdown. But the summit is magical, and the view it affords it is startlingly beautiful.
Having never camped out before, and certainly never in the backcountry, I researched for weeks, pulled the necessary kit together, and finally screwed up enough courage to solo camp overnight in the wilderness.
This is my favorite tough-but-beautiful Catskills hike. Long, rugged, technical and remote, it brings you over three summits to some of the most stunning lookouts in the Catskill Park.
Hike over Hunter’s massive, gorgeous and super-scenic summit to descend via the Devil’s Path for a rugged walk-out — with a short side-quest to Southwest Hunter.
This might be my new favorite way to hike WHP. The easy first mile and the hemlock-rich woods at the start of this route make it such a pleasant way to begin and end this beautiful day hike.
TL;DR — Building cairns disturbs fragile, sensitive habitats and stresses whatever environment they’re built in. I didn’t know people also built them in streams…
This has been some time in the planning. It’s great news for the area just east of the Ashokan Reservoir. The new parcel sits between Jockey Hill and Onteora Lake. Its acquisition connects all three parcels, and allows for the the construction of connecting trails to unify the area.
The most efficient way to climb the Catskills High Peaks is to do as many of them in groups as possible. These lists of pairs and triplets combine the Catskills in their most common groupings. Minimize your travel. Maximize your peak-bagging!