Bushwhack
The dictionary definition of bushwhack is “to travel in wild or uncultivated country”. For hikers, this means heading off-trail — leaving trail markers behind and relying on your knowledge, senses and skill to travel terrain few people dare to travel.
If you crave solitude, or just want to steer clear of crowded hiking trails, bushwhacking gives you the best shot at long stretches of uninterrupted deep nature-time.
Bushwhacking in the Catskills
In the Catskills, bushwhacking often means hiking through open woods, forging your own route toward a summit. It’s a great way to get away from crowded trails and see a few things few people get to see.
Sometimes, it means pushing through dense hobblebush or mountain laurel, or through thick conifer woods where the visibility is reduced, essentially, to zero. It’s a fantastic way to get scratched up and bleed a little.
Bushwhack Practice
Two mountains that are often recommended for beginner bushwhackers are Halcott and Rusk. Both offer short (but very steep) bushwhack hikes. They are great learner mountains for this skill.
Not sure how to get started? Join a well-run group hike, hire a guide for a day, or have an experienced hiker show you the ropes.
Bushwhacks vs True Bushwhacks
Many of the Catskills bushwhacks are now bushwhacks in name only. For example, Vly is a bushwhack mountain but it has a clear herd path that leads directly from the main trail to the canister.
Halcott and Rusk both have herd paths now, especially as you get near their summits.
Friday’s herd paths are tricker to pick up, but it’s hard to think of even Friday as a true bushwhack these days.
These are all fun hikes. But the further you hike from trails and herd paths, the quieter the mountains become, and the more likely you are to encounter wildlife.
Below, I’ve included all bushwhack hikes — but you can also focus on only the true bushwhacks.
Bushwhacking Risks
Any bushwhack hike includes a greatly heightened risk of becoming lost. You must know how to navigate without GPS. That is: with a map and compass.
SectionHiker has some good bushwhacking tips. Adirondack Experience has a great bushwhacking primer.
Warning! On any bushwhack hike, no matter how short, it’s absolutely critical to bring three things with you: a paper map, a physical compass, and the skills to use both. Do not rely on your phone’s GPS.
Thru-Hike Doubletop, Graham & Balsam Lake
This hike had it all: stream crossings, herd paths, bear prints, a canister, a memorably steep descent, a true bushwhack, a rugged ascent, an ice grotto, some old ruins and, to top it all off, a fire tower with amazing sunset views.
Hike Balsam Cap in the Clouds
A direct line from Moonhaw takes you up the shortest possible route to Balsam Cap but be warned: the way is steep. This is a tough Catskill hike.
Rusk & East Rusk
The very steep bushwhack up the south side of Rusk is never a ton of fun. But Rusk’s summit is lovely and, if you hike over to East Rusk, your day just gets lovelier.
Hike from Platte Clove to Plattekill to Echo Lake
This hike is mostly very easy, with about 75% on well-marked trail. However, the bushwhack to the scenic lookout on the south side of Plattekill is extremely difficult, and presents some dangers.
Friday, Balsam Cap & B-25 Crash Site
A long, tough, rewarding hike that follows woods roads and herd paths, and ends with a true bushwhack to the wreckage of a WWII military bomber.
Hike Kaaterskill High Peak & 2 Plane Wrecks
KHP’s summit is a Catskills classic with a spectacular view from Hurricane Ledge. This route takes in two eerie plane wrecks, and there is much to see on the long trek in and out. This a tough, muddy, rewarding hike.
The Catskills 6: Friday, Balsam Cap, Rocky, Lone, Table, Peekamoose
Tackling this route as part of a group hike makes it a fantastic experience.
Hike Vly & Bearpen
Personal opinion: these are the only two boring Catskill 3500 hikes. Vly has a few small ledges to keep things interesting, barely, but I swear the trailed route up Bearpen has almost nothing to recommend it. Luckily, you can bag both of these hills together on a single, easy out-and-back.
Loop Hike North Dome & Mount Sherrill
This hike begins with an easy section of marked trail on the Devil’s Path but then switches to one of the most challenging Catskills bushwhacks. The ledges of North Dome will absolutely test your nerve.
Hike Big Indian & Fir via Biscuit Brook
This was one of my earliest mountain hikes and by far my longest hike at the time. In the shin-deep snow, I found it extremely tiring. However, after another year in the hills, with much stronger legs, I would now class this as a moderate hike — which seems to suggest: one’s experience hiking depends on one’s hiking experience.
Rusk: First Bushwhack
Like me, if you’ve never been on a bushwhack hike—a hike without a trail—the thought of wandering into the woods with zero guide-rails seems completely intimidating. The best thing to do, here, is to join a group hike, or hook up an experienced pal who can show you the ropes.
