Steep
Little Ashokan
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.
Hike Slide, Cornell & Wittenberg
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.
Ginseng & Hayden: Quiet Northern Catskills
A very quiet and peaceful section of the Northern Catskill Escarpment / Long Path, free of Classic Catskills crowds.
Panther Peak via Santanoni Road
This is a long, steep, beautiful hike up one of the more challenging ranges in the Adirondacks: the Santanoni range.
Steep Catskills Hike to Two Lookouts
A short, steep Nature Walk through peaceful woods to two views of the Ashokan Reservoir and surrounding Catskills peaks.
Panther Mountain from Fox Hollow
The hike to Panther Mountain from Fox Hollow offers ever-changing terrain, epic scenic views, and lots of wildlife.
Hiking Brace Mountain & Mount Frissell from Quarry Hill
A stunningly scenic hike with fantastic views of the wide valley below and distant mountain ranges. Brace’s summit is especially magical at sunset.
Ticetonyk Mountain Trail to West View
I figured Ticetonyk was beautifully positioned to have great views — but I had no idea. Ticetonyk’s lookouts are now among my favorites in The Catskills.
Hike Arizona Mountain from Stork’s Nest Rd
A quiet, steep and difficult hiking trail that grows more rewarding with every step you climb. It includes one of the truly great views in the Catskills.
Tanbark Trail (Phoenicia)
A short, steep, rocky intense hike right in the heart of Phoenicia. Lots of dramatic Catskills geology. Two excellent views.
Best Day Hike in the Catskills: Wittenberg, Cornell, Slide
As rugged as I suspected — but more beautiful than I imagined.
Trail Maintenance, Lost Clove, Fall 2019
Lost Clove is one of the very steepest trails in the Catskill Park. Which is great, if you’re a hill-running lunatic. If you’re me? Not so great. But trail maintenance is rewarding work, and I was really happy to finish the tidy-up I started in May.
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.
Plateau from Mink Hollow
This is the shortest/fastest way to climb Plateau Mountain in The Catskills. Mink Hollow Trailhead & Parking The parking area at the north end of the Mink Hollow trail is marked on the NYNJTC maps in gray, which signifies “roadside parking”.
Hike Hunter & Southwest Hunter from Stony Clove Notch
This hike tackles two routes on Hunter’s eastern side: the rugged Devil’s Path, and the relentlessly steep Becker Hollow. Hunter itself is an immense mountain, but the 360° view from its fire tower will charge your batteries for weeks.
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.
