Hiking Trail Description

Bear in mind, I have not yet hiked this exact route. When I hiked Ticetonyk I bushwhacked in from the west side, from a new public trail that is not quite finished. Though it was short, it was one of the toughest hikes I’ve done. The stands of mountain laurel were so dense and thick, it was exhausting to deal with.

The route shown here is a direct route to the summit, all on public land, from the DEC lot on Peck Road. This route is steep but the woods are pretty open. Walking Man has a nice report. And Catskill Hiker has some notes, too.

Ticetonyk is a lower Catskill peak in the Phoenicia/Mt. Tobias Wild Forest near Mount Tremper and Mount Tobias.

Ticetonyk Mountain Waypoints

This is a true bushwhack mountain. You may come across several old woods roads to ease your ascent, but make sure to keep off private property. There is a very narrow public corridor at the beginning of this hike, from the parking area to the lower slopes of the mountain.

When you get to the top, there are four great spots to visit…

1. The summit, marked by a large boulder with a geodetic survey marker
2. A stunning eastern lookout which is marked with a small ledge carved with graffiti (possibly historical)
3. A little further north on the same contour, you get views of the Eastern Devil’s Path, Plattekill & Overlook
4. A western lookout above a ledge with a good view of Giant Ledge & Panther

Summit

Ticetonyk’s summit is a mix of open deciduous woods, thick stands of mountain laurel, and small rocky knobs. There are a lot of deer in the area, too, judging by the amount of their poop. I also came across a hunter’s stand in the woods, so make sure to wear orange during hunting season.

Actual Summit

The west side of the summit has especially thick stands of mountain laurel. Right next to those, in suddenly fairly open woods, is an obvious, large, flat boulder marking the true summit.

Embedded in the top of the boulder is a geodetic survey marker. (Several others are close by; these are “reference markers” with arrows pointing back to the “main station”.)

Eastern Viewpoints

Head east and downhill. Look for a small ledge at about 2375 ft. Its GPS coordinates are 42.00230 N, -74.21564 W.

The scenic view looking east is insane. I did not expect such a sweet view. I sat for a long time here on the mossy mountainside. Extremely pleasant. Great place for a well-earned picnic.

The whole Ashokan is visible, including its western lobe to the right, where it’s backed by Ashokan High Point, etc.

If you hike 100 ft farther north — carefully, as the grade is steep here — you’ll get some good views of Overlook and the Eastern Devil’s Path.

Western Viewpoint

After a snack, I climbed back uphill to roughly midway between the lookout and the summit, turned left/west, and followed a fairly flat section for a while.

I poked around looking for the Western View marked on GaiaGPS’s map but I was slightly too low — I tracked along the base of a long rock band; the view point is on top of the cliffs. If you see these boys, you’re below where you need to be. Find a safe way up through the ledge system or double back and head up along its top…

At 42.00237 N, -74.21868 W, I found a large boulder which I stood on to look at the Burroughs Range, Giant Ledge and Panther.

This was some good unguided exploring and I saw no other hikers on the untrailed parts of the mountain.

This is a short but difficult hike. It’s less than a mile-and-a-half from the parking area to the summit, but it feels like a lot more.

Similar Hikes

This is a true bushwhack, meaning there is no trail to follow — and no herd paths, either. You should be an experienced mountain hiker and totally prepared to navigate in unmaintained woods before attempting this hike. Untrailed hikes are great when you want some solitude, and this one comes with two great scenic views. The cost? It’s quite steep.

The parent mountain for this hike is Ticetonyk.

If you do this hike, LMK how it went…