Catskills -- Southern

See the Location Tab above where parking areas are associated for the trails featured in the Overview, as well as for a segment of the Long Path, and trails in Bluestone Wild Forest.  Trail Conference Maps 143 and 146 identify many additional parking areas.

Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide Trail

• Trailhead is from a parking area at Woodland Valley State Campground [click on campground map for parking area]. From Thruway Exit 19, Kingston - first right from traffic circle after leaving the exit, on to Route 28 West. Proceed 20-25 miles to the village of Phoenicia, which will be on your right. Proceed on Rte. 28. Cross the bridge, take the next left at the sign and then take the first right onto Woodland Valley Road. The campground is approximately 6 miles at the end of the road.

Peekamoose-Table Trail

• Northern trailhead is 1.2 miles from the end of Denning Road; southern trailhead is on Peekamouse Road [County 42].

Red Hill Trail

• The trailhead is on Coons Road [also Dinch Road], where parking is available.

This region includes Slide Mountain, the highest peak in the Catskills and a popular destination for hikers. [Use Trail Conference Maps 143 & 146]

Trail Conference “Southern” Map 143 provides descriptions, turning points and mileage markers for 15 trails. Below are three of them:     

• Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide Trail [also known as Burroughs Range Trail -- 9.1 miles, red blaze, trailhead grid locations K7/J7, trail designation “WS”].  The most challenging approach to the Burroughs Range [Wittenberg, Cornell, and Slide mountains] is from Woodland Valley, one of the deepest valleys in the Catskills.  Many hikers rate  Wittenberg as their favorite hike in the Catskills - and the significant effort to reach the view from the top is worth it!
• Peekamoose-Table Trail [7.5 miles, blue blaze, map grid J9/J8, trail PT].  Peekamoose and Table mountains are the most southerly of the Catskills' mountains.  They are an attractive destination for an overnight, but can also be climbed as a day hike.
• Red Hill Trail [1.4 miles, yellow blaze, map grid H9, trail RH].  This short trail provides access over state land to the restored fire tower on 2,990-foot Red Hill, with a 360-degree view over the Hudson River valley, the Shawangunks, Slide, Peekamoose, and Table mountains to the east and north.

Trail Conference “Vernooy Kill” Map 146 traces a 25-mile segment of the Long Path [blue blaze] as it passes southeast through Sundown Wild Forest and then continues past Vernooy Kill State Forest to reach the town of Kerhonkson and then beyond [Map 146 grid start/end points:  J10/L11].

• Four relatively short trails totaling 9 miles in Bluestone Wild Forest are included on the reserve side of this map.  A parking area at Onteora Lake provides access to three of them.  The compact network of trails facilitates loop hikes.

Outside the North/South Lake area, the Catskills' most-hiked trails are those that climb Slide Mountain, the highest peak in the range at 4,180 feet.  Slide Mountain was publicized by the writings of naturalist John Burroughs, who is fittingly memorialized by a plaque on the summit ledge.  It may well be the most popular peak in the area, but Slide is far from the only offering.  Together the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area and the Big Indian Wilderness Area cover more than 80,000 acres - an area larger than some national parks - with many other peaks and trails that offer a backcountry experience unparalleled within a hundred miles of Times Square.

Below is a list of Catskill 3500 Peaks in this region sorted according to their elevations.

● Does not have maintained trail to summit

■ Register box on summit maintained by Catskill 3500 Club

Resources:

• Overview of Catskill Mountains Region
• Description of Catskill Park
  • Detailed accounts of hikes in Catskill Park

Opened in 2015 and located on Route 28 several miles north of Ashokan Reservoir, the Catskill Interpretative Center is “… a place where residents and visitors can learn about [the] unique natural, historical, and cultural resources” of the region.