AMC's Best Day Hikes in the Catskills and Hudson Valley : Four-Season Guide to 60 of the Best Trails from New York City to Albany

by Peter Kick

• ISBN13: 9781929173846
• ISBN10: 1929173849
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2006-06-01
• Publisher: Appalachian Mountain Club Books

Summary

With more than 600 miles of trails within just a few hours of New York City, the Catskills and the Hudson River Valley are a hiker's paradise, boasting varied and scenic terrain from Westchester County to Albany. This new guide from the experts at the Appalachian Mountain Club leads beginner and experienced hikers alike along sixty of the region's most spectacular trails, from short family nature walks to day-long hikes that reward with magnificent views. Each trip description includes a detailed map and a summary of the trip time, distance, and difficulty, plus an icon indicating whether the trail is also good for snowshoeing or cross-country. The guide includes appendices packed with snowshoe treks, rock climbing in the Gunks, and other opportunities for outdoor adventure in the region, making this guide an essential four-season reference for locals and visitors alike. Special features include: >Fifty day hikes for all ability levels, ranging from two to eight miles long >Detailed and accurate trail descriptions >Locator map and "At-A-Glance" highlights chart for easy trip comparison and planning >Hiking and safety tips >Detailed maps showing parking areas, trails, and natural highlights >Nature Notes about prominent species, and unique natural features of each hike >Photographs of plant and animal life reflecting each trip's hidden wonders

Author Biography

Peter Kick, a native of the Catskill Mountains, is a New York State licensed wilderness guide and trip leader. The author of several hiking and mountain-biking guides, including AMC's Catskill Mountain Guide, his writing also has appeared in Backpacker, Outdoor Traveler, and Adirondack Life. He lives in New Paltz, NY.

Table of Contents

At-a-Glance Trip Planner	xii
Introduction	xx
How to Use This Book	xxv
Trip Planning and Safety	xxvii
The Hudson Highlands	1	(36)
Storm King	4	(5)
Mount Taurus	9	(3)
Breakneck Ridge to South Beacon Mountain	12	(4)
Bear Mountain	16	(4)
Dunderberg and the Timp	20	(4)
Anthony's Nose	24	(5)
Schunemunk Mountain	29	(4)
Sterling Forest Ridge	33	(4)
The Shawangunks	37	(36)
Bonticou Crag	43	(5)
Castle Point, Lake Awosting, and Margaret Cliff	48	(4)
Millbrook Mountain and Gertrude's Nose	52	(4)
Sam's Point and the Badlands	56	(4)
The Trapps	60	(4)
Sky Top	64	(5)
Eagle Cliff and Mohonk Lake	69	(4)
The Eastern Mid-Hudson Valley	73	(28)
Stissing Mountain	75	(4)
Thompson Pond	79	(3)
Norrie Point	82	(5)
Tivoli Bays	87	(3)
Poet's Walk Romantic Landscape Park	90	(3)
Olana	93	(4)
Roosevelt Woods	97	(4)
The Southern Taconics	101	(20)
Brace Mountain	104	(3)
Alander Mountain	107	(4)
Bash Bish Mountain	111	(3)
Harvey Mountain	114	(3)
Sunset Rock	117	(4)
The Northern Taconics	121	(18)
Mount Greylock	124	(4)
Hopkins Memorial Forest	128	(3)
Pine Cobble	131	(4)
White Rock	135	(4)
The Catskills	139	(108)
Slide Mountain	145	(5)
Wittenberg and Cornell Mountains	150	(4)
Giant Ledge	154	(3)
Peekamoose and Table Mountains	157	(4)
Ashokan High Point	161	(4)
Red Hill	165	(3)
Mount Tremper	168	(3)
Codfish Point	171	(5)
Overlook Mountain	176	(4)
Indian Head Mountain	180	(5)
Twin Mountain	185	(3)
Plateau Mountain from Stony Clove	188	(4)
Kaaterskill High Peak	192	(6)
Poet's Ledge	198	(3)
Huckleberry Point	201	(4)
North Point	205	(4)
Inspiration Point and Boulder Rock	209	(4)
Kaaterskill Falls	213	(4)
Blackhead Mountain	217	(3)
Windham High Peak	220	(4)
Acra Point	224	(4)
Hunter Mountain	228	(3)
Diamond Notch to West Kill Falls	231	(3)
West Kill Mountain to Buck Ridge Lookout	234	(3)
Dry Brook Ridge	237	(3)
Balsam Lake Mountain	240	(3)
Palenville Overlook	243	(4)
The Helderbergs	247	(10)
Vroman's Nose	249	(4)
Thacher Park and Indian Ladder	253	(4)
Appendix A: Helpful Information	257	(4)
Appendix B: Leave No Trace	261	(2)
Appendix C: Selected Bibliography	263	(4)
Index	267	(4)
About the Author	271	(1)
The Appalachian Mountain Club	272	(2)
AMC Book Updates	274