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DISTANCE: 6.8 miles TYPE: Loop TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN: 1,750 feet MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 4,190 feet DIFFICULTY: Strenuous HIKING TIME: 4.5 hours |
The highest point in the Catskills, as well as the highest point in the State of New York outside of the Adirondacks High Peaks region, Slide Mountain was in fact not recognized for its prominent station for some time. As hoteliers flocked to build their mountain resorts around the North-South Lake area, Kaaterskill High Peak, at only 3,655 feet, was regarded as the high point in the range for many years.
As the result of long-running quarrels over land rights in the Catskills, no complete, impartial survey was orchestrated until 1886, when the prominence of Slide Mountain was finally becoming noticed. Thanks to the efforts of Princeton geology professor Arnold Henry Guyot, a more extensive survey of the region was conducted, and Slide Mountain was recognized as the highest point in the Catskills, at 4,180 feet.
Slide was named for a landslide in 1819 that scarred the north face of the mountain near its summit. In spite of its height, the hike up Slide Mountain is relatively unchallenging compared to summiting many of the other peaks in the region. However, the view from the summit has been encroached on by trees over the years and thus does not offer quite as dramatic a view as other nearby, lesser mountains. Still, the trail itself is enchanting, making this a pleasurable, surprisingly low-key hike up a mountain rich with history and significance.
GETTING THERE
Take Exit 19 (Kingston) from the New York State Thruway. Turn right onto NY-28 West, then continue west on NY-28 for about 28 miles. At Shandaken, turn right onto NY-42, and in 0.3 mile, turn left onto Creek Side Drive/Old Route 28. Continue for 2.5 miles, then turn left onto Fire House Road (NY-47). In half a mile, Fire House Road becomes Oliverea Road. Continue for another 10 miles. The parking area is marked by a wooden sign on the left side of the road. While the parking lot is large, accommodating approximately 25 cars, it fills up quickly on weekends due to the popularity of this hike.
GPS SHORTCUT
Type “Slide Mountain Trailhead Parking Lot” into Google Maps and your GPS will navigate you to the appropriate trailhead.
THE TRAIL
The trail starts at the middle of the parking lot near the DEC billboard. Proceed east on the yellow-blazed Phoenicia–East Branch Trail, immediately crossing the west branch of the Neversink River. The water can be difficult to cross after significant rainfall. Following the crossing, you will climb up a rocky footpath, until you ascend a series of stone steps and reach an old woods road in 0.4 mile. Continue to the right.
Follow the yellow-blazed trail along the relatively level woods road. In another third of a mile, you will pass a spring to your left, and shortly after you will come to a junction with the red-blazed Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide Trail, marked by wooden DEC signs. Whichever route you take, you will have the opportunity to return down the other path upon your descent. For this hike, take the path to the right, following the yellow blazes.
After about a third of a mile, at a stream, the trail bends sharply to the right. Around mile marker 1.5, you will come to a second junction. While the yellow-blazed trail that you have been following continues straight, heading south toward Table Mountain, the blue-blazed Curtis-Ormsbee Trail connects to your left. The trail was established by two well-known hikers, William Buckingham Curtis and Allan Ormsbee, who perished in a snowstorm in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range in 1900. There is a marble monument at the junction commemorating their legacy. Turn left to follow this trail and the blue blazes.
You will climb a steep but brief section before reaching your first viewpoint, on the left side of the trail, with views to the north and west. A second viewpoint arrives another 0.2 mile up the trail, available from an unmarked side path on the right. Looking south, you will have an excellent view of Table, Lone, Rocky, and Balsam Cap Mountains.
Return to the main trail. Over the next mile, relatively level sections alternate with steeper climbs, before the Curtis-Ormsbee Trail ends at a junction with the red-blazed Cornell-Wittenberg-Slide Trail.
Turn right to continue uphill following the red blazes. Your ascent will grow more severe, and after another three-quarters of a mile, you will arrive at a third viewpoint, and perhaps the best view available from Slide. To the left of the trail, a ledge looks out to panoramic views stretching from Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain, to Woodland Valley, to the Devil’s Path to the north.
MEMORIAL PLAQUE ON SLIDE MOUNTAIN SUMMIT
Shortly after, you will arrive at the summit of Slide Mountain. There, you will find the remains of a fire tower foundation. Unfortunately, there are no views from the summit itself. A short distance further, however, you will come to a large rock ledge that looks out to Cornell and Wittenberg Mountains, though the view has been somewhat blocked by tree cover in recent years. Just below the ledge is a plaque in memory of John Burroughs. Burroughs, a naturalist, essayist, and major figure in the US conservation movement, wrote frequently of his life in the Catskills.
Follow the same route to return down the red-blazed path, until you’ve reached the junction with the blue-blazed Curtis-Ormsbee Trail. Continue following the red blazes to take the Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide Trail for your descent. Shortly after, the trail bends very sharply to the left, then again to the right. At the first turn, there is an unmarked bushwhacking trail that follows the mountain ridgeline, crossing into private land. This route should not be hiked without permission from the landowner.
The trail here is rocky, but it offers a quick descent. About 1.25 miles after the sharp switchbacks, you will return to the junction with the yellow-blazed Phoenicia–East Branch Trail. You are now only about three-quarters of a mile from the trailhead. Turn right and follow the yellow trail along the old woods road for 0.3 mile, until you come to another intersection with the end of the aforementioned bushwhacking trail. Turn left, and follow the yellow blazes back to the parking area.
