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DISTANCE: 3.4 miles TYPE: Out and back TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN: 1,030 feet MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 2,430 feet DIFFICULTY: Difficult HIKING TIME: 3 hours |
Located just outside the town of Margaretville, the hike to Pakatakan Mountain is a short jaunt up the northern tip of the Dry Brook Ridge. Don’t let the length fool you, though! You will have to work to gain the ridge, as the trail climbs more than 1,000 feet in just under 2 miles. The trail has a tendency to zigzag back and forth, leveling off in places just long enough for you to catch your breath before sending you scrambling uphill again.
Beyond Pakatakan Mountain the trail continues, passing through Dry Brook Ridge Wild Forest and Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest, traversing the entire length of the ridge, before ending at the southern base of Balsam Lake Mountain almost 14 miles from the northern terminus. The portion of the trail this hike follows is usually quiet, and it ascends by means of a well-graded jeep road, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take in the forest scenery as you’re making the trek uphill.
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 approximately 42 miles, until you reach the village of Margaretville. You will go straight through a light at the junction of Bridge Street, which crosses the East Branch Delaware River and heads into Margaretville. A little less than half a mile after passing Bridge Street, turn left onto Fair Street. Follow Fair Street for 0.3 mile, and make a sharp left onto Southside Road. The parking area is on the left side of the road about a quarter of a mile from where Fair Street ends, on the wide grassy shoulder. There should be a trail register on the edge of the woods opposite the parking area.
Inputting “Pakatakan Mountain” into Google Maps will not bring you to the appropriate trailhead. To reach the start of the trail, you may type “S Side Spur, Margaretville, NY” into Google Maps and your GPS will navigate you very close to the trailhead.
THE TRAIL
From the parking area, cross the road and sign in to the aforementioned DEC trail register. Head into the woods on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail, which is marked with blue blazes. The trail ascends quickly for a few hundred feet as soon as you enter the woods. Turn left onto an old logging road and continue climbing more moderately than before, passing several interesting stone ledges with large cave-like overhangs. The trail levels off for a short distance and then bends back to the right, resuming the climb as you cross over the Dry Brook Ridge Wild Forest boundary.
Continue to follow the blue blazes through an old hemlock grove; the trail opens eventually into mixed forest dominated by maples and oaks. There are more ledgy overhangs as the trail progresses, turning back and forth on large, lazy switchbacks. After about half a mile of moderate to steep climbing, the trail will begin to turn to the right and level off. Catch your breath as you walk this easy grade for another half mile, continuing to follow the blue blazes. If you are hiking in the summer or early fall, you might be able to smell the fern patches that grow alongside the forest road.
A ROCK FORMATION ON THE WAY TO THE SUMMIT OF PAKATAKAN MOUNTAIN
Approximately a mile from the trailhead, you will come to a split in the road. To the right is a seasonal spring, marked with a wooden sign. The spring is located roughly 100 feet from the fork in the trail, although it may not be running during dry periods. The main trail turns to the left and resumes a fairly aggressive climb, with beech trees becoming more common as you ascend.
After climbing for 0.25 mile, the grade will begin to lessen as the trail turns to the left. As you walk, you will notice even more rock formations slightly off-trail to the right. In a short distance, the trail curves back to the right, ascending once again as you circumnavigate a craggy ledge near the top of the mountain.
Shortly after passing over the ledge, the trail becomes much more level, and a herd path breaks off of the main trail to the right. The path may be hard to distinguish if snow or leaves are covering the trail, so be alert. It is located just after a tree bearing a blue trail marker. Follow the herd path, and in a few hundred feet you will reach a grassy clearing on a stone outcropping. This is the viewpoint on Pakatakan Mountain, 1.7 miles from the trailhead. From here you can see partially obstructed views of the surrounding hills and valleys, as well as Pepacton Reservoir and the East Branch Delaware River to the west.
From the viewing area, you will notice a second herd path heading back into the woods toward the Dry Brook Ridge Trail. Follow this herd path until you come to the main trail. Turn left here and follow the blue blazes back downhill to the parking area.
