Rugged, Remote and Wild - The Catskills Westkill Mountain Wilderness Area
Written: Jun 11 '08 (Updated Feb 02 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wild, Rugged, Remote, Wilderness, Few trails, Beautiful scenery, Mountain peaks
Cons: Might be too remote and rugged for some folks, otherwise it's perfect
The Bottom Line: If you like hiking and exploring and you’re in the Catskill Mountain Region, you really should check out the Westkill Mountain Wilderness Area
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| jps246's Full Review: Westkill Mountain Wilderness Area, NY |
Looking for a wild and challenging hiking destination in the Catskills?
The Westkill Mountain Wilderness Area (WMWA) might just be the place for you.
With over 19,000 acres of wilderness, the WMWA boasts some of the most rugged and wildest terrain in the Catskills. Not only is that, but a good portion of this wilderness area is remote and trailless.
Some basic geography
The Catskill Mountains are located in New York State, just to the west of the Hudson Valley and about an hour south of Albany and 2 hours or so north of New York City. The WMWA is in the north-central portion of the Catskills with most of the wilderness area in the Town of Lexington and a small portion in the Town of Shandaken. The wilderness area hugs the line between Greene County and Ulster County, with the majority of area in Greene with a bit in Ulster.
There are several access points to get into the WMWA. Route 28 and 23A provide east-west access and are the major routes to the area. Access points are located along Route 214, Route 42, Spruceton Road (County Rt. 6) and Diamond Notch Road.
There are over 19,000 acres of public lands in the WMWA. It’s elevation ranges from a low in the Spruceton Valley area of about 1,000 feet to a high on the summit of Westkill Mountain of 3,880 feet.
In addition to the summit of Westkill Mountain, the WMWA is also home to North Dome, Sherrill, Balsam and Sheridan mountains.
Getting There
The main way to get to the WMWA is via either Route 28 or Route 23A. Both are accessible from the NY State Thruway and provide fairly direct east-west access into the Catskills and the WMWA. Actually parking areas and access points are located off the roads that branch off of Route 28 and 23A.
The vast majority of access to this wilderness area is from Spruceton Road, otherwise known as County Route 6. The quickest way to access this road if via Route 23A and a short drive along Route 42. Spruceton Road is a dead-end road that makes its way up Spruceton Valley and marks the northern boundary of the WMWA. There are three trailhead parking areas, one for the Devil’s Path, one for the Diamond Notch trails and one of the Hunter Mountain trails. These all provide access into the WMWA. There’s also a small parking area for fisherman that can be used to provide access into the WMWA.
If you are traveling along Route 214 through Stony Clove Notch, you can access the WMWA via Diamond Notch Road, which has a trailhead and parking area at the end of the road.
If you are coming along Route 28, you can get to the WMWA via Peck Hollow Road which actually accesses the Shandaken Wild Forest, but which lets you get into the WMWA if you hike to it. Broad Street Hollow also provides southern access at the end of the roadway.
On the western side, there’s a small parking lot located along Route 42 that provides access to the property, but there are no trails here.
Hiking
Out of all those acres of wilderness, there’s only a little over 10 miles of hiking trails in the WMWA. This means that a great portion of the wilderness area is trailless. To truly see it and explore it, you’ll have to get off the trail and do some bushwhacking.
The only maintained trails that cover this area are the Devil’s Path and the Diamond Notch Trail. The Devil’s Path travels about 7 miles up and over the summit of Westkill Mountain and then continues eastward, exiting the WMWA and traveling along the rest of the Devil’s Path.
The Diamond Notch Trail traverses Diamond Notch between the end of the Spruceton Road and the Diamond Notch Road. It provides access to the Devil’s Path along with the Diamond Notch Leanto. There’s also a waterfall along the trail near its intersection with the Devil’s Path.
The Diamond Notch Trail probably receives the most use, especially from Spruceton Valley as people walk up to the waterfall and then to the lean-to. The Devil’s Path over Westkill receives a good deal of use, but it’s not unlikely to go hiking there and not pass any other hikers, especially off the peak season.
These two trails really only touch on the potential of the WMWA for hiking. There are other mountains, valleys, streams and areas to explore if you’re willing to get off the beaten path and strike out into the woods with a compass or a GPS.
Many of the other peaks have indistinct herd path type trails as people climb quite often to their summits. Other areas have much less use though and you can truly get a wilderness experience in the Catskills here.
Camping
Public lands in the Catskills are open to camping so you can camp in the WMWA. The only restrictions are that you cannot camp in the summer months above 3500 feet and at any time of the year, you must camp at least 150 feet away from any open water, road, parking area or trail.
Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Hunting & Fishing
A portion of the Diamond Notch Trail is marked as a horse trail. You can ride your horse from the Hunter Mountain Trailhead to the Diamond Notch Leanto. It’s only a little over a mile, but I would imagine it’s a nice ride since it’s a nice hike. In all honesty though, I’ve never seen someone riding a horse here or seen evidence of it when I’ve been hiking.
You can ride your mountain bike on any trail in the Catskills at this time. However, much of the trails in the WMWA are simply too steep to really ride. The only trail worth riding would be the Diamond Notch Trail, which follows and old roadway and makes for a decent ride between the two trailheads.
The WMWA is open to hunting and fishing during the proper seasons. Fishing is mostly limited to the creek running down Spruceton Valley and the streams in Diamond Notch. There are other smaller streams, but I’m not sure how good the fishing would be.
If you are planning on hiking in the WMWA during hunting season, it can be dangerous. I’d suggest that anyone going into the WMWA during hunting season, should be dressed in blaze orange so that hunters can tell where they are and they should be aware of their surroundings to make sure they don’t get into any trouble.
Experiences
I’ve been all over the WMWA and it is a gem. It’s an amazingly rugged, natural and remote area in the heart of the Catskills.
The trip up and over Westkill Mountain via the Devil’s Path is one of the most rugged trails in the Catskills, but it’s well worth the trip. You make your way up and over one big mountain and you get some great views and some nifty places to explore.
The Diamond Notch Trail is a great trail for people who are just starting out with their hiking experiences. You’ll come across a really pretty waterfall if you hike in from Spruceton Road and then you’ll come to the leanto, where you can spend the night.
The rest of the area is really wild, save for a few worn out herd paths where hikers have bushwhacked to the summits of the trailless peaks. You really can experience the wilds of the Catskills here and I think its well worth a trip if you have some off-trail experience.
I’ve always enjoyed trips around this wilderness area. I find it to be a really neat part of the Catskill Park.
Final Thoughts
If you like hiking and exploring and you’re in the Catskill Mountain Region, you really should check out the Westkill Mountain Wilderness Area. It offers over 19,000 acres of rugged, remote and wild terrain that’s only crossed by a few trails.
Catskill Resources
The Catskills
Woodstock
Hunter, Tannersville and Haines Falls
Phoenicia
Hunter Mountain Wild Forest
Tremper Mountain Fire Tower
Hunter Mountain Fire Tower
Woodland Valley Campground
Devil's Tombstone Campground and Day-Use Area
Hunter Mountain Ski Resort
Ski Windham Ski Resort
Belleayre Mountain Ski Resort
Emerson Place
Catskill Trails Map Set
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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