Catskill Mountaineer

Kaaterskill High Peak (North Access via RT 16)

Kaaterskill High Peak via Rt 16
Lower Hurricane Ledge located south of Kaaterskill High Peak summit
 
 

OVERVIEW

  Distance: Approximately 8.46 miles round trip from DEC parking lot to Kaaterskill High Peak and back.
  Time: Average 5 hours round trip
  Elevation Gain: 1,775' feet from parking lot to highest point in hike.
  Best Time to Hike: Anytime.
  Difficulty: Difficult
  Catskill Highest: #22
  Peak Elevation: 3,655'
   
  USGS Official Names: High Peak (ID: 952749)
  USGS Alternate Names: Liberty Cap & Round Top
  USGS Summit-Elevation: 3,645' (USGS)
  USGS KHP-Summit-WGS84: 42.162033, -74.080138 (DEC-WGS84)
  USGS KHP-Summit-GPS: N 42 09.722, W 74 04.808 (GPS)
  USGS KHP-Summit-UTM: 18N 575988 4668176 (UTM)
  USGS KHP-Summit-Deg, Min, Sec: N42 09 43, W74 04 48 (Degree, Min, Sec)
   
  USGS Official Map: Kaaterskill Topographical Map (free)
   
  DEC Trail Map: DEC Kaaterskill Wild Forest Map (free)
   
  Digital Mapper: Topo      Terrain      Satellite
   
  Access Methods: Foot, snowshoe, ski, and snowmobile (part way).

Maps

Catskill Mountains Kaaterskill High Peak Trail Map North Access


Map of private property around the Huckleberry Point trail



 

DIRECTIONS TO TRAIL HEAD

 
  • DEC Parking Lot WGS84 (DEC): 42.133667, -74.0827 - Elevation is approximately 1,872 feet
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  • DEC Parking Lot Deg/Min/Sec: N42 08 01, W74 04 57 - Elevation is approximately 1,872 feet
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  • DEC Parking Lot GPS: N 42 08.020, W 74 04.962 - Elevation is approximately 1,872 feet
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  • DEC Parking Lot UTM: 18N 575810 4665024 - Elevation is approximately 1,872 feet
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  • Take New York State Thruway to Exit 21 (Catskill).
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  • Take a left out of the NYS Thruway entrance road.
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  • Go approximately 1/2 mile
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  • Take a right onto Route 23 West
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  • Go approximately 5 miles on Route 23.
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  • Take a left onto Rt 32 (McDonalds on corner).
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  • Go approximately 7-8 miles on Route 32.
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  • Take right onto Rt 23A.
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  • Go approximately 7-8 miles on Rt 23A .
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  • When you come into Tannersville, take LEFT at the red light onto RailRoad Ave (Rt 16), which will turn into Spruce Street, which will turn into Platt Clove Road. Follow this road approximately 7-8 miles
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  • The DEC parking lot is on the LEFT side of the road.
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  • It is approximately 1/2 mile past Josh Road (on left side of the road).
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  • If you start to go down the hill to the valley, then you have gone too far. The downhill section of the road is closed in the winter.
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  • Do NOT block the gate entrance - there is a house at the end of this road.
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  • Do NOT drive up the dirt entrance road to the trail head - this is PRIVATE property - AND there is NO place to park or turn around once you get to the trail head.


  • NOTES ABOUT THIS HIKE

     The DEC has renamed the Snowmobile Trail to the Kaaterskill High Peak Trail. On this page we will just call it, "Kaaterskill Trail". Snowmobilers are still allowed to use part of the Long Path along with the Kaaterskill Trail. In 2024, some parts of the Kaaterskill Trail were overgrown.

    The road entrance to the DEC Upper Platte Clove Parking Area is actually called the Steenburg Road. Years ago, it was a public road. Today, parts of it are public, and the ending is on private property. This hike only goes over the public part. You cannot drive on the Steenburg Road beyond the DEC Upper Platte Clove Parking Area.

    The trail going from the Kaaterskill Trail up to the summit of Kaaterskill High Peak is not an official Trail. The trail has existed for over 100 years. It is believed to have been built by members of Twilight Park. As you approach the top, there is one difficult section.


    MILEAGE CHART

      Mile Point Mileage Altitude Notes
      0.00 0.00 1,872' DEC Parking Lot and Trail head for this hike. N42 08.020 W74 04.962
      0.89 0.89 2,366' Leave Steenburg Road - Take Trail on Right side of road. (GPS: N42 08.553 W74 04.467).
      0.13 1.02 2,412' Trail Junction for Huckleberry Point - LEFT goes to Kaaterskill High Peak - Right goes to Huckleberry Point - N42 08.544 W74 04.325
      2.37 3.39 3,017' Trail Junction - Left will take you to the Kaaterskill High Peak. RIGHT will take you to Palenville, NY. Go LEFT.
      0.12 3.51 3,030' Trail Junction - STRAIGHT will take you to KHP. Go STRAIGHT. Left goes east on the Kaaterskill Trail.
      0.06 3.57 3,043' Trail Junction - Left will take you up the North Access route to KHP. Go LEFT. Right takes you west on the Kaaterskill Trail.
      0.66 4.23 3,655' Summit of Kaaterskill High Peak
      4.23 8.46 1,872' Return to Upper Platte Clove DEC Parking Lot. N42 08.020 W74 04.962

    Hike to Kaaterskill High Peak from Platte Clove (North Access)

    entrance to the DEC parking area off Steenburg Road by Hell's Hole Creek in Platte Clove
    The image above is the entrance to the Upper Platte Clove DEC Parking Lot. This is also the old Steenburg Road. Presently, you can only travel by motorized vehicle up to the DEC Parking Area. You are NOT allowed to drive past the gates!

    The Upper Platte Clove Parking Area does fill up fast during the summer months and on some weekends. Make sure you park so that other cars will have a placed to park.

    Do NOT park on the side of Platte Clove Road (Rt 16). Your car WILL be towed by the Town of Hunter!

    Across the street are two parking spaces for access to Hell's Hole. If you drive past Steenburg Road on Platte Clove Road, there is another parking area around the corner called the Bridal Veil Lookout Parking area, which is now CLOSED to public parking. Further down Platte Clove Road (Rt 16) is Middle Platte Clove Parking Area for the unofficial Huckleberry Quarry Trail (2 parking spaces). Near the bottom of the clove is the Lower Platte Clove Parking Area (1 space) for access to Platte Clove.
    DEC sign for the DEC Upper Platte Clove Parking Area
    This is the sign for the DEC Upper Platte Clove Parking Area on Rt 16 in Platte Clove.
    DEC Upper Platte Clove Parking Area for hiking up to Kaaterskill High Peak
    After a short drive up Steenburg Road, you will come to the Upper Platte Clove Parking Area. Make sure you park so that other cars will have a placed to park.
    Trail head to Kaaterskill High Peak
    This is the Trailhead for Kaaterskill High Peak and Huckleberry Point. You cannot drive past this gate. Only the landowner and emergency vehicles can drive past the gate. Further up Steenburg Road, the land will cross over into private land.

    If a vehicle comes up or down Steenburg Road, please move over so that they can get past.

    Make sure that you register for your groups hike here. Registering allows more money for trail maintenance, enlarging the parking area, and allocation of funds for this area. Furthermore, if you get lost, the Rangers will use this information to find you.
    Kaaterskill High Peak Kaaterskill High Peak
    The picture on the LEFT show a picture of the trail (Steenburg Road) after the Trail Head. The beginning of the trail is the steepest part of the road.
    As you get further up, the incline of Steenburg Road becomes more level, and easier hiking.
    Kaaterskill High Peak
    After a little less then 9/10 of a mile, you will leave Steenburg Road. Take a RIGHT at this point and follow the trail another 1/10 of a mile until you reach the trail junction for Huckleberry Point.
    trail junction for Huckleberry Point on the trail to Kaaterskill High Peak
    After a little more then 1/10 of a mile, you will come to a trail junction. You want to go LEFT towards Kaaterskill High Peak (Blue Trail Markers). Right will take you to Huckleberry Point (RED Trail Markers).
    small bridge just past trail junction to huckleberry point climbing up the base of Kaaterskill High Peak
    The picture on the LEFT show a picture of a small bridge over a water crossing. It is not that far from the trail junction for Huckleberry Point.
    Soon after crossing the small bridge you will start to climb up the base of Kaaterskill High Peak. The trail will start to increase in elevation, along with the trail becoming rocky. It will remain that way until you reach the top of the Kaaterskill Amphitheater.
    approaching the top of the Kaaterskill Amphitheater Conifer forest around 3,000 feet as you approach the final climb to Kaaterskill High Peak
    As you approach the top of the Kaaterskill Amphitheater, the trail incline will start to level off. On your left you will see Hell's Hole Creek ravine. After the ravine disappears you will near the top of the Kaaterskill Amphitheater.
    Not long after you reach the top of the Kaaterskill Amphitheater, the trail will change to a conifer forest. In the beginning you will walk through a beautiful section of the trail. But, that will end shortly.
    wet part of the trail to Kaaterskill High Peak trail junction to Kaaterskill High Peak and Long Path
    Unfortunately, water can fill up much of the trail certain times of the year. You can walk on the side of the trail to avoid the sitting water.

    Years ago, ATV's used the trail and rutted out much of this part of the trail along with the Kaaterskill Trail. Around 2010, this part of the trail was under 3 feet of water. The DEC then stopped the ATV traffic and filled in much of the rutted trail. Still, there is some sitting water.
    Soon enough, you will leave the conifer forest, and enter a deciduous forest. You will then come to a Trail Junction with several signs. You want to go LEFT towards the north side of Kaaterskill High Peak. Right will take you down to several waterfalls and finally to Palenville, NY.
    bottom of the steep climb up to the summit of Kaaterskill High Peak One of the difficult sections of Kaaterskill High Peak
    When you get to the bottom of the steep climb up to the summit, you need to take a continue STRAIGHT. Right will take to the west side of the Kaaterskill Trail and Round Top Mountain.
    The north access trail has three difficult sections. The picture on the left shows one of those sections. The section is not as difficult as it looks.
    Descending down Kaaterskill High Peak
    The picture above shows one of the steep sections. In the summer months it is not so difficult, but in the Winter months it can be very dangerous. When you approach this section, the obvious path is on the right of this picture. It is a steep mossy rock ledge. The best path is actually the mud path on the left of this picture. Then walk across the top of the root base of the tree.
    Kaaterskill High Peak Kaaterskill High Peak
    The picture on the left is is the nice mossy trail going up to Kaaterskill High Peak on the North side.
    The picture on the RIGHT shows another picture of the beautiful path near the top of the mountain.
    summit of Kaaterskill High Peak
    This is the summit of Kaaterskill High Peak Mountain. There are no longer any views from the very top. But, you will have spectacular views from Hurricane Ledge and the northeastern ledge. Hurricane Ledge is 1/4 mile past the summit on the south side of Kaaterskill High Peak.

    There are two USGS markers about 30 feet from the summit. The trail that goes east will take you to plane crash #2 and USGS marker #2. The trail that goes south will take you to USGS marker #1, and Hurricane Ledge.

    If you look around, you can see that there was a building at the summit. The building was a 2-story building that was built in the late 1800's. It was taken down around 1921 when New York State purchased the Kaaterskill Mountain Range. About an acre of land was cleared for the building.

    While the Mohawk Indians used Kaaterskill High Peak for thousands of years, the first European to ascend Kaaterskill High Peak was Peter DeLabigarre along with a friend on July 26, 1793. Peter DeLabigarre also was the first to summit Overlook Mountain on July 9, 1793. He climbed Overlook Mtn thinking he was climbing Kaaterskill High Peak. He also named Kaaterskill High Peak, "Liberty Cap". The names of Kaaterskill High Peak and Round Top Mtn were mixed up fairly often. After his death, the name fell out of favor, and people resorted to calling it High Peak because they believed that it was the highest peak in the Catskill Mountains. Today, High Peak is still the official name of Kaaterskill High Peak. Almost all hikers today call it Kaaterskill High Peak, so that it is not mixed up with Windham High Peak. Alf Evers dedicated an entire chapter (Liberty Cap - Chapter 37) of his book, The Catskills, to Peter DeLabigarre. Up to the 1870's KHP was believed to be the highest peak in the Catskills. Princeton geography professor Arnold Henry Guyot brought equipment up to the Catskills and started to measure all the higher peaks. He determined that KHP was actually the 23rd highest. His finding upset the hotels in the Kaaterskill Clove who used this claim to attract visitors.
    Kaaterskill High Peak USGS Marker No 1 Kaaterskill High Peak USGS Marker No 2
    The picture on the LEFT is USGS marker #1. It is about 30 feet south of the peak on the path to Hurricane Ledge.
    The picture on the RIGHT is USGS marker #2. It is about 30 feet east (and slightly south) of the peak. It is located on top of a dome shaped rock. When you approach the peak from the north access route, take a left. Then take a right. The marker is about 10-15 feet inside the trees.
    You should also take a quick trip to Hurricane Ledge. It is and additional 1/2 mile round trip. The views to the south are spectacular.
    If you take a left, you can also go down to the Northeastern Ledge. There is also a plane crash just before the ledge. It is about an additional 1/5 of a mile round trip.
    HURRICANE LEDGE
    Eastern view of Hurricane Ledge on Kaaterskill High Peak
    This is the upper portion of Hurricane Ledge looking to the east.

    This is Hurricane Ledge. It is 0.25 miles from the peak. There are several places on Hurricane Ledge that will provide you with spectacular views. This ledge was caused by a storm on or about November 28, 1950, which had winds in excess of 100 mph. Ironically, there was another Hurricane Ledge created on the northeastern side of the peak at the beginning of the 1900's. It may have been created by one of the storms on November 8-10, 1913 or October 22-25, 1923.
    Southern view of Hurricane Ledge on Kaaterskill High Peak
    This is the upper portion of Hurricane Ledge looking to the south. The mountains in the distance is the Indian Head Wilderness. From this point, you can see Overlook Mtn, Plattekill Mtn, Indian Head Mtn, Twin Mtn, Sugarloaf Mtn, and Plateau Mtn.
    Lower part of Hurricane Ledge on Kaaterskill High Peak view to the southeast
    This is the lower portion of Hurricane Ledge looking to the southeast.

    NOTE: If you want to take the very steep and dangerous south access route back down to the Loop trail, you just need to move to the very left side of this ledge to find the trail. Once you get down to the trail, you will encounter the southern portion of the Kaaterskill Trail. You want to go LEFT (east). It is often overgrown and hard to follow. You need to plan this out before arriving for your hike. Please have gotten lost here.
    hidden hurricane ledge on Kaaterskill High Peak
    This is the view to the west, showing Round Top Mountain.

    Reverse your course back to the KHP peak. Next we are going to visit the view point from the northeast side of Kaaterskill High Peak. There is an excellent view there. There is also a plane crash near the summit of Kaaterskill High Peak.
    hidden hurricane ledge on Kaaterskill High Peak
    After you return back to the summit of Kaaterskill High Peak, take a RIGHT. This short trail will take you down to a beautiful view point on the Northeastern corner of the mountain.

    There is also a plane crash just before the view point on the northeastern corner of Kaaterskill High Peak.
    NORTHEAST LEDGE & PLANE CRASH
    side view of plane crash #2 on Kaaterskill High Peak
    After about 490 feet, you will come to a flat section that is about 30 feet long. This section is just after a small steep descent. The plane crash is about 100 feet from the trail. Once you return from the plane crash, you can walk a further down the trail to a beautiful view on the Northeastern Ledge. The Northeastern Ledge is about 100 feet past the turn off for the plane crash.

    This plane crash occurred on Tuesday, June 13, 1967, and resulted in two fatalities. The impact was so severe that the crankshaft of the plane landed about 450 feet from the crash location. The Crankshaft has been sitting near summit for decades. Back in the Winter of 2009/2010 someone attempted to steal the crankshaft, and later abandon the crankshaft near the lower portion of Hurricane Ledge. Two hikers from Catskill Mountaineer recovered the crankshaft and restored it to it's original location. PLEASE do not remove or move any of the wreckage. This often upsets the family of the victims. This is a sacred grave site.

    To read the Aviation Report on the crash Click Here
    scattered wreakage of plane crash #2 on Kaaterskill High Peak
    This picture shows the debris field from the plane crash. The plane crashed head-on into the ledge. This plane crash occurred on June 13, 1967. The plane is a Piper PA-23 with registration N5604Y. The two occupants were killed instantly. The plane slammed into the ledge with such force that it was able to rip the crankshaft out of the engine and it flew approximately 450 feet and landed near the summit of KHP. The pilot was flying in bad weather with VFR.
    view from above of plane crash #2 on Kaaterskill High Peak
    This picture shows the plane crash from the top of the ledge. PLEASE do not remove or move any of the wreakage. This often upsets the family of the victims. This is a sacred grave site.
    view of the north from the northeastern ledge on Kaaterskill High Peak
    After you get done visiting the Plane Crash, continue down the trail. After about 100 feet you will come to the end of the trail. At the end of the trail is the Northeasterly Ledge. Please be careful! It is easy to fall off this ledge. If you do fall, you will most likely be killed. This image is of the Northeast direction. It shows North-South Lake campground region and South Mountain. In the far distance you can see Albany, NY.
    view to the east from the northeastern ledge on Kaaterskill High Peak
    This image is of the Easterly direction. It shows the top rim of the Kaaterskill Amphitheater and the Hudson River.The Taconic Mountain Range is in the distance. From this ledge you can see New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
    southeastern view from the northeastern ledge on Kaaterskill High Peak
    This image is of the Southeastern direction. It shows Huckleberry Point, Devil's Kitchen, and Overlook Mountain. In the distance you can see the Hudson River, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

    Once you are done, return back to the summit of Kaaterskill High Peak.
    Kaaterskill High Peak
    After you return back to the summit of Kaaterskill High Peak, reverse your course back to your car. Hope that you enjoyed this hike!.

    LINKS & REFERENCES

     
    USGS Maps of Kaaterskill Mountain Range
     
    DEC Trail Map
     
    Aviation Crash Information on Plane Crash on Kaaterskill High Peak Summit
     

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