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Hike to Dry Brook Ridge Trail from Beaver Kill Road |
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This is the parking on the side of the South Side Road. Make sure you get all four wheels off the road. If you are parking overnight, I would suggest parking at the Margaretville Municipal Parking Area. Most people use the South Side Road for day hiking.
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This is the Margaretville Municipal Parking Area. It can hold 100 cars, and there is overnight parking here. This parking area is about 1/3 of a mile from the Dry Brook Ridge Trail. It is a safer place to park your car overnight. See the ending of the pictures for how to get from the Margaretville Municipal Parking Area to the Dry Brook Ridge Trailhead on South Side Road.
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As you come to the end of Beaver Kill Road, you will see the Balsam Lake Mountain Parking Area on the RIGHT side of the road. That is where you will park.
On the left side of the Beaver Kill Road is the entrance to the PRIVATE Balsam Lake Club. Do NOT drive in there!
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At the entrance of Balsam Lake Mountain Parking Area is the DEC sign marking the public parking area.
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This is the DEC Kiosk for the Balsam Lake Mountain Parking Area. The trailhead is located to the LEFT of the Kiosk. The trail on the right of the kiosk is the Neversink-Hardenburgh Trail.
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This is the trailhead for the Dry Brook Ridge Trail. This trailhead is located at the end of the parking area.
The first section of the Dry Brook Ridge Trail will take you to the Mill Brook Parking Area, which is 4 miles away. The trail then continues to the Dry Brook Mountain Range, and finally ends close to Rt 28 in Margaretville, NY. The entire Dry Brook Ridge Trail runs about 13-to-14 miles long.
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The beginning of the Dry Brook Ridge Trail, which starts out level, and then starts to climb elevation at a mild incline
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Around 500 feet from the Trailhead is the DEC Registration Box. Funds for maintenance of the regional trails depends upon how many people register for a hike in this region. Additionally, if you or someone else in your party have an emergency, Rangers and SAR will use the information in the registration box to find and help you. If someone goes missing, Rangers may call you to determine if you saw someone missing. Your life and someone else life may depend up you registering.
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The Dry Brook Ridge Trail (former logging road) will have a mild incline up the base of Balsam Lake Mountain.
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About 9/10 of a mile from the Trailhead is a Trail Junction. You want to continue STRAIGHT past the Trail Junction on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail.
The Balsam Lake Mountain Trail will take you to the Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower, and then come back down to the Dry Brook Ridge Trail about a mile further up the Dry Brook Ridge Trail.
If you plan on taking a detour to the Balsam Lake Mountain Fire Tower and come back to the Dry Brook Ridge Trail further up, beware that the Balsam Lake Mountain Trail is steeper then the Dry Brook Ridge Trail. It is 1.64 mile detour will add 0.67 miles to your overall hike. If you arrived at the Balsam Lake Mountain Trailhead late, you can stay at the Balsam Lake Mountain Lean-to, which is 0.54 miles up the Balsam Lake Mountain Trail.
There is also a Spring a little less then a 1/2 miles up the Balsam Lake Mountain Trail. There are very few places to get water on this hike!
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About another mile up the Dry Brook Ridge Trail, you will come to some rocks across the trail. You will then be entering onto private property. Please stay on the trail! You will also come to the other side of the Balsam Lake Mountain Trail (to the fire tower).
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Within a minute you will be at the trail junction to the Balsam Lake Mountain Trail (to the fire tower. You want to continue STRAIGHT on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail!
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You will continue straight down the Dry Brook Ridge Trail for the next 2.2 miles
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After hiking over two miles, you will come to Mill Brook Road. You want to cross Mill Brook Road into the Dry Brook Ridge Parking Area.
If you are going to stay at the Mill Brook Lean-to for the night, or obtain water, take a LEFT and hike west on Mill Brook Road for 3/4 of a mile. When you return hike into the parking area across Mill Brook Road (in the picture).
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Once in the Dry Brook Ridge Parking Area, you want to hike to the bottom left of the parking area to continue on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail. You are still on Private Property, so do NOT wander out of the parking area.
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This is the DEC Dry Brook Ridge Parking Area sign off Mill Brook Road.
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This is the Kiosk in the Dry Brook Ridge Parking Area. The Dry Brook Ridge Trail continues 25' RIGHT of the Kiosk.
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This is the beginning of the Second Section of the Dry Brook Ridge Trail. For a short distance, you will still be on Private Property. So, please stay on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail.
Once you get a little ways down this path, you will NOT have any water sources for the next 6-7 miles. Make sure you have enough water.
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After about 250 feet, you will encounter the DEC Registration Box. Please register AGAIN! By registering again, Rangers will be able to narrow down what region you might be in. This is for your benefit.
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The second section of the Dry Brook Ridge Trail starts out fairly easy hiking. And, it will stay that way for the next 3-1/2 miles.
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No shortage of beautiful fern glades on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail in this region.
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After hiking north on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail for about 1-1/3 miles, you will come to the Dry Brook Lean-to. The Dry Brook Lean-to sits on the edge of Public and Private Property. If you look at the tree just beyond the fire place, you will see one of many No Trespassing signs. The owner of the private property has security cameras on this property.
The Dry Brook Ridge Trail turns right where this picture was taken. It follows the edge of public and private property. So, stay on the trail!
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This is the Dry Brook Lean-to and fireplace.
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In the middle of this picture is a stick stuck in a rock cairn. This is the property border of two opposing blocks of public and private property.
You will also be crossing from the Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest into the Dry Brook Wild Forest. Once you are about 500 feet down the trail, you should be able to to leave the trail without worrying about walking onto private property.
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You will continue to walk through many fern glades.
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As you approach the Dry Brook Ridge, you will start to climb in elevation. Once you get on top, you will be at one of the high elevation points on this hike.
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After almost 3-1/2 miles, you will encounter the trail junction for the Huckleberry Loop Trail. You want to continue STRAIGHT. Left would take you down into the Huckleberry Valley.
This location of the trail is considered one of the high elevation spots on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail at 3,461'.
You will also be leaving section #2 of the Dry Brook Ridge Trail, and be entering Section #3. Section #3 is considered the actual Dry Brook Ridge. On the ridge there are three known view spots that look out over the Huckleberry Valley.
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No shortage of fern glades on the Dry Brook Ridge. There are short ferns and tall ferns. With the name, "Dry Brook Ridge", you might think that the ridge is dry. Although it is true there is no water to collect, there is plenty of muddy sections of this trail. During a drought, it might dry up.
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After almost 3/4 of a mile on the Dry Brook Ridge, you will come to the first View Point that overlooks the Huckleberry Valley. Be careful around the open section. Easy to fall off.
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This is a panorama picture from View Point #1. On a nice clear day, you can far into the distance. Be careful around the open section. Easy to fall off one of the rock ledges.
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After you get done enjoying the views from View Point #1, the trail will then move back up on the ridge line. The trail will wind up-and-down the ridge for another 1/2 mile.
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As you come back down off the ridge after about a 1/2 mile, it will come down to the very edge of the ledge. The ledge drops 40-50 feet. So, walk carefully here. If you fall here, you die.
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Here is another panoramic image of View Point #2 on the Dry Brook Ridge. It has a slightly different view of the Huckleberry Valley along with the Mill Brook Ridge in the distance.
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After you done enjoying View Point #2 on the Dry Brook Ridge, the trail climbs back up towards the ridge. You will hike another almost another 1,000 feet, you will see a trail on your left. This short trail will take you to View Point #3. You need to be careful hiking out to View Point #3. There is some exposure and danger. Many consider View Point #3 the best view on the Dry Brook Ridge.
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This is another panoramic images of the Huckleberry Valley with the Mill Brook Ridge in the background. Once done, head back to the Dry Brook Ridge Trail.
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After leaving View Point #3 on the Dry Brook Ridge, the trail will start to drop in elevation. The image on the left is called Sliver Rock. It is a very unusual rock. |
The image on the right show you some more fern glades.
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The trail will start to drop more in elevation as you descend downhill. You will slowly descend in elevation for the next mile.
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After a little over a mile from View Point #1 on the Dry Brook Range, you will come to the Trail Junction for the other side of the Huckleberry Loop Trail. You want to go STRAIGHT. You will drop over 200 feet in elevation between those two points.
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There are some old DEC Trail signs. The distance on them is very accurate. Hopefully they will be replaced in the future.
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Not long after leaving the trail junction to the Huckleberry Trail, the trail will descend another 200 vertical feet as it winds through the forest.
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At the bottom of the elevation drop, you will hike through some large erratic rocks on the forest floor. After the rocks, the trail will turn 90 degrees to the right. But, the trail will remain at a level elevation.
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After about 3/4 of a mile, you will see a side trail on the right. This side trail will take you to the Pakatakan Lean-to. The Pakatakan Lean-to is about 200-250 feet off the Dry Brook Ridge Trail.
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This is the Pakatakan Lean-to. There is a water source about a mile away. It is located about 2/3 of a mile down the German Hollow Trail.
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About 1,000 feet past the side trail to the Pakatakan lean-to is the Trail Junction for the German Hollow Trail
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After continuing straight past the trail junction to the German Hollow Trail, the trail will start to descend again. |
There will also be sections with Fern Glades lining the trail as you continue to descend towards Patatakan Mountain and finally to Margaretville.
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Some sections will have mossy sections of the trail. And, there will be certain sections where you will have some minor uphill climbs. But, the majority of this section of the Dry Brook Ridge Trail will be descending down the ridge to Margaretville.
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There will be sections of flat inclines that provide nice walks across the descending ridge line.
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More gradual descents as you approach Pakatakan Mountain Summit on the west side of the ridge
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This is the summit of Pakatakan Mountain. It isn't really a true mountain summit. Although, it resides on a section after a grueling uphill descent.
On the left is a side trail. This short trail of 375 feet (one-way) will take you to view point #4 on the Dry Brook Trail.
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This is View Point #4 on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail, that sits on the side of the summit of Pakatakan Mountain Summit. Sadly, this view point is severely overgrown.
There is a limited view spot that overlooks the Pepacton Reservoir. You will also get a limited view when the leaves are not on the trees. Sad, that it is overgrown.
Some people do camp here because this side trail is not an official trail.
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This is the limited view of the Pepacton Reservoir from View Point #4 on the Dry Brook Ridge Trail. By 2024 it will become completely overgrown.
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Once you return from View Point #4 on the Dry Brook Trail, you can continue to descend the trail. The trail will wrap around Pakatakan Mountain, and some sections will have a mild or flat incline. After you pass this flat section, the trail will descend at a rapid decline.
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As you come to the bottom of the steep descent, you will see a trail on your left (picture was taken looking backwards to show side trail). This trail goes to private property. Some hikers climbing the mountain think that it will take them to View Point #4. But, it doesn't
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On below the steep descent, the trail will switch from flat walks below ledges to more steeper descents. Enjoy the flat sections.
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This is the final descent down to South Side Road. A minor steep section. |
This is the end of the trail. It is the trailhead for the Dry Brook Ridge Trail on the Margaretville, NY side of the trail
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When you come to the end of the trail, you should take a RIGHT and walk the 250 feet up South Side Road to the parking area.
If you parked in the Margaretville Municipal Parking Area head in the same direction.
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The is the road side parking South Side Road. If you do park here, make sure all 4 tires are off the road.
If you parked in the Margaretville Municipal Parking Area continue walking up South Side Road to the end of the Guard Rail you see in the top left of the picture. Once there, you will walk on the left of the guard rail and take the Margaretville Village Trail down to Rt 28.
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This is the beginning of the Margaretville Village Trail. The village even keeps it mowed in the summer months. Look for the Red Fire Hydrant on the left. The Village of Margaretville owns this trail. Please stay on the trail.
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The Trail is about 8-10 feet wide. This trail will end in about 600 feet where it comes to an end on Rt 28. At the end of the trail is a small 1 foot wide short trail about 15 feet long that takes you to the shoulder on Rt 28.
Walk across Rt 28 and take Bridge Street into Margaretville, NY. After walking about 1/10 of a mile, take a left into the parking lots. The Margaretville Municipal parking area is at the very back.
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This is the Margaretville Municipal parking area. It is about 1/3 of a mile from the Dry Brook Ridge Trailhead.
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S E C T I O N S
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W E A T H E R
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O T H E R
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Dry Brook Ridge Trail (From Balsam Lake Mtn PA to Margaretville, NY)
Dry Brook Ridge Trail - Section #1 - 1.87 miles - Balsam Lake PA Trailhead to Upper BLM Trail
Dry Brook Ridge Trail - Section #2 - 2.15 miles - Upper BLM Trail to Dry Brook PA
Dry Brook Ridge Trail - Section #3 - 3.47 miles - Dry Brook PA to South Huckleberry TJ
Dry Brook Ridge Trail - Section #4 - 2.53 miles - South Huckleberry TJ to North Huckleberry TJ
Dry Brook Ridge Trail - Section #5 - 0.96 miles - North Huckleberry TJ to German Hollow TJ 
Dry Brook Ridge Trail - Section #6 - 2.76 miles - German Hollow TJ to South Side Road Trailhead
