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Hike to Huckleberry Loop from Beaver Kill Road |
P A R K I N G O P T I O N S |
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This is the Parking Area #1 for the beginning of the Huckleberry Loop Trail. It holds 3 cars. It is the closest parking area to the Huckleberry Loop Trailhead. It has a 750 feet driveway off Huckleberry Brook Road. The driveway is located on the LEFT side of Huckleberry Brook Road as you drive up the valley. Not a good place to park when there may be ice or snow on the ground.
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This is the Parking Area #2 for the beginning of the Huckleberry Loop Trail. It holds 5 cars. Suitable for Winter Parking (if plowed). To start the hike, walk down Huckleberry Brook Road 0.67 miles to the Trailhead.
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This is the Parking Area #3 for the beginning of the Huckleberry Loop Trail. It is located on Hill Road. It holds 5 cars. Suitable for Winter Parking (if plowed). To start the hike, walk up Hill Road 200 feet and take a RIGHT on the trail. Hike down the trail a little over 0.44 miles to Parking Area #2. Then hike down Huckleberry Brook Road 0.67 miles to the Trailhead.
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This is the entrance to the driveway for Parking Area #1 off Huckleberry Brook Road (looking down the road). If you look at the picture, you can see the bridge over the Huckleberry Creek to the Trailhead
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S E C T I O N # 1 |
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Take a LEFT onto this wooden bridge over the Huckleberry Creek to the Huckleberry Loop Trailhead.
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The DEC Registration Box is directly at the Trailhead for the Huckleberry Loop Trail.
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 beginning of the Huckleberry Loop Trail runs along the Huckleberry Creek for a short distance. The trail then start going through a series of switchbacks up to the ridge line.
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This one of the sections that goes straight up towards the ridge line. After a short distance it will turn to a fairly level trail before the next switchback
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This is another section of the switchbacks up the mountain to the ridge line. This one has water running down it after a rainstorm.
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After hiking up the trail 3/10 of a mile, you will turn RIGHT and head straight up the mountain again.
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This images shows the trail going straight uphill again. |
Again the trail turns again to a flatter section. As you start to ascend higher in elevation you will start to see ferns. |
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As you continue to ascend the mountain the trail will become more narrow. |
As you start to approach the ridge line, the trail will cross the steep slope. |
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Once you get to this unique rock, you will be close to the ridge line. This particular rock has a glacier erratic rock on bottom, and a different erratic rock that landed on top of the first rock after the glacier melted. |
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At this point, this is the last of the long climb up the mountain to the ridge line. You will also notice that there a large number of very large trees on this hike. It will become common to see trees 3-4 feet in diameter.
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Once you are on the ridge of the first section of the Huckleberry Loop Trail, you will encounter fern glades on a regular basis.
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Shortly after you reach the ridge line, you will see a field on you right. You have a hike 150 feet off the trail to see this field. There is a spring behind the the tree in the middle of the field. There was also a home close by.
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Shortly after seeing the first field on your right, you will come to a second field which is significantly larger. There was once a home located where this picture was taken. There was also a road that ran from the Huckleberry Valley up the mountain to this point, and then descended down the other side to the Mill Brook Valley. There were a number of homes along the road. This road can be seen on the 1904 USGS topo map on our site.
The next issue is where did the trail go. In the summer months the trail becomes overgrown here in this field. You want to stay close to the treeline on your LEFT. There is a rock cairn that sticks out of the weeds in the field that helps guide you. It is there for a purpose, so do not knock it down. About 3/4 of the way across the field the trail will exit to the LEFT side of the tree line.
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After the fields the trail will run along the ridge line for quite a ways. |
Most of the forest on this section of the trail will be deciduous trees and small and large fern glades. |
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Along the way, you will encounter this very unique rock. The rock is actually much larger then the pictures shows. The curved section near the forest floor was formed by glaciers dripping and flowing over it. This is probably an erratic glacier rocked dropped here by the glacier. |
Another fern glade filling the forest floor with a slightly windy path through the ferns to keep you entertained with the forest beauty . |
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This is one of the largest fern glades in the Catskill Mountains on the Huckleberry Loop Trail. This panoramic picture shows that the fern glade goes as far as the eye can see. This is only showing part of the fern glade. Many hikers visit the Huckleberry Loop Trail just to visit this amazing fern glade.
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After hiking 4+ miles from the trailhead, you will encounter a beautiful conifer forest. The pictures do not do it justice.
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The conifer forest is carpeted with beautiful moss in many sections. You will be sad when the conifer forest ends on the upper part of section 1 of the Huckleberry Loop Trail.
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Once out of the beautiful conifer forest the trail will head down off the ridge towards Ploutz Road. It is about a mile to Ploutz Road. |
The trail will turn to the left and head down to a tributary of the Mill Brook Creek and the DEC Ploutz Road Parking Area. |
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This is one of many tributaries of the Mill Brook Creek. It is one of the few locations where you can obtain water for your hike.
After crossing the creek, head up the trail to Ploutz Road. Ploutz Road and the DEC Parking Area/Trailhead is a few minutes away.
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S E C T I O N # 2 |
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This is the beginning of the Second Section of the Huckleberry Loop. The road on the left is Ploutz Road. The road on the right is the driveway up to the DEC Ploutz Road Parking Area and registration box.
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This is the DEC sign on the entrance of the Ploutz Road Parking Area. The mileage on the sign is not acccurate.
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This is the parking area for the Huckleberry Loop Trail at the Ploutz Road Trailhead. It holds 3 cars.
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This is the Ploutz Road Parking Area Kiosk. The DEC Registration Box is attached to the Kiosk. .
Please register at 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. Remember that this area is remote, and you will likely not see another person all day. On our visit no one had been here in the past week.
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The trail starts out with an easy incline that winds through a nice conifer forest. This section of the Huckleberry Loop Trail will climb almost a 1,000 vertical feet in 1.4 miles, between Ploutz Road and Dry Brook Ridge Trail.
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As you climb up towards the Dry Brook Ridge trail on the Huckleberry Loop Trail, the vegetation will increase. So, pay attention to the Trail Markers. Most people can follow the path through the thick vegetation. In the higher elevations of the mountain, the conifer trees will almost completely disappear.
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Just one of several unique rocks you will encounter along the way on this hike.
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Just before you reach the Dry Brook Ridge Trail, the vegetation will get thick. There are a few braided trails, so just keep pushing forward. The Dry Brook Ridge Trail is close by. At 1-1/3 miles from Ploutz Road. You want to take a LEFT onto the Dry Brook Trail.
Right would take you to Mill Brook Road. It is about 3-1/2 miles to Mill Brook Road.
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S E C T I O N # 3 |
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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, the trail might be dry.
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After almost 3/4 of a mile on the Dry Brook Ridge, you will come to View Point #1 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. This section of the trail is not recommended for children. Picture was taken looking backwards. |
After you carefully hike up this small hill, you will reach View Point #2 |
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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 close to 1,000 feet, before you reach the trail to View Point #3. 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. Again, this ledge is not recommended for children.
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This is a panoramic image from View Point #3 of the Huckleberry Valley with the Mill Brook Ridge in the background. Once done, head back to the Huckleberry Loop.
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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 #3 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 LEFT down the North section of the Huckleberry Loop Trail.
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S E C T I O N # 4 |
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The top part of the Northern section of the Huckleberry Loop Trail tends to be overgrown. While most hikers do not have a problem following the path, you do need to pay attention to the Trail Markers and the path.
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After the top section of the northern part of the Huckleberry Loop Trail, the trail will start to open up more. |
Again you start to see very large trees along the path as you descend into the Huckleberry Valley This tree is around 4 feet in diameter.
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As you descend further down the northern part of the Huckleberry Loop, you will start to encounter some conifer forest. |
Then there will be another deciduous forest before hitting the larger conifer forest further down the trail. The trail will become wider as you descend further.
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Once you reach the middle section of the Northern section of the Huckleberry Loop Trail, the trail will open up to the beautiful conifer forest. |
The path has a beautiful base void of any rocks or roots. Very nice hiking.
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The conifer forest will continue to the Parking Area #3 on Hill Road. Very enjoyable hiking
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When you arrive at Hill Road, you will have completed 2/3rd of the Northern section of the Huckleberry Loop Trail.
When you reach Hill Road, take a LEFT and hike up Hill Road 200 feet. On the RIGHT side of the road, the lower 1/3 of the Northern Section of the Huckleberry Loop Trail will continue.
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After hiking UP Hill Road 200 feet, you will see an old trail post (without the sign) on the RIGHT side of Hill Road. The lower part of the Northern section of the Huckleberry Loop Trail will continue here.
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The lowere section of the northern Huckleberry Loop Trail, between Hill Road and Huckleberry Brook Road will be a conifer forest.
After the conifer forest, the forest will change to a deciduous forest. The overgrown on the trail will thicken. This thick vegetation section will not last that long.
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Once you reach the Huckleberry Brook and Huckleberry Brook Road, the trail will turn to the RIGHT. When you look ahead, you will see an opening with a green building with white trim. The land and building is owned by the DEC. Just continue hiking past the building on the lawn.
Once past the building, you will see a barn on your right. On your left will be a short bridge.
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You want to take a LEFT over the bridge to the Yellow DEC gate to Huckleberry Brook Road.
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Once at the DEC gate, you want to go around the gate. Then turn RIGHT and hike DOWN Huckleberry Brook Road. On your right you will see Parking Area #2. You want to hike down Huckleberry Brook Road 2/3 of a mile.
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As you hike down Huckleberry Brook Road 2/3 of a mile, you will see the DEC Parking Area on your RIGHT. If your car is parked up there, you want to walk down the road 600-700 feet to your car.
If you look down Huckleberry Brook Road, you can see the bridge across the creek to the Huckleberry Loop Trailhead on the left of the road. This completes the Huckleberry Loop Trail. Hope you enjoyed this hike.
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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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Huckleberry Loop (South leg of Huckleberry Loop Trail)
Huckleberry Loop (Dry Brook Ridge Trail)
