Plateau Mountain on the Devil's Path |
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| Orchard Point - View looking south towards Phoenicia |
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OVERVIEW |
| | Distance: | 6.72 miles round trip Rt 214 (Devil's Campground) |
| | Distance: | 7.60 miles round trip Mink Hollow Road (North) |
| | Distance: | 9.22 miles round trip Notch Road Loop |
| | Distance: | 11.46 miles round trip Mink Hollow Road (South) |
| | Distance: | 11.94 miles round trip Notch Road) |
| | Time: | Average 4 to 8 hours round trip |
| | Elevation Gain: | 1,622' feet from Mink Hollow Road in Elka Park to the summit of Plateau Mountain. |
| | Best Time to Hike: | Morning offers the best views |
| | Difficulty: | Very Difficult |
| | Peak Elevation: | 3,848' |
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| | | USGS Official Names: | Plateau Mountain (ID: 973359) |
| | USGS Previous Names: | Stony Mountain (changed in 1928) |
| | USGS Summit-Elevation: | 3,845' (USGS) |
| | USGS Plateau-Summit-WGS84: | 42.1378671, -74.1743088 (DEC-WGS84) |
| | USGS Plateau-Summit-GPS: | N 42 08.272, W 74 10.459 (GPS) |
| | USGS Plateau-Summit-UTM: | 18N 568234, 4665414 (UTM) |
| | USGS Plateau-Summit-Deg, Min, Sec: | N42 08 16, W74 10 27 (Degree, Min, Sec) |
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| | | USGS Official Map: | Hunter Topographical Map (free) |
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| | | Acme Digital Mapper: |
Topo
Terrain
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| | | Access Methods: | Foot |
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Maps |
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Routes |
| Devil's Campground Route: Total Elevation = 1,814' Total Mileage = 6.72. This route starts off Route 214 by Notch Lake (Elev 2,034'). The hike from Rt 214 up to Orchard Point is very steep with lots of loose round rocks. The higher up you go, the steeper and more difficult it becomes. You will also have to climb up the ledge to Orchard Point. In the Winter, this can become difficult. Once on Orchard Point, the walk across the ridge of Plateau Mountain, to the summit, is quite easy. Some consider the climb up from Devil's Campground undesirable. |
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| Mink Hollow Road (North) Route: Total Elevation = 1,573' Total Mileage = 7.60. This route starts off on the North side of Mink Hollow Road by Elka Park. The hike up to Mink Hollow Pass is fairly easy. During high water, crossing the Roaring Kill Creek can become a challenge. From Mink Hollow Pass to the summit of Plateau Mountain is very challenging. Especially if the rocks are wet or damp. In the Winter, this can become difficult. Once up the steep section, the summit is a short distance away. If you skip the walk across the ridge of Plateau Mountain to the view points, the total mileage drops from 7.6 to 3.5 miles. If you love rock scrabbles, you will like this route. If it is wet or icy, then this route can become difficult and/or dangerous. If you choose this route, just continue viewing this page. |
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| Notch Road Loop Route: Total Elevation = 2,049' Total Mileage = 9.22. The inclines up to Plateau Mtn Summit is the easiest of any route. This hike includes the summit and view points. This route starts off at the beginning of Notch Road. When the road ends, hike up to the Warner Creek Trail Junction. Then hike from the Trail Junction up the Warner Creek Trail to the ridge of Plateau Mountain. This section of the trail is exceptional. The forest is very wild and beautiful. It has a nice variety of terrain. The beginning of the Warner Creek Trail is somewhat steep but not terrible. Once above the steep section, the trail has a nice steady uphill incline. About a 1/2 mile from the ridge is a beautiful view point. Once up to the ridge of Plateau Mountain you will then walk about a mile to the summit. Then walk all the way back across the ridge to the other two view points. Then hike down to Devil's Campground, and a final 1.4 mile down Rt 214 to your car. The hike down Rt 214 is difficult and dangerous. The guard rails are right next to the edge of the road. The road walk makes this route undesirable. If you have two cars, and can leave one at Devil's Campground parking area, and place another car at Notch Road, this hike can be quite nice (7.81 miles). |
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| Notch Road Route: Total Elevation = 2,049' Total Mileage = 11.94. This route starts off at the beginning of Notch Road. Hike up Notch Road (past private road sign). At the end of Notch Road the road becomes a trail. Hike up to the Warner Creek Trail Junction. From the Trail Junction hike up the Warner Creek Ridge to Plateau Mountain. This part of the hike is exceptional. The forest is very wild and beautiful. It has a nice variety of terrain. The beginning of the Warner Creek Trail is somewhat steep but not terrible. Once above the steep section, the trail has a nice steady uphill incline. About a 1/2 mile from the Plateau Mtn Ridge is a beautiful view point. If you skip the walk across the ridge of Plateau Mountain to the other view points you can reduce the mileage by 3 miles. This route is the longest. |
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| Mink Hollow Road (South) Route: Total Elevation = 2,316' Total Mileage = 11.46. This route starts off on the South side of Mink Hollow Road in Ulster County (just west of Woodstock NY). The hike up to Mink Hollow Pass is rocky. At the beginning of the path you have to cross the creek a couple times, and during high water, crossing is very dangerous. If not impossible. It is not uncommon to have 20-30 trees down across the path. This route is long and the most undesirable route. Parking on the south side of Mink Hollow is often used for hiking Olderbark Mountain. |
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| | DIRECTIONS TO TRAIL HEAD from Exit 21 (Catskill) |
| | Mink Hollow Road Parking WGS84 (DEC): 42.143217, -74.157983 - Elevation is approximately 2,275 feet |
| | Mink Hollow Road Parking Deg/Min/Sec: N42 08 35, W74 09 28 - Elevation is approximately 2,275 feet |
| | Mink Hollow Road Parking GPS: N 42 08.593, W 74 09.479 - Elevation is approximately 2,275 feet |
| | Mink Hollow Road Parking UTM: 18N 569578, 4666021 - Elevation is approximately 2,275 feet |
| | Take New York State Thruway to Exit 21 (Catskill). |
| | Take a left out of the NYS Thruway entrance road. |
| | Go approximately 3/4 mile |
| | Take a right onto Route 23 West |
| | Go approximately 6.6 miles to Cairo, NY |
| | Take a LEFT onto Rt 32. McDonalds Rest. on corner. |
| | Go approximately 7.7 miles on Rt 32 |
| | Take a RIGHT onto Rt 23A |
| | Go approximately 2.2 miles on Rt 23a |
| | Take a RIGHT into Palenville |
| | Go approximately 6.8 miles to Tannersville NY. |
| | Take a LEFT onto South Main Street (If you miss this road then take a LEFT on to Rail Road Ave |
| | Go approximately 1.4 miles ( Road will turn into Rt 16 (Platteclove Road)) |
| | Take a RIGHT onto Elka Park Road |
| | Go approximately 1.3 miles to Mink Hollow Road. |
| | Take a RIGHT onto Mink Hollow Road. |
| | Go approximately 1.5 miles - When you come to the end of the road, park in the DEC Parking Area. |
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| | DIRECTIONS TO TRAIL HEAD from Exit 20 (Saugerties) |
| | Mink Hollow Road Parking WGS84 (DEC): 42.143217, -74.157983 - Elevation is approximately 2,275 feet |
| | Mink Hollow Road Parking Deg/Min/Sec: N42 08 35, W74 09 28 - Elevation is approximately 2,275 feet |
| | Mink Hollow Road Parking GPS: N 42 08.593, W 74 09.479 - Elevation is approximately 2,275 feet |
| | Mink Hollow Road Parking UTM: 18N 569578, 4666021 - Elevation is approximately 2,275 feet |
| | Take New York State Thruway to Exit 20 (Saugerties). |
| | Take a left out of the NYS Thruway entrance road - Move to RIGHT lane. |
| | Go approximately 0.20 miles |
| | Take a right onto Route 32 |
| | Go approximately 5.9 miles to a Y intersection |
| | Take a LEFT (straight) onto Rt 32A (Gas Station on left side of road). |
| | Go approximately 1.8 miles on Rt 32A |
| | Take a LEFT onto Rt 23A |
| | Go approximately 6.8 miles to Tannersville NY. |
| | Take a LEFT onto South Main Street (If you miss this road then take a LEFT on to Rail Road Ave |
| | Go approximately 1.4 miles ( Road will turn into Rt 16 (Platteclove Road)) |
| | Take a RIGHT onto Elka Park Road |
| | Go approximately 1.3 miles to Mink Hollow Road. |
| | Take a RIGHT onto Mink Hollow Road. |
| | Go approximately 1.5 miles - When you come to the end of the road, park in the DEC Parking Area. |
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SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES ABOUT THIS HIKE |
| | This hike is part of the Devil's Path. The Devil's Path is one of the most difficult and dangerous hiking paths in the world. There is a good reason why they call it the Devil's Path. You better be a skilled hiker who is in good shape. If you are scared of heights, or steep climbs, this may not be a good hike for you.
Back around 2010, several people saw Timber Rattlesnakes on or near the trail. Since then we are unaware of any other sightings of them. While it is highly unlikely that you encounter one, it is not impossible.
For those who need to camp in this area, there is a DEC Lean-to and two campsites very near Mink Hollow Road Pass (Near Trail Junction in the col of Sugarloaf Mtn and Plateau Mtn). It is located just south of the Trail Junction. It is called the Mink Hollow Lean-To. There is also a Spring on the other side of the pass. You cannot camp within 150' of a trail, road or water source. Additionally, you cannot camp above 3500' in the Spring, Summer, or Fall. Do NOT create or use fire ring in locations that are not official camping locations (Lean-to and campsites). It is very easy to set the roots in the ground on fire, which will cause a forest fire. Rangers patrol this path often and ticket those who violate the rules.
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MILEAGE CHART from Mink Hollow Road (north) |
| | Mile Point | Altitude | Notes |
| | 0.00 | 2,275' | Park at the end of Mink Hollow Road (North side of the Devil's Path in Greene County. |
| | 0.24 | 2,280' | Cross Roaring Kill Creek. |
| | 0.49 | 2,505' | Trail to Spring - About 200' away. |
| | 0.65 | 2,631' | 4-way Trail Junction - Go RIGHT to summit of Plateau Mountain. |
| | 1.51 | 3,549' | 3500' sign very high up on a tree. Some people miss the sign. |
| | 1.75 | 3,848' | Plateau Summit. |
| | 2.28 | 3,842' | Trail Junction - Continue STRAIGHT. |
| | 3.68 | 3,716' | Danny's Lookout - View of Tannersville NY |
| | 3.80 | 3,701' | Orchard Point - Excellent Views of down towards Phoenicia NY. |
| | 7.60 | 2,275' | Mink Hollow Road where you are parked. |
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Hike to Plateau Mountain from Mink Hollow (North Side) |
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This is the Mink Hollow Parking Area on the North Side. This Parking Area is owned by the NY DEC. It can get crowded on weekends.
The trail head is between the two rocks you see in the photo. |
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After you walk past the two rocks, you will continue to follow the old Mink Hollow Road. Within a few minutes you will need to cross Roaring Kill Creek. Sometimes there can be a significant amount of water, and your feet could get wet crossing it. There are some rocks in the middle of the creek, so that often helps.
As you continue further up the road towards the pass, the incline will increase, and the rocks will get bigger. |
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After hiking up old Mink Hollow Road for about a 1/2 mile, you will see a sign on the right for a Spring. The Spring is located about 150-200' down this trail. If you are staying overnight at the lean-to or one of camp sites near the lean-to, this is where you will come to get water.
About 0.16 miles further up old Mink Hollow Road will be Mink Hollow Pass. You want to go RIGHT for the summit if Plateau Mountain. Left will take you to Sugarloaf Mtn. Straight will take you to the Lean-to, campsites, or Mink Hollow Road on the Woodstock side. |
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This is the 4-way Trail Junction. You want to go RIGHT to the summit of Plateau Mtn. Left will take you to Sugarloaf Mtn. And, Straight will take you to the Lean-to and campsites in about 200'.
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About 200' after the 4-way Trail Junction you will see the Lean-to on the right side of the trail. It sits at the base of Plateau Mtn.
Behind the Lean-to is a campsite.
There is a second campsite across the trail on the Sugarloaf side of the mountain. Most people prefer the campsite on the Sugarloaf side. |
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After leave the old Mink Hollow Road the trail will wrap around part of the mountain.
After a short distance you will come to the Roaring Kill Creek again. Most of the time it is not that hard to get across the stream. But, at high water, the creek may not be passable. Remember that the name is Roaring Kill Creek. This means this creek can have a lot of water roaring down the steep banks of Plateau Mtn. While it is rare that you cannot get across this creek, it does happen after large rain events.
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Not long after you get past Roaring Kill Creek, the trail will become steeper and more difficult. And, this mountain is particularity rocky. As you climb, the trail will get steeper and more difficult. When these stones are wet, they can be very slippery. It is easy to slip and fall. Take your time and watch your footing.
The picture on the RIGHT show a trail that isn't that bad. You will see very few sections of this trail that are this easy. |
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The picture on the left is fairly typical of what the trail from Mink Hollow Road Pass to the summit of Plateau Mountain Looks like
The picture on the right is a shallow cave on the trail up to the summit of Plateau Mountain |
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This is the last final steep section near the summit of Plateau Mountain. After you get to the top of this section, the trail will suddenly level off to a small incline.
After a short distance, you will be at the summit of Plateau Mountain. It is easy to pass the summit without realizing it. If the trail starts to head downhill, then you have passed the summit. |
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The top of Plateau Mountain is fairly flat. It goes for about 2 miles like this. Most people find it very enjoyable. As you approach the other end of Plateau Mountain, the trail will go up and down in elevation slightly.
About a 1/2 mile down the trail from the summit, you will come to a Trail Junction on your left. You want to continue STRAIGHT, unless you want to take an optional side trip to another view point. It goes down to the Spring in about a 1/4 mile. And, a 1/2 down the trail is a beautiful view point. About 3-1/2 miles down the trail the parking area on Notch Road. And, 10 miles down the trail is Tremper Mountain.
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This view point is called Danny's Lookout. It overlooks Tannersille NY. At the time of this picture, this view point is becoming overgrown. I had to stand on top of the rocks to get this picture. Directly below you is Spruce Top Mountain. In the middle, starting on your left is the Blackhead Mountains, Arizona Mountain, Dutcher's Notch, Stoppel Point, North Mountain, South Mountain, Round Top Mtn, and Kaaterskill High Peak. In the far distance is the Berkshire Mountain Range. |
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This is the view from Orchard Point looking down towards Phoenicia NY. It has an exceptional view of the valley. If you parked at the Mink Hollow Road Parking Area turn around and hike back to your car. If you are headed down to Devil's Campground, the trail continues down the ledge on the Left side of this picture. The trail down this side isn't easy either. Be careful climbing down the ledge. |
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