Beetree Hill Summit

OVERVIEW

Trail Name: Beetree Trail (DEP)

Forest : Phoenicia Wild Forest Region (Land owned by NYC DEP)

Parking Area : DEP Beetree Parking Area

Distance: 2.92 miles (round-trip) from DEP parking lot Baker Road.

Permit Required: DEP Permit Required - CLICK HERE TO GET PERMIT ON-LINE IMMEDIATELY.

Time: Average 2 hours (round trip)

Winter Access: NOT Plowed

Camp sites: NO Camp Site locations

Lean-to sites: NO Lean-to

Access: Hike or snowshoe

Elevation Gain: 762’ feet from parking lot to the Summit.

Best Time to Hike: When leaves are not on trees

Difficulty: Easy

Peak Elevation: 1,872'

USGS Official Map: Bearsville Topographical Map (free)

Digital Mapper: Topo Terrain Satellite

Access Methods: Foot and snowshoe.

Maps

Ulster County Tax map of beetree hill region

DIRECTIONS TO TRAIL HEAD

DEP Parking Lot WGS84 (DEC): 42.0371, -74.187533 - Elevation is approximately 1,110 feet

DEP Parking Lot Deg/Min/Sec: N42 02 13, W74 11 15 - Elevation is approximately 1,110 feet

DEP Parking Lot GPS: N 42 02.226, W 74 11.252 - Elevation is approximately 1,110 feet

DEP Parking Lot UTM: 18N 567248 4654215 - Elevation is approximately 1,110 feet

Take New York State Thruway to Exit 19 (Kingston).

Take a RIGHT out of the NYS Thruway entrance road on Traffic Circle to Rt 28 West

Go approximately 6.0 on Rt 28 West

Take a RIGHT onto Rt 375 to Woodstock

Go approximately 2.9 miles on Rt 375.

Take a LEFT onto Rt 212 towards Woodstock.

Go approximately 2.4 miles on Rt 212 thru Woodstock.

Take LEFT onto the Wittenberg Road.

Go approximately 1.8 miles on Wittenberg Road.

Take RIGHT onto the Baker Road.

Go approximately 0.5 miles on Baker Road.

Take RIGHT into the DEP Parking Area directly off Baker Road (Holds 3 cars).

Notes About Hiking to Beetree Hill

TRAIL

This trail is not hiked often in the summer months. The trail is easy hiking with a good tread.

The trail does not go directly to the summit. There is a small herd path to the summit about 2/10 of a mile before you reach the end of the trail. You can also hike it from the back side by bushwhacking up to the top of the hill and walking across the summit.

There is a trail that goes towards the east. It is a trail that goes nowhere. It ends at another trail junction. Private Property is at the end of the trail. The well worn trail to Johns Mountain is on private property also.

There is a trail that goes west. It is not maintain and fades away. Some hikers use it to access other parts of the forest, like Tobias Mountain, Roundtop, and Cooper Lake.

PARKING

Parking at the Beetree Hill Parking Area is limited to 3 cars. The Parking Area is empty most of the time. The Beetree Hill Parking Area has not been plowed in past Winters.

OTHER INFORMATION

You should have cell phone service on some parts of Beetree Hill.

MILEAGE CHART

Mile Point Altitude Notes
0.00 1,313’ DEC/DEP Parking Lot.
1.25 2,160’ Side Trail to Summit of Beetree Hill
1.46 2,181' Trail Junction - Left (fades into forest) Right (goes to private property)

Hike to Beetree Hill View Point in the Phoenicia - Mt Tobias Wild Forest

The image on the LEFT is the DEP/DEC Parking Lot with off-road parking. It can hold about 4 cars. A few more if you pack them in. Expect the parking area to be completely full on weekends. Unlikely it is plowed in the Winter.

The picture on the left is the view from the DEP Beetree Hill Parking Area. The trail goes into the forest, and then turns LEFT within a short distance.

You will be in a conifer forest most of the trip with some areas of deciduous forest.

Part way up the trail, there will be a moderate incline. The incline will be fairly short. Within a minute or two, the trail will level off again to a very mild incline.

About half way up the trail will be a section where hunting is not allow. So, this trail would be a poor choice for hunters.

About 3/4 of the way up, the trail moves over the the northeast side of the ridge where you can get a limited view of the mountains surrounding Beetree Hill. Unfortunately, there is not a good view of Cooper Lake (which is a water supply for Woodstock, NY)

Shortly after this view, you will see the trail rise up. This is the top of Beetree Hill. If you look carefully, you can see a few herd trails up to the summit of Beetree Hill. There is not a view from the summit of Beetree view. But, the summit has a nice flat top that some hikers like to explore.

If you follow the trail a little more, it will come to a Trail Junction. Left is a small herd trail that fades out. You can bushwhack a number of mountains in the region from there.

Right will take you down another trail, which terminates at private property. Johns Mountain is on private property.

Hope you enjoyed this short little hike that few hikers visit.

LINKS & REFERENCES

NYS DEC information on Phoenicia - Mt Tobias Wild Forest

Bearsville Topographical Map (free)

S E C T I O N S

W E A T H E R

O T H E R