Ashokan High Point
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Overview of this Hike: |
| Distance: 9.19 miles round trip from the DEC Parking Lot on Peekamose Road (rt 42). 7.54 miles if you don't take the loop. The loop adds 1.65 miles to the hike. |
| Time: Average 5.00 hours round trip |
| Elevation Gain: 1,963’ feet from the DEC Parking Lot and the summit. |
| Best Time to Hike: Anytime. |
| Difficulty: Easy-to-Moderate |
| VO Map No: 59 & 59A |
| Catskill Highest: #83 |
| Peak Elevation: 3,091' |
| Digital Mapper: Topo
Terrain
Satellite |
| Attractions: Nice walk up Kanape Brook |
| Attractions: Summit has nice fields where homes used to exist. |
| Unattractions: Many substantial views from the summit has disappears over the years as trees have now started to grow back |
| Unattractions: New trail from Peekamose Road has made this into a long hike then from 30 years ago from Freeman-Avery Road. |
| Dangers: Yellow-Jacks nest are everywhere on the mountain - bears visit during berry season - lots of blueberry bushes. |
| Common Animals: Bees, Black bears, Coyotes, birds. |
| Risky Animals:
Rattlesnakes (low),
Bears (Low-to-Moderate),
BEES! (Very-High) |
| Access Methods: Foot, ski, and snowshoe |
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Directions to Trail Head from New York State Thruway (Easist, not the shortest): |
| GPS Coordinates to DEC Parking Lot: N41 56.139 W74 19.692 - Elevation is approximately 1,128 feet |
| Take New York State Thruway to Exit 20 (Saugerties). |
| Take a left out of the NYS Thruway entrance road. |
| Take a right onto Rt 212 towards Woodstock |
| Go 8.5 miles west on Rt 212 |
| Take a left onto Rt 375 south |
| Go 3 miles to the end of Rt 375. |
| Take a RIGHT onto Rt 28 |
| Go appoximately 9.7 miles to Boiceville NY. |
| Take a LEFT onto Rt 28A (just as you are entering Boiceville) |
| Go approximately 3 miles on Rt 28A |
| Take a RIGHT onto Rt 42 (Peakamoose Road) |
| Go up the road 3-4 miles. You will find a DEC parking lot on the right side of the road. |
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Special Circumstances about this Hike |
Many years ago this hike started from Freeman-Avery Road. The beginning of the trail passed over private land. Sadly today, land owners are afraid of being sued by people looking for a quick buck by harming people who are trying to be generous. This is why you must hike from Peekamoose Road, which is a much longer hike.
This mountain has a LOT of bees on them. During our hike, we found a yellow jacket nest 3 feet from the side of the trail. A hornets nest was found on another part of the hike. The day we hiked, about 50 people were stung by bees. Locals say that yellow jacket nest are quite numerous. If you decide to bushwack, please keep this in mind. Bees are the most active and aggressive in August and September. But, you can get a bee sting in other months. If you are allergic, you need to bring a first aid bee kit, or hike this month in colder months. |
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| Mile Point | Altitude | Notes |
| 0.00 | 1,128’ | DEC Parking Lot - N41 56.139 W74 19.692 |
| 0.07 | 1,117’ | Walk down road - look carefully for trail entrance on the other side of the road - easy to miss (NO sign). |
| 0.14 | 1,135' | Registration Box. |
| 2.65 | 2,041' | Trail Junction. Straight proceeds to Freeman-Avery Road on PRIVATE PROPERTY. Left takes you to Ashokan High Point. Go LEFT. |
| 2.69 | 2,045’ | 200' you will see another trail junction. Left takes you on the much longer trail to the peak. Right takes up to the peak. Go RIGHT. |
| 3.03 | 2,300’ | Side trail. Takes you to a view spot that has overgrown about 300' from the trail. |
| 3.26 | 2,550’ | Rock stairs. |
| 3.69 | 3,010’ | Nice view point |
| 3.77 | 3,091’ | Summit. |
| 6.34 | 2,128’ | Trail Junction - closes loop trail. |
| 6.37 | 2,119’ | Trail Junction - Go Right back to Peekamoose Road |
| 9.19 | 1,129’ | DEC Parking Lot. |
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Hike to Ashokan High Point |
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The picture on the left is where you can park on Peekamoose Road (Rt 42). The parking lot is small, so if it is full, you can park on the side of the road.
The trailhead is actually down the street about 250' . There is not a sign by the trailhead, so keep your eye out for the start of the trail. There is a red trail marker on the tree. |
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About 100' from the road is a the bridge you see on the picture on the left.
The picture on the LEFT shows you what the trail looks like in the beginning of the hike. In the beginning, the trail is very mellow. |
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About a mile up the trail, you will walk thru a nice conifer forest you see in the two pictures. |
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At mile post 2.65 you will come to the trail junction in the picture on the left. Over the 2.65 files you will climb 913 feet in elevation. If you continued straight, you would leave NY State land, and will enter onto private land that will lead to Freeman-Avery Road. You are NOT welcome on the private land. Years ago the land owners allowed hikers to hike from Freeman-Avery Road. But, due to legal liability, they had to close the trail. You want to take a LEFT at this trail junction.
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After 200 feet up the trail, you will come to another trail junction. Left will take you up the North Loop to the summit. Right (or straight) will take you up the South Loop to the summit. The north loop is about 2.57 miles long. The south loop is 1.08 miles long. The north loop is not used as much. The south loop is the original trail and more commonly used. |
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The picture on the LEFT shows the "steps" that go up a small ledge on the way to the summit. Years ago, someone put in some steps up this ledge. The steps are in poor shape, but they help significantly.
The picture on the RIGHT show what the trail looks like before the summit. |
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At mile post 3.69, you will come to a view point. The summit is another 400 feet away. The picture on the LEFT shows the summit. Years ago there were not any trees on the summit. You had a wide expensive view of the Ashokan Reservoir. Today, you cannot even see the Ashokan Reservoir. |
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As you continue on the trail, you will come to a number of fields. Years ago, there were several houses on the summit. You can still find the water holes for those homes. There are a lot of blueberry bushes on the summit, and locals like to hike up here to pick them. |
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There is a fireplace in one of the fields where hikers camp. |
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The picture on the left shows more fields and blueberry bushes.
The picture on the right shows the last spot where you can see the Ashokan Reservoir during the summer. In a couple years, this spot might be gone also. You can find this spot by walking past the fire place heading east. You will find a small trail that leads to this view. |
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After walking thru the fields it can be easy to lose the trail. So search carefully and look for the trail markers if you choose to take the North Loop trail. The pictures here show what the trial looks like. |
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