Windham High Peak - Burnt Knob Loop |
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| Picture taken from the north side of Burnt Knob - Windham High Peak in the distance |
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OVERVIEW |
| | Trail Name: | 
Elm Ridge Trail |
| | Trail Name: | 
Escarpment Trail (Elm Ridge to Acra Point) |
| | Trail Name: | 
Black Dome Ridge Trail (Acra Point - Big Hollow Road) |
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| | Parking Area : | Elm Ridge Parking Area at end of Peak Road) |
| | Parking Area : | Big Hollow Road Parking Area at end of Big Hollow Road |
| | Winter Access: | Elm Ridge is Plowed in the Winter |
| | Camp sites: | 1 Camp Site location |
| | Lean-to sites: | 1 Lean-to |
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| | Trail Length: | 6.75 |
| | Trail Type: | Single-track trail |
| | Hiking Time: | Average 4-5 hours round trip |
| | Highest Elevation: | 3,525' (A) |
| | Elevation Gain (Slide): | Gain of 1,480' |
| | Views : | 6 view spot |
| | Difficulty: | Easy |
| | Access Methods: | Foot and Snowshoeing. |
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| | USGS Map: | USGS Hensonville Quad Maps |
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| | DEC Trail Map: | DEC Elm Ridge Wild Forest Map |
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| | DEC Trail Map: | DEC Windham-Blackhead Wilderness Map (free) |
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| | Directions to PECK ROAD Parking Area |
| | Peck Road Parking Area WGS84 (DEC): 42.2968, -74.16925 - Elevation is about 1,989 feet |
| | Peck Road Parking Area Deg/Min/Sec: N42 17 48, W74 10 09 - Elevation is about 1,989 feet |
| | Peck Road Parking Area GPS: N 42 17.808, W 74 10.155 - Elevation is about 1,989 feet |
| | Peck Road Parking Area UTM: 18N 568480 4683065 - Elevation is about 1,989 feet
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| | Take New York State Thruway to Exit 21 (Catskill). |
| | Take a left out of the NYS Thruway entrance road. |
| | Go approximately 1/4 mile |
| | Take a right onto Route 23 West |
| | Go approximately 21.5 miles on Route 23. |
| | Take a left onto County Rt 65 (Main Care Gas Station on Right - Condos on left). |
| | Go approximately 0.7 miles on Route 65. |
| | Take left onto Rt 65A. |
| | Go approximately 0.3 miles on Rt 65A . |
| | Continue Straight onto Rt 40 after stop sign. |
| | Go approximately 1.8 miles on Rt 40. |
| | Take a left onto Rt 56 (3-way intersection in Maplecrest). |
| | Follow Rt 56 approximately 4.2 miles |
| | Take a LEFT onto Big Hollow Road (Rt 40) |
| | Follow Rt 40 approximately 1.8 miles |
| | Take a LEFT onto Peck Road |
| | Follow Peck Road approximately 0.8 miles to the end of Peck Road |
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| | Directions to BIG HOLLOW ROAD Parking Area |
| | Big Hollow Road Parking Area WGS84 (DEC): 42.289297963, -74.116077991 - Elevation is about 2,194 feet |
| | Big Hollow Road Parking Area Deg/Min/Sec: N42 17 21, W74 06 57 - Elevation is about 2,194 feet |
| | Big Hollow Road Parking Area GPS: N 42 17.358, W 74 06.965 - Elevation is about 2,194 feet |
| | Big Hollow Road Parking Area UTM: 18N 572872 4682276 - Elevation is about 2,194 feet
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| | Take New York State Thruway to Exit 21 (Catskill). |
| | Take a left out of the NYS Thruway entrance road. |
| | Go approximately 1/4 mile |
| | Take a right onto Route 23 West |
| | Go approximately around 21.5 miles on Route 23. |
| | Take a left onto County Rt 65 (Main Care Gas Station on Right - Condos on left). |
| | Go approximately 0.7 miles on Route 65. |
| | Take left onto Rt 65A. |
| | Go approximately 0.3 miles on Rt 65A . |
| | Continue Straight onto Rt 40 after stop sign. |
| | Go approximately 1.8 miles on Rt 40. |
| | Take a left onto Rt 56 (3-way intersection in Maplecrest). |
| | Follow Rt 56 approximately 4.2 miles |
| | Continue off the asphalt road to the gravel road until you reach the DEC parking lot. |
| | Do NOT block driveway in the DEC parking lot. This goes to someones house. |
| | Do NOT drive beyond the DEC parking lot. This is someones driveway. |
| | Land around the DEC parking lot and the beginning of the trail is PRIVATE land. Please respect private landowners. |
| | After leaving your first car at this parking lot reverse course about 3 miles to Peak Road. |
| | Take a RIGHT onto Peak Road and follow it to the end. This is the second DEC parking lot. |
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MILEAGE CHART for Windham High Peak - Burnt Knob Loop |
| | Mile Point | Altitude | Notes |
| | 0.00 | 2,044’ | DEC Parking lot on Peak Road. |
| | 0.85 | 2,317' | Trail Junction. Left goes to Rt 23. Right goes to Windham High Peak. Go RIGHT. |
| | 2.95 | 3,513' | View Point #1 near Windham High Peak. |
| | 2.97 | 3,515' | View Point #2 near Windham High Peak. |
| | 3.06 | 3,523' | Windham High Peak & USGS Marker |
| | 3.10 | 3,502' | View Point #3 near Windham High Peak |
| | 4.37 | 3,020’ | View Point #1 near Burnt Knob (view of WHP & Hudson Valley) |
| | 4.74 | 2,971’ | View Point #2 near Burnt Knob (view of Batavia Valley) |
| | 5.33 | 3,036’ | View Point #3 near Burnt Knob. (view of Blackhead Mtn Range) |
| | 5.73 | 2,761' | Trail Junction for Black Dome Trail. Go RIGHT to Big Hollow PA. Straight goes to Acra Point. |
| | 6.69 | 2,159' | Trail Junction for Big Hollow Road. Go LEFT. Trail comes out on Rt 56. |
| | 6.75 | 2,190’ | DEC Parking Lot at the end of Rt 56 (Big Hollow Road) |
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Hike of Windham High Peak & Burnt Knob from Peck Road PA |
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This the Peck Road Parking Area. It holds about 5 cars.
Unless you plan on walking back to the Peck Road Parking Area (3 miles), you should drop a car off at the Big Hollow Road Parking Area, and then proceed to this parking area (Peck Road PA).
Register for your hike here. Registering allots money for trail maintenance and can be used by Rangers to find you if you go missing or are injured.
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This trail is a little rocky, and there are some muddy section. So, walk on the wooden walkway when available. |
The climb up to Elm Ridge is fairly gentle in elevation. As you approach Elm Ridge, it will get a little bit steeper. |
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When you reach the top of Elm Ridge, you will come to a 4-way Trail Junction. You want to go RIGHT up to Windham High Peak. Straight will take you to Rt 23 Parking Area. Left will take you on the Mountain Bike Trails in Elm Ridge. |
This is the Escarpment Trail as it starts to climb up Windham High Peak Mountain. |
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After a short distance you will see a trail on the right. The side trail will take you to the Elm Ridge Lean-to. Behind the Lean-to is a primitive campsite. If there is room in the Lean-to you MUST share it with other hikers that arrive after you. |
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This is the DEC Primitive campsite behind the Lean-to. |
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About half way to the summit of Windham High Peak, you will hike through a dense conifer forest. |
After the conifer forest, you will encounter a small steep section as you wind around the south side of Windham High Peak |
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As you get close to the summit of Windham High Peak, you will see a 3500 foot elevation sign. You cannot camp above this point in the Spring, Summer or Fall. |
After the 3500 foot elevation sign, the trail will be fairly flat as you approach the summit of Windham High Peak. |
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This is one of the three view points on the summit of Windham High Peak. The mountains in the distance are Blackhead Mountain (left), Black Dome Mountain (center), and Thomas Cole Mountain (right). On a clear day it is a very nice view. |
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This is the summit of Windham High Peak with three USGS Markers. |
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This is the view of the Hudson Valley looking northeast. It is the last view point near the summit of Windham High Peak |
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As you descend off the summit of Windham High Peak the trail will be narrow. Sometimes the trail is overgrown. |
The trail will stay overgrown until you reach Burnt Knob. |
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At mile post 4.37 you will encounter view point #1 on Burnt Knob. Off to the right of this picture, you can see Windham High Peak. The view overlooks the Batavia Valley and Windham High Peak. |
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At mile post 4.74 you will encounter view point #2 on Burnt Knob. This ledge is on the east side which shows Windham High Peak and the Hudson Valley. It is a large ledge with a great view. |
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At mile post 5.33 you will encounter view point #3 on Burnt Knob. It has an excellent view of the Blackhead Mountain Range. To the left is Blackhead Mountain, and to the right is Black Dome Mountain. |
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As you descend off Burnt Knob, you will encounter a trail junction in the col. This trail junction is for the Black Dome Ridge Trail. You want to go RIGHT. Straight will take you to Acra Point and further to Blackhead Mountain. |
This is the beginning of the Black Dome Ridge Trail from the Escarpment Trail |
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As you descend further down the Black Dome Ridge Trail, you will hike through a nice conifer forest. You will hike parallel to a tributary to the Batavia Kill Creek. At times you can hear the water running down the creek |
When you get near the end of your hike on the Black Dome Ridge Trail, you will need to cross a tributary to the Batavia Kill Creek. |
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When you come out here, your hike is done. Take a LEFT to the Big Hollow Parking Area. If you are going to hike down Rt 47 back to your car on Peck Road, then take a RIGHT.
The is the end of the eastern side of the Black Dome Ridge Trail. You are now on the access road to Big Hollow Road (Rt 47). |
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This is the Big Hollow Road Parking Area. Sometimes called the Batavia Kill Parking Area, or Blackhead Parking Area. |
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S E C T I O N S
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