Hike the Giggle Hollow Trail |
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OVERVIEW |
| | Type of Trail: | June 18th thru Labor Day: 100% DEC Trails - 0% DEC Roads - 0% Railroad tracks |
| | Type of Trail: | Labor Day thru June 17th: 76% DEC Trails - 24% DEC Roads - 0% Railroad tracks |
| | Parking Area : | June 18th thru Labor Day: Smith Park for 50 cars |
| | Parking Area : | Labor Day thru June 17th: DEC Road/Land for 10 cars |
| | Winter Access: | Parking Area is Plowed. |
| | Winter Access: | When snow is present, just wear snowshoes (no "post-holing" with hiking boots in the snow |
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| | | Trail : | Giggle Hollow Trail - 1.90 miles (one-way) or 3.80 (round-trip) - BLUE Trail Markers |
| | Access Methods: | Foot and Snowshoe |
| | Best Time to Hike: | Any time of year |
| | Difficulty: | Moderate |
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| | | USGS Map: | USGS Westkill Quad Maps |
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| | | USGS Map: | USGS Shandaken Quad Maps |
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| | | DEC Trail Map: | DEC Shandaken Wild Forest Map (free) |
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| | | Digital Mapper: |
Topo
Terrain
Satellite |
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| | | UTM Shandaken: | DEC Unit Management Plan for Shandaken Wild Forest |
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Maps |
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Notes About Hiking the Giggle Hollow TRAIL |
During the summer months (June 18th thru Labor Day) you will park inside Smith Park (Also called Belleayre Beach or Belleayre Day Use Area). You will need to pay to park there. You can check their web site at the bottom of this page to get more details.
Off season, you can park at the end of Lake Street on the north side of Smith Park. You will then need to hike another 0.45 miles to get to the Trail Head of Giggle Hollow Trail.
In the off season, getting across the creek can be challenging. Most people shimmy their way across the dam barrier. Not recommended for everyone, especially children If getting across the creek is not something you feel comfortable with, then choose a different hike, like the Woodchuck Hollow Hike or the Cathedral Hollow Hike. Both are minutes from this hike.
The DEC is expected to implement improvements to the Giggle Hollow Trail when they install the Bike Park in Giggle Hollow in 2023 or 2024. Until that time, there are some trees down across the trail. The trail is also very poorly marked.
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| | DIRECTIONS TO TRAIL HEAD - (Lake Street from Pine Hill) |
| | Giggle Hollow (LAKE STREET) WGS84 (DEC): 42.12885 -74.47465 - Elevation is approximately 1,410 feet |
| | Giggle Hollow (LAKE STREET) Deg/Min/Sec: N42 07 43 W74 28 28 - Elevation is approximately 1,410 feet |
| | Giggle Hollow (LAKE STREET) GPS: N 42 07.731 W 74 28.479 - Elevation is approximately 1,410 feet |
| | Giggle Hollow (LAKE STREET) UTM: 18N 543420 4664216 - Elevation is approximately 1,410 feet |
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| | Take New York State Thruway to Exit 19 (Kingston). |
| | Take a RIGHT out of the NYS Thruway to Route 28 West. |
| | Go approximately 33.2 miles |
| | Take a left onto S Main Street (Look for large "Welcome to Pine Hill" Sign on left) |
| | Go approximately 0.1 miles |
| | Take a LEFT onto Lake Street |
| | Drive to the end of Lake Street |
| | The very end of Lake Stree is DEC Property |
| | Make sure you leave enough room for snow plows to turn around. |
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| | DIRECTIONS TO TRAIL HEAD - (Smith Park) |
| | Giggle Hollow (SMITH PARK) WGS84 (DEC): 42.125433 -74.472717 - Elevation is approximately 1,442 feet |
| | Giggle Hollow (SMITH PARK) Deg/Min/Sec: N42 07 31 W74 28 21 - Elevation is approximately 1,442 feet |
| | Giggle Hollow (SMITH PARK) GPS: N 42 07.526 W 74 28.363 - Elevation is approximately 1,442 feet |
| | Giggle Hollow (SMITH PARK) 18N 543583 4663838 - Elevation is approximately 1,442 feet |
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| | Take New York State Thruway to Exit 19 (Kingston). |
| | Take a RIGHT out of the NYS Thruway to Route 28 West. |
| | Go approximately 32.8 miles |
| | Take a left onto Friendship Manor Road |
| | Go approximately 0.1 miles |
| | Take a LEFT to go over Covered Bridge into Smith Park |
| | Go approximately 0.1 miles |
| | Pavillion Parking Area for 50 cars |
| | Walk up past the two Pavillions to the Railroad bridge |
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MILEAGE CHART - Hiking from Lake Street (from Pine Hill) |
| | Mile Point | Altitude | Notes |
| | 0.00 | 1,410' | Park end of Lake Street (From Pine Hill) |
| | 0.45 | 1,528' | Trail Head to Giggle Hollow Trail |
| | 1.80 | 2,488' | Walk across small bridge and up one-lane road
At pump house, go LEFT up to railroad tracks
At railroad tracks, go LEFT and walk 250 feet down the tracks. |
| | 2.35 | 2,782 | Take a RIGHT towards the end of Cathedral Glen Reservoir and hike up dirt trail |
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MILEAGE CHART - Hiking from inside Smith Park |
| | Mile Point | Altitude | Notes |
| | 0.00 | 1,528' | Parking Area inside Smith Park |
| | 1.35 | 2,488' | Walk across small bridge and up one-lane road
At pump house, go LEFT up to railroad tracks
At railroad tracks, go LEFT and walk 250 feet down the tracks. |
| | 1.90 | 2,782 | Take a RIGHT towards the end of Cathedral Glen Reservoir and hike up dirt trail |
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Hike the Giggle Hollow Trail in the Shandaken Wild Forest |
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NOTE: If you parked inside Smith Park, ignore this section.
In the distance (by telephone pole) is the parking area at the end of Lake Street (from Pine Hill). Once you park your car, walk down the road to this concrete dam.
On way to get across the creek is to shimmy across the dam it while hanging onto the rail. If you feel that you are not capable of doing this, find another way or find a different hike. Like the Woodchuck Hollow Trail or Cathedral Hollow Trail, which are minutes away.
Once across, follow the road into Smith Park. Look up to your right for two pavilion. Behind the pavilion you will see a railroad bridge. The Railroad bridge is the Trail Head for the Giggle Hollow Trail
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Looking down from the Giggle Hollow Trail Head, you can see the two pavilions and a parking area further down. You want to walk up to where this picture was taken.
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This is the Trail Head for Giggle Hollow. Please register in the DEC Registration Box. Then continue around the railroad bridge and up the trail. |
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Most of the Giggle Hollow Trail looks like this. Continue up the path. You will encounter some side trails, but continue up the main path. In 2023 or 2024, the DEC is going to clean up this trail more. In early 2023, there were trees and branches across the trail in numerous locations.
As you get close to the top, you will come to an intersection. You want to go right.
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Just before you get to the top, the trail appears to end (as you can see in the picture). The intersection of the Woodchuck Hollow Trail is just 100' away. So, just push through to reach the Woodchuck Hollow Trail. That is basically the end of the hike up Giggle Hollow Road.
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When you reach the Woodchuck Hollow Trail, you will see this sign. The sign is actually incorrect. The first two lines should point LEFT.
So, if you want to go to Lost Clove Trail, Hirschland Lean-to, Balsam Mountain, or Belleayre Mountain, go LEFT.
RIGHT will take you down the Woodchuck Hollow Trail. At the bottom, you will be 1.5 to 2 miles away from your car if you parked at Smith Park.
If you are done, turn-around and hike back down the same way you came up
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