New York: Exploring the Catskill Mountains

Finding we had an extra day in the Saugerties area, it was time to explore the Catskills.  True, one day is not enough but we did investigate several areas in the southeastern part of the park.  Let's call this the "12 forests in 6 hours" tour, you know the type many short hikes in interesting places.

Mountain Laurel still in bloom

Before our visit it was hard for me to grasp "the Catskill Park" because it is simply a collection of public lands intermixed with private holdings over seven counties (Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Sullivan, Ulster and Southern Albany).  That make it about 6,000-square miles in Southeastern New York State with 35 mountain peaks over 3,500 feet in elevation and six major river systems.

Stream in the Peekamoose

So the park 'structure' in mind we headed to an information booth for ideas about hikes.  There are many available, luckily a local resident happened to be visiting the self-service booth who was a wealth of information.  His favorite hikes were in the Peekamoose which he described so vividly and lovingly that we knew it was to be the central part of our day.

Ashokan Reservoir 

Off we went towards the Ashokan Reservoir for our first walk of the day.  Here you can walk across the dam and view both the upper reservoir and the lower lake which sparkled in the sunlight.  It is good that it sparkles as it is part of the water supply system for New York City.

 Ashokan Reservoir Lower Lake

After soaking in the beauty and quiet of the lake in the early morning, we headed towards the recommended Peekamoose area and trails.  From our informant's descriptions, the road and trails were easy to find.  The drive is delightful filled with streams, waterfalls, solitude, and beauty.

Winding through the Sundown Wild Forest

The stream built it's personal dam
probably during years of spring thaws

This is a truly delightful area and part of the Sundown Wild Forest an area managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Primitive Camping Area Signs

Unfortunately the trash is not packed out!

We made several stops to hike in this area including a strenuous climb through the forest towards the peak, strolls along waterfalls and creeks, brisk walks through the camping areas and adjacent trails.

Several of these amazing butterflies
entertained us by the stream

Next stop Ellenville by way of the Randout Reservoir, another part of the New York City water system, and Randout Creek.  Now, why this is called a creek befuddles me because it is more of a river.  The Randout is actually a 63.3-mile-long tributary of the Hudson River which it joins around Kingston so we followed the creek for quite a distance.

A true creek leading to the Randout Creek

After a beautiful drive along narrow winding roads we stopped for lunch at Peters Market just outside Ellensville.  The market appeared to be our kind of place, wholesome and not too fancy.  Peters is family owned and in it's 44th year of operation.  We opted for soups and chili, both were freshly made and delightful.  The lunch quickly disappeared as we sat on their picnic tables gazing at the mountains.  

Berme Road Park with many trails

Then we were off to find another short hike... the Berme Road Ellenville Park was perfect.  You can choose from several multi-use trails that wind across the hills and up the side of the mountain.  These were challenging enough on foot that I would not be happy trying these on a bicycle.  As with most trails in this area, they are also marked for cross-country skiers.

Ferns loved this environment

Looping back towards Saugerties we crossed the Mohonk Preserve with more opportunities for hikes.  We selected a trail head near the crest and began to explore.  

Meadow at Mohonk Preserve

There were many paths that quickly narrowed to animal trails, perhaps due to a lack of use?  Without a trail map we limited our journey to the obvious.  This section appeared to have been a farm or small community before 1900.  Our conclusion came from the way the land was cleared and the remains of low stone walls.  Although there was no trace of a homestead, the arrangement of trees, flower and ferns, bare land, nearby creek, and low walls were definite clues.

More ferns in the mountains

Leaving the preserve we descended New Paltz, a quaint town that deserved a quick stroll.  Unplanned we found ourselves in Kingston rush hour traffic, taking the truck route gave us the back roads tour of the city on the Hudson River.  After that it was getting late in the day so we drove back to the campground along the Hudson River.

Stream in the Mohonk Preserve