6.7 miles | 1,476 ft gain | Difficulty: Moderate | Rating ★★★ With only a few days left of our trip, we wanted to conquer one more peak. Unfortunately, we left some of our navigation tools back in Brooklyn, so a trail-less peak did not seem wise. And with the weather being a bit iffy, we opted for a shorter, less challenging hike, so as not to get stuck in a (rain) cloud. Windham was a bit of a drive from our place in Woodstock, but seemed to meet every other requirement.
Catskills
Hike 40: Diamond Notch Falls
2.0 miles | 226 ft gain | Difficulty: Easy | Rating ★★★★ After conquering Twin and Indian Head, we needed a recovery hike. And who can turn down a waterfall. Diamond Notch Falls were a bit of a drive, but I've found (as with the Adirondacks), it's sometimes challenging to find a scenic hike in the Catskills, unless you're willing to put in the work. Many hikes are under .5 miles, a "look at the thing on the side of the road" hike, or "moderate" 1,000 ft climbs. Diamond Notch Falls offered a moderate distance and relatively flat trail.
Hike 39: Twin Mountain and Indian Head
9.0 miles | 2,198 ft gain | Difficulty: Moderate | Rating ★★★★ Heading up to the Catskills for the long weekend, we had worried we made a mistake. We first debated going up to the Adirondacks, but we have another road trip coming up and wasn't up for two 5+ hour drives so close to each other. So we settled for the Catskills. The weather promised clouds, lots of them, and the photos I've seen this past week were still quite green. Luckily, the foliage sped up just for our arrival.
Hike 18: Plateau Mountain
6.0 miles | 1,998 ft gain | Difficulty: Difficult | Rating ★★★★ 2000 foot gain didn't seem that bad over 6 miles. Until we realized the gain was all in that first mile. Aptly called Plateau, the mountain steeply climbed but then leveled out to a plateau, the wooded summit being less than spectacular. So why five stars? Well...sometimes it's not all about the destination.
Hike 14: Vernooy Falls
3.7 miles | 659 ft gain | Difficulty: Easy | Rating ★★★★ I have trouble understanding where the Hudson Valley ends and the Catskills begin. Staying in New Paltz for the weekend, we wanted to get in one last waterfall before heading home. We decided to head to Vernooy Falls, a moderately easy hike recommended in one of my hiking groups. Just 15 miles away but apparently we were now in the Catskills.
Fifty-Two Hikes 