Hike & Camp Jul 1-4 : Catskills?

[ronandjon]

Jon is finally back from his year in China - but off to Scranton, PA to work for the summer. He would like to get together with some friends from Albany, NY and Hartford, Conn during this weekend, and would like to camp out and do some hiking.

He is a 46er, and his friends have climbed about a dozen each, and all of them have done the 10-day in Plilmont, in New Mexico, so they are in a lot better shape than Jon's old man (me).

Any suggestions which would be fairly central to all of them? He said he'd like to camp in a state park, if possible, but is open to other ideas. thanks Ron

 

[funkyfreddy]

Do you own the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference map set for the Catskills? If you don't I would advise you to get them.

The 2 state campgrounds that come to my mind are the Woodland Valley Campground and the North South lake campground. The Woodland Valley CG is in a beautiful area very convenient for hikes to Wittenberg/Slide/Cornell Mts. as well as hikes to Giants Ledge and Panther Mt. It's a beautiful CG with coin operated showers and sites right next to Woodland Creek. I car camped there quite a bit when first getting to know the Catskills and recommend it highly! I believe the reservations are still first come/first served so get there early.....

The North South Lake CG is very popular and usually very busy. it's also in a beautiful area and I remember the lake being nice to swim in although it's been many years since I did so. I did recently hike through there as part of VFTT's "Escape the Escarpment" hike, so if you look at that thread under the Trip Reports section you will be able to see a lot of photos from the nearby Escarpment Trail, a hike I also highly recommend! I'm not sure what the reservation policies are at NSLCG, but perhaps Mark Schaefer, Jay, Hermit, or one of our other Catskill experts can help you out there. There are also many other camping options depending on what areas you're planning to hike in. Good luck!

 

[ronandjon]

Thanks for the information

Last December on my birthday Chili Willie and I hiked along Kaaterskill Falls and then up to an escarpment I think we went thru the North Lake Campground you mention, and it was pretty nice. I will go back and check my notes.

The Woodland Valley CG sounds nice, too, and I will have Jon look it up and pass the information on to him and his friends.

I'm trying to find some free time so I can hike the Sewards this summer, so I will be ready to finish on Allen with Chili Willie in either August or September, hopefully with Jon and a handful of other friends with whom I have had the pleasure hiking over the years. thanks again ron

 

[Mark Schaefer]

I agree with the Fred's suggestion of the Woodland Valley Campground. The Wittenberg, Cornell, Slide (Burroughs Range) Trail begins in the campground. A loop is available with the return (Phoenicia-East Branch) trail also ending at the campground.

You can make reservations online via ReserveAmerica, or by calling 1-800-456-CAMP (1-800-456-2267). The website has campground maps, so you can choose a campsite based on its location, facilities, and size. Campsites are still available, but will likely fill up before the start of a holiday weekend.

 

[ronandjon]

Looks Good

I looked this campground up and it looks very good. I printed out driving directions for both Jon and his friend (Scoutmaster Tom's son), and gave the directions to both of them during Jon's brief week at home. He said he needed to find out from his boss what his schedule would be before he could make reservations. I guess he is working rotating shifts and will work some weekends and have others off.

Thanks for the suggestion. Ron

 

[Jay H]

..And you'll need to reserve 2 nights minimum using ReserveAmerica.

Phoenicia is fairly central to most of the high peaks in the catskills.. Has good dining, a gas station, a small grocery store. Tube rentals, etc. It is about a 30-40 minute drive from the Thruway.

It's a pretty long drive to the campsite from Woodland Valley Road, don't be too surprised if it seems like forever, there are small brown signs for the place on Rt 28 and the turn is right at the Woodland Valley Inn (a restaurant on the corner of Woodland Valley Rd and Rt 28) right past the exit for SR214.

Jay