Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest
Nature preserve
12,945 acres21.2 mi of trail
Mill Brook Ridge TrailDry Brook Ridge TrailNeversink - Hardenburgh TrailKelly Hollow Cross-Country Ski Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Camper ParkingWebsite ↗
Beaverkill Valley Inn · Photo: Peter Bond from Philadelphia, USA. Cropped and color-corrected by Daniel Case on date of upload · CC BY-SA 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Hardenburgh
More than half of Hardenburgh’s land is conserved: 65%
65% of Hardenburgh’s land is conserved, about 33,598 acres. The biggest trail networks: Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest (21.2 mi), Big Indian Wilderness (13.5 mi), Delaware Wild Forest (2.2 mi). 15,439 acres are parks and preserves, 100,906 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
65%
33,598 acres · of 80.8 sq mi of land
Trails
44 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
15,439 ac
100,906 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
55%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,852 ft
Graham Mountain
Lakes & rivers
10
1 boat launch
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest, with 21.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Big Indian Wilderness
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
12,305 acres13.5 mi of trail
Pine Hill - West Branch TrailOliverea-Mapledale Trail - redMongaup-Hardenburgh TrailMine Hollow Trail (yellow)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Rider Hollow TrailheadWebsite ↗
Delaware Wild Forest
Nature preserve
483 acres2.2 mi of trail
Touch-Me-Not Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Dry Brook Ridge Wild Forest
Nature preserve
574 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dry Brook Ridge TrailHuckleberry Loop
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 6 parks & preserves
Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest12,945 acres · 21.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBig Indian Wilderness12,305 acres · 13.5 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsDelaware Wild Forest483 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDry Brook Ridge Wild Forest574 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
Willowemoc Wild Forest1,107 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Lost Clove Unit291 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Who protects it
33,598 conserved acres
65% of Hardenburgh’s land. Who manages Hardenburgh’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation28,340 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits7,658 ac
Town or city448 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government183 ac
State Conservation Area · 14,692 acState Wilderness · 12,308 acOther Easement · 3,847 acConservation Easement · 2,568 acPrivate Conservation · 1,454 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,587 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 12 of 205 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 12,974 | Open |
| Big Indian Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 12,308 | Open |
| Beaverkill Arcadia Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,454 | Closed |
| Willowemoc Wild Forest State Recreation Area | State conservation | 1,115 | Open |
| Dry Brook Ridge Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 576 | Open |
| Delaware Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 484 | Open |
| Catskill Mountains State Conservation Area | State conservation | 466 | Restricted |
| New York City Lands Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 448 | Unknown |
| Little Pond Campground State Recreation Area | State conservation | 196 | Open |
| Unclassified State Conservation Area | State conservation | 191 | Open |
Things to do
29 places to go in Hardenburgh
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Hardenburgh
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Hardenburgh
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Hardenburgh
Balsam Mountain overlook
DirectionsBeecher Lake OverlookIn Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsPeaks in Hardenburgh
Graham Mountain3,852 ft elevation
DirectionsBalsam Lake Mountain3,729 ft elevation · In Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsBalsam Mountain3,607 ft elevation · In Big Indian Wilderness
DirectionsEagle Mountain3,583 ft elevation · In Big Indian Wilderness
DirectionsMillbrook Ridge3,543 ft elevation · In Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsWoodpecker Ridge3,468 ft elevation · In Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsHaynes Mountain3,413 ft elevation · In Big Indian Wilderness
DirectionsMongaup Mountain3,176 ft elevation · In Big Indian Wilderness
Directions5 more peaks
Cradle Rock Ridge3,159 ft elevation · In Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsBullet Hole2,927 ft elevation · In Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsHirams Knob2,884 ft elevation · In Big Indian Wilderness
DirectionsTurnwood2,841 ft elevation · In Willowemoc Wild Forest
DirectionsMongaup Mountain2,762 ft elevation · In Big Indian Wilderness
DirectionsPlus 5 peaks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Hardenburgh
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Hardenburgh
Little Pond Campground
DirectionsPlus 4 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
15 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 3.3 miUnpaved · 18.7 mi
Mill Brook Ridge Trail5.4 mi
Pine Hill - West Branch Trail4.9 mi
Dry Brook Ridge Trail4.7 mi
Oliverea-Mapledale Trail - red3.3 mi
Neversink - Hardenburgh Trail3.3 mi
Mongaup-Hardenburgh Trail3.2 mi
Kelly Hollow Cross-Country Ski Trail2.8 mi
Touch-Me-Not Trail2.8 mi
Alder Lake Loop1.5 mi
Balsam Lake Mountain Trail1.5 mi
5 more trails
Mine Hollow Trail (yellow)
1.0 miSeager - Big indian Trail (Yellow)
1.0 miHuckleberry Loop
0.2 miEagle Mountain Herd Path
0.1 miFinger Lakes Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
3Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hardenburgh: May, July and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 30 | 37 | 50 | 62 | 69 | 73 | 72 | 66 | 54 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 73 °F). 5.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Hardenburgh →
Next door
Hardenburgh and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardenburgh | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Denning | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Shandaken | 70% | 1.0 | 3,550 | 78% | A+ |
| Rockland | 25% | 0.4 | 2,997 | 45% | A− |
| Andes | 29% | 0.3 | 9,650 | 17% | A− |
| Middletown | 20% | 0.4 | 2,098 | 43% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hardenburgh
Where can I hike in Hardenburgh?
The longest trail networks: Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest, 21.2 miles; Big Indian Wilderness, 13.5 miles; Delaware Wild Forest, 2.2 miles; Dry Brook Ridge Wild Forest, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Hardenburgh’s trails?
Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest and Big Indian Wilderness don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Hardenburgh?
193,593 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hardenburgh or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 27,821 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Hardenburgh neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →