Kaaterskill Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
6,248 acres35.1 mi of trail
Kaaterskill High Peak TrailLong PathEscarpment TrailHarding Road Trail+1
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Julia Manzerova · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Hunter
More than half of Hunter’s land is conserved: 56%
56% of Hunter’s land is conserved, about 31,973 acres. 9,494 acres are parks and preserves, 3,121 per 1,000 residents. 152 miles of mapped trail cross Hunter, 1.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #26 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
56%
31,973 acres · of 89.9 sq mi of land
Trails
152 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
9,494 ac
3,121 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
78%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.0 mi
1.1 mi lanes · 0.8 mi paths
Highest peak
4,030 ft
Hunter Mountain
Lakes & rivers
15
3 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Hunter?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild56% of the land is conserved; a typical New York town, 5%.Room to roam3,121 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 91% of U.S. towns.History along the way16 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hunter have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hunter is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #26 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hunter’s overall grade.
Conserved land56% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (152 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land3,121 acres of park per 1,000 residents (9,494 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home78% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 97%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Kaaterskill Wild Forest, with 35.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Indian Head Wilderness
Nature preserve
13,964 acres33.4 mi of trail
Devil's PathMink Hollow TrailWarner Creek TrailPecoy Notch Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
Nature preserve
5,338 acres11.4 mi of trail
Devil's PathBecker Hollow TrailHunter Mountain TrailOld Fenwick Railroad Bed+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Phoenicia - Mount Tobias Wild Forest
Nature preserve
1,813 acres3.6 mi of trail
Warner Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Mountain Top Arboretum
Park
195 acres3.4 mi of trail
Hemlock TrailSpruce TrailHemlock Trail LoopRed Maple+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Windham-Blackhead Range Wilderness
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
1,568 acres2.6 mi of trail
Escarpment Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Scutt Road Parking AreaWebsite ↗
Platte Clove Preserve
Managed by Catskill Center
117 acres1.8 mi of trail
Overlook TrailNature TrailWaterfall Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Rusk Mountain Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
202 acres1.7 mi of trail
Spruceton TrailFire Tower TrailRusk Herd Path
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 33 parks & preserves
Kaaterskill Wild Forest6,248 acres · 35.1 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsIndian Head Wilderness13,964 acres · 33.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHunter-West Kill Wilderness5,338 acres · 11.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPhoenicia - Mount Tobias Wild Forest1,813 acres · 3.6 mi of trail
Mountain Top Arboretum195 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWindham-Blackhead Range Wilderness1,568 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsPlatte Clove Preserve117 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Catskill Center
DirectionsRusk Mountain Wild Forest202 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
South Roundtop Unit296 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Mink Hollow Primitive Bicycle Corridor27 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsOverlook Turnpike Primitive Bicycle Corridor38 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRoundtop Mountain Unit324 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsStony Clove Notch Unit193 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsTwilight Park Unit82 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Stony Clove Unit95 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
South Scribner Hollow Unit227 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsRip Van Winkle Lake Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Roaring Kill Unit175 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Lanes Brook Unit114 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Platte Clove Road Unit106 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Diamond Notch Unit87 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Schoharie Headwaters Unit64 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsWarner Creek North Unit52 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Railroad Bend Unit49 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Camp Meadowbrook Unit30 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Pecoy Notch Unit26 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Garfield Avenue Unit24 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Glen Road Unit23 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Neal Road Unit21 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Colgate Lake Wild Forest8 acres
Mink Hollow Unit7 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Warner Creek South Unit7 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Lanesville Unit1 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Who protects it
31,973 conserved acres
56% of Hunter’s land. Who manages Hunter’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation33,179 ac
Town or city468 ac
Private owners208 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits69 ac
State Wilderness · 20,865 acState Conservation Area · 8,287 acState Resource Management Area · 1,700 acState Recreation Area · 1,237 acRecreation or Education Easement · 607 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 830 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 33 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Head Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 13,963 | Open |
| Kaaterskill Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 6,261 | Open |
| Hunter-West Kill Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 5,337 | Open |
| Phoenicia - Mt. Tobias Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,815 | Open |
| Windham-Blackhead Range Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 1,566 | Open |
| Border Katerskill / Ns Lake Camp State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 1,422 | Open |
| North/South Lake Campground State Recreation Area | State conservation | 1,046 | Open |
| Devils Tombstone Campground State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 278 | Open |
| Private Lands Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 208 | Closed |
| Rusk Mountain Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 202 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
211 places to go in Hunter
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hunter
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Hunter
7 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Hunter
Ashley Falls
DirectionsBastion FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsBlack Chasm FallsIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsBlue Hole FallsIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsBridal Veil FallsIn Platte Clove Preserve
DirectionsButtermilk FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsDelmura FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsElizabeth FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
Directions17 more waterfalls
Fawn's LeapIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsGreen Hole FallsIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsGrey Rock FallsIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsHells Hole FallsIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsKaaterskill FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsKaaterskill FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsLower Bridal Veil FallsIn Platte Clove Preserve
DirectionsLower Buttermilk FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsLower Ghost (Japanese) FallsIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsOld Mill FallsIn Platte Clove Preserve
DirectionsPlattekill FallsIn Platte Clove Preserve
DirectionsRed Rock FallsIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsSanta Cruz FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsUpper Ghost (Japanese) FallsIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsUpper Hell Hole FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsViola FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsWildcat FallsIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
Directions83 waterfalls are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Scenic views in Hunter
Catskill mountains view
DirectionsGeiger PointIn Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsHuckleberry PointIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsHunter Lookout
DirectionsHunter Mountain overlookIn Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsHurricane LedgeIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsIndian HeadIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsInspiration PointIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
Directions15 more scenic views
Jimmy Dolan Notch overlookIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsOrchard PointIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsPanther PointIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsParadise PointIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsParker Mountain Lookout
DirectionsPoets LedgeIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsQuarry viewIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsSherman's LookoutIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsSugarloaf Mountain overlookIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsSunset RockIn Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsTwin Mountain overlookIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsTwin Mountain south summitIn Indian Head Wilderness
Directionsquarry wallIn Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsviewIn Indian Head Wilderness
Directionsview northIn Indian Head Wilderness
Directions86 scenic views are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Peaks in Hunter
Hunter Mountain4,030 ft elevation · In Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsPlateau Mountain3,835 ft elevation · In Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsSugarloaf Mountain3,783 ft elevation · In Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsSouthwest Hunter Mountain3,753 ft elevation · In Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsKaaterskill High Peak3,652 ft elevation · In Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsTwin Mountain3,650 ft elevation · In Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsIndian Head Mountain3,573 ft elevation · In Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsTwin Mountain South Summit3,560 ft elevation · In Indian Head Wilderness
Directions14 more peaks
Roundtop Mountain3,465 ft elevation · In Kaaterskill Wild Forest
DirectionsOlderbark Mountain3,438 ft elevation · In Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsStoppel Point3,422 ft elevation · In Windham-Blackhead Range Wilderness
DirectionsSpruce Top3,379 ft elevation
DirectionsOnteora Mountain3,232 ft elevation
DirectionsColonels Chair3,199 ft elevation
DirectionsPlattekill Mountain3,091 ft elevation · In Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsLittle Rocky Mountain3,051 ft elevation · In Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsSilver Hollow Notch Mountain3,009 ft elevation · In Phoenicia - Mount Tobias Wild Forest
DirectionsEdgewood Mountain2,999 ft elevation · In Phoenicia - Mount Tobias Wild Forest
DirectionsSouth Twin2,890 ft elevation · In Indian Head Wilderness
DirectionsParker Mountain2,831 ft elevation
DirectionsSouth Mountain2,467 ft elevation
DirectionsClum Hill2,385 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Hunter
Hunter Mountain North Picnic Area
DirectionsNotch Lake Picnic Area
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Hunter
011 Campsite
DirectionsDevil's Tombstone Campground
DirectionsPlus 3 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 17.9 miHorses · 7.5 miUnpaved · 82.3 mi
Devil's Path14.7 mi
Kaaterskill High Peak Trail6.9 mi
Long Path5.7 mi
Warner Creek Trail5.7 mi
Mink Hollow Trail4.8 mi
Escarpment Trail4.5 mi
Harding Road Trail2.1 mi
Huckleberry Rail Trail2.0 mi
Becker Hollow Trail2.0 mi
Pecoy Notch Trail1.8 mi
15 more trails
Spruceton Trail
1.7 miKaaterskill Rail Trail
1.4 miHunter Mountain Trail
1.3 miHuckleberry Point Trail
1.3 miRitalin
1.3 miOld Fenwick Railroad Bed
1.2 miYellow Horse Trail
1.1 miTwilight Park Trail
1.1 miHathaway to 23C
1.1 miFire Tower Trail
1.0 miChickies Loop
1.0 miOverlook Trail
0.9 miNorth Lake South Lake Trail
0.8 miHemlock Trail
0.8 miBear Skull
0.8 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.8 mi
off-road bike paths
3.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
22Tennis
5Basketball
3Baseball
2Soccer
1Skate park
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →16 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Elka Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1993
About itAll Souls ChurchBuilding · listed 1993
About itUlster and Delaware Railroad StationBuilding · listed 1996
About itSt. Mary's of the Mountain ChurchBuilding · listed 1999
About itHunter SynagogueBuilding · listed 1999
About itHarry Fischel HouseBuilding · listed 2000
About itIOOF HallBuilding · listed 2002
About itOnteora Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itLayman, Frank D., MemorialObject · listed 2003
About itChurch of St. John the EvangelistBuilding · listed 2004
About itPlatte Clove Post Office, OldBuilding · listed 2005
About itTwilight Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2007
About it4 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hunter: May to 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 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 32 | 40 | 53 | 64 | 72 | 76 | 75 | 68 | 56 | 44 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 4.3 | 4.9 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 6.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Hunter →
Next door
Hunter and its neighbors
Hunter has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hunter152 miShandaken118 miWoodstock55 miCairo47 miLexington44 miCatskill30 miJewett24 miPalenville8.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter | 56% | 1.7 | 3,121 | 78% | A+ |
| Jewett | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Catskill | 8% | 0.5 | 110 | 58% | A− |
| Palenville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lexington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cairo | 16% | 0.8 | 31 | 16% | B+ |
| Woodstock | 33% | 0.8 | 988 | 71% | A |
| Shandaken | 70% | 1.0 | 3,550 | 78% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hunter
Where can I hike in Hunter?
The longest trail networks: Kaaterskill Wild Forest, 35.1 miles; Indian Head Wilderness, 33.4 miles; Hunter-West Kill Wilderness, 11.4 miles; Phoenicia - Mount Tobias Wild Forest, 3.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hunter is conserved land?
56% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Hunter’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Kaaterskill Wild Forest. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hunter?
5.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.1 of painted or protected lanes, 0.8 of off-road paths and 3.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Hunter?
144,744 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hunter or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 31,135 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hunter have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #26 of 758 in New York. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Hunter 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 →