Sundown Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
5,650 acres10.1 mi of trail
Ashokan High Point Trail (Red)South Hollow trailold Ashokan trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Ashokan-Turnwood Covered Bridge · Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Olive
Olive has 6,424 acres of parks, 1,510 for every 1,000 residents
39% of Olive’s land is conserved, about 14,480 acres. 49 miles of mapped trail cross Olive, 0.8 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Sundown Wild Forest (10.1 mi), Ashokan North Unit (8.9 mi), Sand Hill Unit (3.7 mi).
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #146 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
39%
14,480 acres · of 58.5 sq mi of land
Trails
49 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,424 ac
1,510 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
32%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.1 mi
0.1 mi paths
Highest peak
3,081 ft
Ashokan High Point
Lakes & rivers
4
What kind of outdoors town is Olive?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Room to roam1,510 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.Land that stays wild39% of the land is conserved; a typical New York town, 5%.A trail town0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 76% of U.S. towns.History along the way5 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Olive have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Olive is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #146 of 758 in New York. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Olive’s overall grade.
Conserved land39% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (49 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land1,510 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,424 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home32% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 88%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 81%
Water is 10% of Olive’s area (7 of 65 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 35%.
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 Sundown Wild Forest, with 10.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ashokan North Unit
Managed by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
1,436 acres8.9 mi of trail
Ashokan Rail TrailBoardwalk
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Sand Hill Unit
Managed by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
394 acres3.7 mi of trail
Ashokan Rail Trail
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Ticetonyk Mountain Unit
Managed by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
771 acres3.1 mi of trail
Ticetonyk trail (Blue)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Slide Mountain Wilderness
Nature preserve
2,377 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bushkill Unit
Managed by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
439 acres2.9 mi of trail
Ashokan Rail Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Acorn Hill Unit
Managed by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
218 acres2 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Phoenicia - Mount Tobias Wild Forest
Nature preserve
473 acres1.7 mi of trail
Yellow trailTicetonyk trail (Blue)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 27 parks & preserves
Sundown Wild Forest5,650 acres · 10.1 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsAshokan North Unit1,436 acres · 8.9 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsSand Hill Unit394 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Ticetonyk Mountain Unit771 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsSlide Mountain Wilderness2,377 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsBushkill Unit439 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsAcorn Hill Unit218 acres · 2 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsPhoenicia - Mount Tobias Wild Forest473 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsAshokan Fishing Access Area466 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFuture DEC1,021 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Traver Hollow Unit141 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsGlenford Unit42 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Dancing Rock Unit153 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
South Hollow Unit96 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Black Road Unit84 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Oak Ridge Unit23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Brown's Station15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection
DirectionsSouth Mountain Unit351 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
West Shokan Unit115 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Brodhead Unit108 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Peck Road Unit82 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsAshokan Brook Unit31 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Watson Hollow Unit22 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Bushkill Fishing Unit16 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsTongore Park7 acres
DirectionsLester S. Davis Park7 acres
DirectionsGrant Avery Park6 acres · Town of Olive
DirectionsWho protects it
14,480 conserved acres
39% of Olive’s land. Water is left out: Olive has 58.5 square miles of land and 6.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Olive’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation10,092 ac
Town or city4,375 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits486 ac
Regional Water Districts2 ac
State Conservation Area · 5,985 acLocal Other or Unknown · 3,786 acState Wilderness · 2,407 acOther Easement · 1,130 acWatershed Protection Area · 536 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,712 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 9 of 43 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundown Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 5,508 | Open |
| Slide Mountain Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 2,407 | Open |
| Ashokan North Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 1,309 | Unknown |
| Ashokan Fishing Access Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 1,226 | Unknown |
| Phoenicia - Mt. Tobias Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 477 | Open |
| Bushkill Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 439 | Unknown |
| New York City Dept. of Environmental Protection 1 Watershed Protection Area | Town or city | 428 | Closed |
| New York City Lands Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 358 | Open |
| Acorn Hill Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 218 | Unknown |
| West Shokan Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 116 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
75 places to go in Olive
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Swimming spots in Olive
1 swimming spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Olive
Pete Tosi Memorial PoolIn Lester S. Davis Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Olive
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Fishing spots in Olive
E-1
DirectionsE-2
DirectionsE-27
DirectionsE-3In Ashokan North Unit
DirectionsE-5In Ashokan North Unit
DirectionsW-1
DirectionsW-10In Sand Hill Unit
DirectionsW-12In Bushkill Unit
Directions14 more fishing spots
W-14In Bushkill Unit
DirectionsW-15In Bushkill Unit
DirectionsW-16In Bushkill Unit
DirectionsW-17In Bushkill Unit
DirectionsW-20In Ashokan Fishing Access Area
DirectionsW-22In Ashokan Fishing Access Area
DirectionsW-23In Ashokan Fishing Access Area
DirectionsW-24In Ashokan Fishing Access Area
DirectionsW-3In Ashokan North Unit
DirectionsW-5In Ashokan North Unit
DirectionsW-6In Ashokan North Unit
DirectionsW-7In Sand Hill Unit
DirectionsW-7In Ashokan North Unit
DirectionsW-8AIn Sand Hill Unit
DirectionsWaterfalls in Olive
Metacahonts Falls
DirectionsWinchell's Falls
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Olive
Boiceville overlookIn Ticetonyk Mountain Unit
DirectionsEastern ViewIn Phoenicia - Mount Tobias Wild Forest
DirectionsPeak View LedgeIn Sundown Wild Forest
DirectionsQuarry viewIn Slide Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsWestern ViewIn Phoenicia - Mount Tobias Wild Forest
Directionswest viewIn Acorn Hill Unit
DirectionsPlus 20 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Olive
Ashokan High Point3,081 ft elevation · In Sundown Wild Forest
DirectionsSoutheast Little Rocky3,025 ft elevation · In Sundown Wild Forest
DirectionsLittle Rocky3,009 ft elevation · In Sundown Wild Forest
DirectionsSamuels Point2,884 ft elevation · In Slide Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsMombaccus Mountain2,838 ft elevation · In Sundown Wild Forest
DirectionsLittle High Point2,802 ft elevation · In Future DEC
DirectionsHanover Mountain2,549 ft elevation
DirectionsTicetonyk Mountain2,510 ft elevation · In Phoenicia - Mount Tobias Wild Forest
Directions5 more peaks
South Mountain2,185 ft elevation · In Sundown Wild Forest
DirectionsTonshi Mountain1,991 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Tonshi Mountain1,814 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Point1,562 ft elevation · In Future DEC
DirectionsAcorn Hill873 ft elevation · In Acorn Hill Unit
DirectionsPlus 3 peaks without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Olive
2 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.4 miUnpaved · 20.1 mi
Ashokan Rail Trail6.3 mi
Ashokan High Point Trail (Red)5.9 mi
Ticetonyk trail (Blue)1.3 mi
South Hollow trail1.2 mi
old Ashokan trail1.1 mi
Yellow trail0.3 mi
Boardwalk0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Ashokan Rail TrailBike route
6.4 miCourts & fields
6Tennis
5Baseball
4Basketball
3Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Olive and Hurley Old School Baptist ChurchBuilding · listed 1998
About itEmile Brunel Studio and Sculpture GardenBuilding · listed 1999
About itAshokan-Turnwood Covered BridgeStructure · listed 2000
About itAshokan Field Campus Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2019
About itAl Held House and StudioDistrict · listed 2021
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Olive: 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 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 37 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 61 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.3 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Olive →
Next door
Olive and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Shandaken118 miRochester83 miDenning69 miWoodstock55 miOlive49 miMarbletown26 miHurley22 miShokan3.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olive | 39% | 0.8 | 1,510 | 32% | A |
| Shandaken | 70% | 1.0 | 3,550 | 78% | A+ |
| Woodstock | 33% | 0.8 | 988 | 71% | A |
| Marbletown | 10% | 0.5 | 67 | 38% | B+ |
| Hurley | 19% | 0.7 | 186 | 29% | A− |
| Denning | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rochester | 31% | 0.9 | 2,047 | 26% | A |
| Shokan | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Olive
Where can I hike in Olive?
The longest trail networks: Sundown Wild Forest, 10.1 miles; Ashokan North Unit, 8.9 miles; Sand Hill Unit, 3.7 miles; Ticetonyk Mountain Unit, 3.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Olive is conserved land?
39% 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 Olive’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Ashokan North Unit (on leash), Sand Hill Unit (on leash), Bushkill Unit (on leash) and Acorn Hill Unit. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Olive?
0.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of off-road paths. Named routes: Ashokan Rail Trail.
Is there public land near Olive?
146,876 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Olive or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 8,928 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Olive have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #146 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 Olive 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 →