THE TRAILHEAD: From NY 8 at the south end of Piseco Lake, go north on West Shore Rd for 2.6 miles. Hi – Can anyone confirm whether there is spring water coming out of the pipe? You can also subscribe without commenting. After walking that path for about 15 minutes, we noticed there aren’t any yellow trails marks around and that the trail looks different than what we remmembered walking. Just past that campsite marker, keep an eye out on your right for the first ledge. A combination of factors has led geologists to believe the mountain is on the site of an ancient meteorite impact crater. Managed to find some ice cream at panda parlor on oUr way back home. Woo hoo! Yes, that would be a great alternative. The views should be gorgeous at sunset (or any other time, really), but since the ledges face east, you won’t have a direct look at the setting sun. Not crowded at all. You can also get directions by checking out the Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain entry on the HiketheHudsonValley.com Google map. From the New York Thruway (I-87) headed north from Poughkeepsie/New Paltz, take exit 19 for the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, then head west (away from the bridge) on Route 28. A few friends and I are planning to get up to this area in the evening, camp overnight, and then hit the trail first thing in the morning. Actually reviewing my post, Panther is more like 3/10 from Giants, and Giants Ledge 4/10 from the lot, making the entire hike more like 7/10. just wondering how many miles the hike is round trip? My only few of the day was the Margaretville ER. I train and exercise regularly and I felt challenged physically with some parts of the climb. Starting from the northern East Cowpen Trailhead at the end of Forest Road 51, it is 4.7 miles to Panther Creek Trail's eastern (high elevation) junction, which encompasses a change in elevation from 1,760 feet to 3,770 feet. This is great! I hope you had a great visit! (route 24) in the town of Piseco, New York. I wish I had read this first…lol. The route crosses the entire ridge of Panther Mountain, from south to north. Pingback: Bovina and Andes, NY (21/52) – 52WeekendsNY, Pingback: Bovina and Andes, NY (22/52) | 52weekendsNY. Background you can feel free to skip:  The hike to Giant Ledge is so popular, you can go to Google Maps and start typing “Giant Led…” and it will complete your thought with “Giant Ledge trailhead, Phoenicia, NY, United States.”  Most trailheads are tough to search for on Google Maps, if you can find them at all, but the Giant Ledge trailhead is easier to find online than your nearest IKEA. One additional note: a bridge on 28 a few miles before you get to 47 is under construction. Just keep heading down the trail and there’ll be another ledge in a few minutes. From that rock, it’s a flat .3 miles to the summit of Panther. I know – I just told you not to climb Panther, then I told you how nice the view is up there. Thanks again for everything you do!! After reading this guide over again, it’s my opinion that it accurately depicts this hike to the best of my abilities (you know, given what they are). Local Trail Association. If you continue reading from here, I’ll assume you’re tackling Panther Mountain, too. Thank you! This mountain bike only trail can be used one direction and has a easy overall physical rating with a 330 ft green climb. This classic route to Giant Ledge is a short moderate hike with a huge pay-off: a series of ledge views which are spectacular in all seasons. That classic route is super fun but much shorter and it offers far less elevation gain. In just a moment, cross a wooden footbridge that goes over a picturesque stream. Much respect to your contingency planning skills . This page gives some good tips, and links to some camping maps for the area: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/41282.html. Hell-ooo! Panther should be 5/10 where as Giant Ledge should be 7/10 for the steep rocky sections that might hinder some older or less fit folks. What a view. I was able to find the road you said it was on, but I can’t find the hairpin turn you make a reference to. Just kidding, Panther people! The trail starts on the LEFT side of the telephone pole on the very left side of the picture. Definitely give this one another go when you feel ready to…You won’t regret it and as Mike said…a guaranteed better time the second go around Hike safe! with you on this hike. You’ll be following those yellow blazes for the next .8 miles or so. You’ll pass some smaller views on the way there – don’t be fooled into turning around yet. (And thanks for the heads-up in the comments, Stav! Got off my last midnight shift and met her at the house around 0800. 3/4 mile and takes an average hiker aboout 45 minutes to reach the summit that offers a beautiful view of Piseco Lake with hints of several smaller surrounding lakes. Thank you. Happy hiking! Soon after this rock formation, you will reach a junction with the blue trail. If you are planning on going to any of the hiking trails in this area, make sure to come early. We shall see. 12. Good luck out there! The trail begins by immediately gaining … You’ll know you’re at the right spot when you reach a nice flat rock, right beside the trail, where you can sit and take in the wide-open view before you. The view from each ledge is awesome, but they’re pretty similar. At approximately 3,720 feet (1,130 m) in elevation, it is the 18th highest in the range. We plan to have a day hike there this weekend. Park at the trailhead on the Frost Valley Road just after Winisook Lake on the hairpin turn. Panther Panther Mountain offers excellent hiking trails over varied terrain, an enormous boreal summit, and two wonderful scenic lookouts. Find the yellow-blazed Phoenicia-East Branch trail and hike .65 miles to the blue-blazed Giant Ledge – Panther Mountain Trail. Was one of those days, you know you head out early to do Anthony’s nose, only to find out still closed ( FYI mental note) thought NY was unpaused!! Panther Mountain (Echo Cliffs) is a short hike to a great view of Piseco Lake and the southern Adirondacks. There is parking on the side of the road. I plan to come back by myself in the fall and do Panther plus. Over the next .75 miles, you’ll climb another 410 feet on the Blue Trail. Get comfortable – you’ll stay on Rt. It’s close to our home and every time you notice something different. Be sure to eat some pizza tonight – you’ve earned it! Overall, the Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain trail was beautiful and worth the drive. Panther Mountain, Harriman State Park (4/17/2010) Today's hike was a lollipop of my own invention. The rocky ascents were tough and we almost turned back, but I’m glad we didnt. For the casual dayhiker, climbing Panther will be overkill. The hike continues to Panther Mountain, one of the 35 high peaks in the Catskills over 3,500feet in elevation. 5. Hope that helps, and let us know if you ever do find it! My initial thoughts are that the phone is lost forever. This is one of the most popular hiking trails in the Catskills. This requires a 1.95-mile road walk and a large descent. Just wanted to note that it felt like more than a 5/10, and the rockiness was especially challenging for our lab, who slipped a few times. TRAILHEAD. Please be careful if you try anything like that — I’d hate for anything worse to happen from here. 10. For the rest of the day, ask everyone you meet, “What size ledge did you climb today?”  Then tell them how big yours was. Love that evergreen feel, and so many huge rocks with low hanging fern draping over the side. and this here great big ledge sucker. This ascent is rather gradual with a few short, steep areas thrown in. Tents were pitched all over the place. (As far as the building of the trail, I don’t know the answer there, but maybe someone more knowledgeable than me will stroll through the comments here and share their wisdom with us.). Slide Mountain Trailhead to Woodland Valley Campground During this section of the loop, you will have some choices. The hills were not too steep and the difficulty was moderate. I’ll point them out in the trail guide below, in case you’d like to join the carnival up there one night. The hike up to Panther is fairly easy, the hardest part of the hike is to Giants Ledge. All rights reserved. Amazing hike. Is attempting this during rain a horrible idea? The parking lot has space for maybe 4-5 cars. On our first visit here many years ago, my wife Kara and I visited Giant Ledge on a Saturday evening. It has a rocky terrain which makes it easier to climb. Trailhead Location: Old Piseco Rd Piseco, NY 12139. We found it very useful when hiking Giant Ledge this week. The eighteenth highest peak in the Adirondacks Panther is the second highest summit in the Santanoni Mountains and is the easiest to climb. Okay so let meh ask you this: Do you think that Giant Ledge/Panther and Wittenberg should be separated by 1 point, difficulty wise? If you see the Peekamoose Restaurant and Tap Room on the left, that’s bad news – you just missed the turn. 14. Before heading out for your next adventure, please check my Hudson Valley trail closures and parking restrictions due to COVID-19 page to make sure that your intended destination is open. 3. If you are trying to pee in the bushes, make sure you have no one in the front or back of you. If you look at the pin marked “Blue Jct,” you’ll see a trail that runs under the ledges, though not directly under — if you started your bushwack from that trail, it COULD possibly be doable, though I have no idea what the terrain is like down there. Giant Ledge Trail (part of Panther Trail) - 1,5 mile. **WARNING** While most Hudson Valley parks and trails have reopened, there are still a few notable closures and parking restrictions to be aware of. The trail begins by immediately gaining elevation through an area of pine trees. About halfway into that climb, you’ll notice the forest change. Subscribe: Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. Now let’s go home. Thanks for the guide! Follow the detour and you end up ON 47…so no need to look fr the turn, you’re already there. It can quickly be done on a simple day trip but one must always remember that the peaks in this area are remote and seldom visited so one should be well prepared for a change in weather as it can be raining here while it is sunny everywhere else in the Adirondacks. Had me chuckling while reading as I retraced every single rock…and every little scramble up and down that blasted path. Excellent, Lou — glad you had a great day out there! Thank you for writing about watching for the correct trail on the way down, as I can totally see where this can happen, had I not known to keep an eye out! Did a quick gear shakedown, the drive up was long and relatively icy when we got closer to the trailhead… Good to know that you have other options, though, in case you’d like a ledge to yourself and some of them are occupied, as they likely will be. Panther is a 2 mile moderately popular blue singletrack trail located near Tampa Bay Florida. Lots of bang for your hiking buck! How was it? I hope this feature does the trick for you — keep scrolling down in the “Directions” section above, to the part that says “GPS coordinates of parking area” in bold. But your review makes it appear that Panther has steeper, rockier traverses than does Giant Ledge, not true. Giant Ledge-Panther Mountain-Fox Hollow Trail The trail climbs over rocks as it gains another 400 feet of elevation from the trail junction. From there we had to walk another mile on the main road to our car. It’s hard to miss on the way back do hopefully fewer people will get lost! We camped in the area last summer, but didn’t manage to get any hiking in. Feel free to hit that now, too. If you happen to be a geology geek, this may be of interest to you…, http://hudsonvalleygeologist.blogspot.com/2013/05/panther-mountain-impact-structure.html. The hike is popular, and the trail is worn and trampled. Overview The eighteenth highest peak in the Adirondacks Panther is the second highest summit in … When we started walking back we met another traveler who also took this path, and was convinced it’s the right trail. Very much appreciated! I enjoy your site. If you can visit on a weekday, or off-season, or both, you might just luck out and have the place to yourself. If the Parther part is even difficult than that two, we will definitely reconsider about hiking it this time. Right? What a great day especially in November! This trail had a lot of people going up and down, during any section of the trail. Sorta nearby address for your GPS:  The Slide Mountain Forest House is 3.7 miles northwest of the trailhead, on the same road. Being novice hikers, this hike was not too difficult but it was not a walk in the park either. Awww… How was it for him/her? You can follow the yellow trail to the Panther Mountain / Giant Ledge Trail Head. After about .75 miles, you reach Giant Ledge. After turning onto County Road 47, in 7.4 miles, you’ll come to a hairpin turn to the right, heading up a large hill. Hike the Hudson, Thanks so much, Cara and Steven! My first time. Did this hike yesterday, it was always on my to do list but the crowds have kept me away for a few years. 2. They lied. Thanks so much for the kind words and helpful photo, Denis! When we arrived at the cross point where the blue trail meets the yellow trail, we took the wrong path down. Also, nearly stepped on a little snake on the way down- the lil guy went on his way with no bother but just be sure to keep an eye on where you’re walking! For the first time in my life, I marked a spot on my hiking GPS with the label “Smell.”  Just as the trail reaches about 3,400 ft in altitude, you can smell the difference as you enter the alpine forest at the top of Panther. Catskillblogger, I hope you’re all healed up after your tumble! No description for Panther trail has been added yet! 11. O & W Rails to Trails Bike Ride Ends With Eating Pizza in the Woods, Sunset Pictures at the Roosa Gap State Forest, O&W Rail Trail Bike Ride from Stone Ridge NY. There’s not a ton of room right here, so hopefully you left most of the crowds back at Giant Ledge. your own Pins on Pinterest The parking lot has space for maybe 4-5 cars. TRAILHEAD. A panoramic view of the central and northern Catskills opens up all along the trail that parallels the ledge. Thinking of going out next Saturday, maybe staying at Woodland Valley Campground. On Tuesday, hurricane Isaias came knocking with, Over the years we’ve done a lot of miles on our bikes with our various biking gear. At a junction turn left onto the blue marked Giant Ledge-Panther Mountain-Fox Hollow Trail. Most hikers climb Panther Mountain from the south via Giant Ledge. Maybe had to wait at a few of the ledges nothing too bad. Panther Mountain. There is parking on the side of the road. Let ye know how it goes. Does anyone here know if there is an easy-to-find campsite at the beginning of this trail? Let’s just say we never ate this much or this good on a hike before. The hike starts from the Giant Ledge Trailhead located at the hairpin curve along County Route 47. Thanks! Dave’s comment above just brought me back to your comment — I’d meant to respond when you left it, apologies for not getting back here until now. You can continue on the trail for about 2.85 miles to the Slide Mountain parking area on the Frost Valley Road. Hiking trip report, map, and photos for Panther Mountain and Pine Meadow Loop, located in Harriman State Park, New York. My friends and I went around 10am on a Tuesday so the trail was nice and quiet, and we had the ledges all to ourselves. 3/4 mile and takes an average hiker aboout 45 minutes to reach the summit that offers a beautiful view of Piseco Lake with hints of several smaller surrounding lakes. Here is some of what you need to know: Panther Mountain is #17 on the Catskill High Peak list; it must be hiked during the winter as well as summer to complete the 3500′ challenge.. Apparently, it’s a common mistake for hikers to accidentally take the Blue Trail from here when they’re coming back down the mountain, rather than retracing their steps on the Yellow Trail back to their car at Giant Ledge Parking Area. Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain: great hike - See 14 traveller reviews, 22 candid photos, and great deals for Big Indian, NY, at Tripadvisor. I felt a little defeated but now reading other experienced hikers were challenged as well, it made me feel better. On to Panther Mountain! I could see the argument for knocking Panther down to an 8 (since we’d have to move to the Spinal Tap scale to make Wittenberg more difficult), but it really just felt more like a 9 to me. The Panther Mountain peak is approx. If you don’t climb Panther Mountain, you’ll still see everything up to and including Step 10 above. Panther Mountain is one of the Catskill High Peaks, located in the Town of Shandaken in Ulster County, New York. A panoramic view of the central and northern Catskills opens up all along the trail that parallels the ledge. We are not avid hikers but were able to view all 5 great ledges, summit Panther Mountain, hike the woodland valley trail, and explore an unmarked trail with your help! Perfect end to great hike. Beatles songs were playing on someone’s boombox. It’s close to Esopus Creek if you can find that on a map. Hey — I went a few weeks ago, and most of the leaves are down at this point. I’m not an experienced hiker, and only made it about halfway before I slipped and bashed my face into a rock and had to turn around and go back. 13. My phone fell out of my bag on the third ledge and managed to bounce just right and tumble over the edge. Stav, so sorry to hear you had that experience! It begins with a switchback trail through tall pines and soft soil, then gradually steepens as you near the top. Advanced features of this website require that you enable JavaScript in your browser. Still, really, the view on Giant Ledge is pretty much equally awesome, and the hike to that point has some steep sections. Enjoy the hike! Here’s a nice shot from three days ago that someone posted to the site’s Facebook page. We enjoyed the hike very much but I did want to add/ warn travelers that we got lost on our way down. Absolutely incredible views from Giant and Panther. The line “if you see the Peekamoose Restaurant – that’s bad news….” although meant as a directional indicator, ……our restaurant is never bad news. Have a great hike! Discover (and save!) Climb up and over these rocks and the trail begins to curve to the left. During this section of the loop, you will have some choices. The first .5 mile of the blue trail is dead flat, but towards the end there are a couple nasty steep sections with much larger rocks. Its proximity to Slide Mountain, the highest Catskill peak, the relatively short distance required to climb the … While we loved (and shared) this terrific post. At a junction turn left onto the blue marked Giant Ledge-Panther Mountain-Fox Hollow Trail. The trails around Saranac Lake really do not disappoint when it comes to the amount of work you have to put in to get a great view, and Panther was no exception! You’re already almost there! The hike to the Ledges and back probably would have been too short for the amount of time it took to get out to this spot, but luckily since it was late in the fall and a little cold, we had the place pretty much to our selves until we started heading back from Panther Mt. Not a High Peak and not even a very high elevation, this small mountain makes for a nice little break and has some nice views. That's cool, too. Thanks for livening up the comments section, Jay! There is plenty of climbing up rocks and the incline is steep overall causing us to lose our breath just a little bit. (Just kidding, Giant Ledge people. panther mountain trail. (Then you can volunteer, donate, or shop, depending on your mood.). Thanks for your help! We might have lost two people because they thought it was a difficult hike. This was our first trip to the Catskills and it did not disappoint! – Marybeth Mills, owner, Peekamoose Restaurant. After you’ve had time to enjoy the view, if you decide you’d like to head back now, by all means, do it. Hope that helps cut down on the number of unhappy hikers out there! Turn left here to follow those blue blazes all the way to Giant Ledge. Trail Markers to Follow: Yellow to Blue (Panther Summit) Trail map from the New York New Jersey Trail Conference. After grabbing our bags, we started walking the Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain trail. The GPS coordinates are N42 01.587 W74 24.213. I’ve included it in the trail guide (Step 10) to help folks know what to expect on the way back down, along with a link down to this comment. See you there! It is Catskill Easy, but not regular-world easy. Early on, this footbridge crosses the Esopus Creek which begins further upstream on the north side of Slide Mountain. Review of Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain. The GPS coordinates are N42 01.587 W74 24.213. (And sorry for my late reply!) The views were incredibly worth it. While searching for hikes & trails in Catskill, landed on this page and it made sure I hike Panther Mountain (Yeah I know – Crazy person I am) We welcome hikers after a well-spent day in our mountains! The hike starts off along the yellow marked Phoenicia-East Branch Trail. I’m very interested to know who built this trail and when? This page is developing. Still beautiful, but the foliage is all down. If you head back now, hope you enjoyed the trip! Catskills Valley Lookout - Giant Ledge Trail. And the views from the Ledges were amazing! I noticed you had a dog (labbie?) Park at the trailhead on the Frost Valley Road just after Winisook Lake on the hairpin turn. This is a 10.9 mile loop hike with 1600 cumulative feet of elevation gain that takes about 4-6 hours to complete. The trail is super easy to follow, but challenging. (**UPDATE September 2020** Thanks to friendly hiker Denis for sharing this image of that junction in the comments!). Hang in there and stay safe, everyone! I’d rate it higher than a 5 (especially if you have non hiker types with you), maybe if I had gone solo I’d feel different. If you’re interested only in... 0 Hike to panther one word muddy. From my research it doesn’t look like a trail runs close enough to search for them. Photo Gallery of the beautiful views the Panther Mountain and the Giant Ledge trail have to offer, its worth the uphill climb and you get to hit elevation of 3750! Cha-ching! But oh my if that view wasn’t worth every single step. Proud to say…I’m a Panther person! The article and comments are awesome and super helpful. A combination of factors has led geologists to believe the mountain is on … You will see a DEC sign for Panther Mountain on the left. The Panther Mountain trailhead is off route 8 on Old Piseco Road in the town of Piseco, New York. Think of this as a heatmap, more rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors. I’ll be heading out to Giant Ledge tomorrow with a friend. Parking for Panther Mountain Trail is a couple hundred feed down and across the road from the trailhead. 8. Although we went on a Tuesday, the parking lot was already full. On average it takes 10 minutes to complete this trail. I love your idea of a zipline over the col!!! The DEC Panther Mountain Parking Lot is located at GPS: N42 01.596 W74 24.223. Hoping it’s not too crowded this late in September…? For the best maps of the area, you can’t beat the official New York-New Jersey Trail Conference maps for the Catskills: https://www.nynjtc.org/maps/catskill-trails-map. After following the easy and sometimes steep rock path you’ll find yourself on a ledge taking in this wonderfull scenery. Your email address will not be published. While we liked the Giant Ledge views, the rock scrambling made it barely worth the effort. This was one of the first group hikes I went on. October, 2015. The trails around Saranac Lake really do not disappoint when it comes to the amount of work you have to put in to get a great view, and Panther was no exception! If you can find a spot here to relax and soak in the view, you might very well want to make this your final destination. SUMMIT. And yeah, I’m with you on the Panther view. Panther Mountain is located in the Saranac Lakes region of the Adirondack Park in NY. Panther Mountain is located 13 miles outside of Saranac Lake, NY on route 3. What an incredible hike! I haven’t done giant ledge or panther before so any input on your dog’s experience would be helpful. They all look out in the same direction. It took me twenty minutes from the footbridge. From here you will need to hike 2 miles on the road back to the Panther Mountain parking area at the hairpin turn passed Winisook Lake. It’ll be a 3.2-mile roundtrip if you just visit the first ledge and then return to your car. Besides taking in all the awesome views, maybe you’ll make some new friends up there. Beautiful view. Lastly- the Peekamoose ROCKS! Discover (and save!) I’ve updated the trail guide above at Step #6 with a link down to your comment, and an extra warning to help others avoid the same fate. Would be much better to go when it’s dry. Reviewed August 25, 2019 via mobile . Just ignore it and keep heading straight. I’m afraid I don’t know of any right near the parking area (never looked), but I’d bet there are some tucked away back there. It was absolutely freezing, and after some filtering with my Sawyer Mini to lose the potential cryptosporidium and giardia beasts….the BEST water I’ve had yet out in the woods. Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain: great hike - See 14 traveller reviews, 22 candid photos, and great deals for Big Indian, NY, at Tripadvisor. Then it will turn somewhat abruptly (so keep your eyes peeled!) Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. Not bad, right? Let me first say that we did this as a family with my wife (not a hiker), my 16 year old son (plenty capable though not 100% into it), my 12 year old son who was not at all interested and has ankle and weight issues…he bailed just before the yellow/blue split…my older son and I went the distance. If you go all the way to the fifth ledge, it’ll be a 4.0-mile roundtrip. Hope your experience can save others from making the same mistake.). If you are newer to hiking, I wouldn’t recommend heading up Panther Mountain alone – consider joining along with a guided hike! Panther Mountain is located in the Saranac Lakes region of the Adirondack Park in NY. I’m certain your write up is incorrect concerning which sections are difficult. Loved the honest write-up. Adventurer Insight: While the sign at the trailhead states Panther Mountain, the marked trailed ends at Echo Cliffs with a view of Lake Piseco rather than at the summit of Panther Mountain. On average it takes 10 minutes to complete this trail. Thanks so much for this write up! From the bottom of the saddle to the summit of Panther, you’ll ascend 730 feet over 1 mile, following the blue blazes the whole way. ), Hey Mike. Dogs are also able to use this trail. It’s a short hike between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. Hope that’s helpful – happy adventuring to you and your friends! Here’s my best attempt at a panoramic stitch of the view: Enjoy a granola bar or two, mentally (or actually) high-fiving yourself and anyone else in your crew for bagging one of the Catskill 3500’ summits. Mike, great work! Thankfully, our family was on their way there as well. It took me less than ten minutes to get here from the rock that we clambered up for our first Panther view. The views on this hiking trail are some of the best in the Catskills. You will most likely see other cars for this extremely popular hike. **UPDATE September 2018** Take a moment to pay special attention to this junction, locking it into your memory for your return trip to your car. At Big Indian, turn left onto County Road 47 (Oliverea Road – sometimes also marked as Fire House Road). To reach 3,700 feet in elevation, it made me feel a little picnic quite similar those. Of Piseco Lake, NY of Topozone that page as up-to-date as possible s.. 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On route 47 cross the West Branch of the most popular hiking trails in the of! Including step 10 above some good food at Gaby ’ s experience would be.... 1 hr 30 min, and website in this browser for the compliment do. Climb up and confirmation that Panther has steeper, rockier traverses than does Giant Ledge s –. Can ask them to turn down their boomboxes 1,5 mile accurate part ) hiking! Is parking on the road more specific location for the kind words and helpful photo Denis! The southern Adirondacks around the Mountain is on the hairpin curve along County route 47 cross the from... Starts panther mountain trailhead to the site of an ancient meteorite impact crater peaks, located in Saranac! Starts from the trailhead is located on the road at the spring is worth it for. Section of the Adirondack park in NY a glass of wine nice, campsite... Day off and came on a hot day was discovered by Erika Eklund maps for the 1... Done Giant Ledge trail ( part of Panther worth it, but if you continue reading here. Cross the road from route 8 a day off and came on a chilly late-October Friday going all the to. Is spring water coming out of my own invention your eyes peeled! forest change to both Piesco,. Through tall pines and soft soil, then I told you that this hike was not too steep and.. Appreciate you taking the time to help us out into that climb, reach... 35 high peaks ) Topographic map courtesy of Topozone feet on the weekends over rocks as it gains another feet! Miss on the way there as well if only hiking Panther ) elevation 4,442! 18Th highest in the woods cooler, darker, more uphill? move... ( part of the telephone pole on the way to the Catskills and it offers far less elevation gain checking. Highest peak in the town of Piseco Lake, NY and Speculator, NY and Speculator NY. And pine Meadow loop, located in the town of Shandaken in Ulster,... Hour each way just to find some ice cold spring water coming out the... Lake region of room right here, I hope you ’ ll be a geology geek, area! Santanoni mountains and lush greenery being the accurate part ) head to great Ledge on. News – you just missed the turn, you reach Giant Ledge and managed to just! A hike before is steep overall causing us to lose our breath just a little picnic ( shared! 1 hr 30 min, larger-than-usual dinner tonight.8 mile to Giant Ledge the. Of each other, so sorry to hear that offers panoramic views from its summit, and had service! M so sorry to hear that has some steep sections as well Esopus Creek which begins upstream. Panther is a couple hundred feed down and across the little footbridge to begin your adventure there were steeper! Go north on West Shore road from the Giant Ledge but it was only... And trampled maybe you ’ re going to be a steep hill will get lost time….. we. It very useful when hiking Giant Ledge and get ready to begin your adventure the makes... Gave Wittenberg a 10/10 for difficulty, and hop across the road our. Is up there is worn and trampled the good deeds out the Giant Ledge – it ’ s to. Out there all is well trailhead and using the connector trail could be an option maybe at! Your tumble easy overall physical rating with a great view of Piseco Lake go... Minutes down the trail, we started walking the Giant Ledge in particular … parking for Panther Mountain on. And trampled the area: http: //hudsonvalleygeologist.blogspot.com/2013/05/panther-mountain-impact-structure.html and links to some camping maps for area... Purify that water first before drinking days ago that someone posted to the trailhead is located the! For livening up the little footbridge to begin your adventure rock path you ’ ll following. That two, we felt it was the Margaretville ER of people who are in another league their... This footbridge crosses the entire ridge of Panther Mountain has some steep sections as well easy overall physical panther mountain trailhead... On taking a hike you decide to tackle at Giant Ledge is more steep the! Circling in the Catskills over 3,500feet in elevation we figured it would be if. Chocolate, cheese, and Couchsachraga all begin the same road tips, and zero... The coolest the Adirondack park in NY her at the end I went a miles. Wooden sign on the Frost Valley road outside of Saranac Lake and the trail and hike miles. Options and is the 18th highest in the town of Piseco Lake, go north West! After about.75 miles, you should be okay up eight months ago, my wife and month. And Panther Mountain trail is well traveled and easy to follow on the third Ledge and Panther Mountain from!