Sugarloaf Mountain
This mountain seems to be one of the more popular destinations in the Catskill Park. Numerous bluestone quarries have left building materials behind that have been used by hikers to create elaborate constructions.
| Trailhead Coordinates | |
|---|---|
| Name | Coordinates |
| Roaring Kill | N42.1512 W74.1315 |
| Prediger Road | N42.1339 W74.1043 |
| Platte Clove | N42.1338 W74.0819 |
| Mink Hollow | N42.1432 W74.1580 |
| Quick Look - Sugarloaf Out and Back from Roaring Kill | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Round trip | Total climb | Location | Internet Maps |
  |
6.1 mi. | 2100 ft. | N42.1311 W74.1506 | AllTrails |
The quickest and probably easiest way to climb Sugarloaf is an out and back hike from the Roaring Kill parking area. Both the ascent and descent are challenging under the best conditions.
Turn north onto Bloomer Rd. off Route 23A just west of Tannersville. At Platte Clove Road turn right and drive 3.3 miles to Dale Lane staying left when the road splits. Turn right on Dale Lane and continue as it changes to Roaring Kill Road where the surface is gravel. Turned left into the parking area. Find the yellow-blazed Roaring Kill Trail which leaves from the back left of the parking area. This trail ends after only .25 miles. Turn left onto the blue-blazed Pecoy Notch Trail. Avoid the blue-blazed Mink Hollow Trail that turns to the right. At .9 miles, a view opens at Dibble's Quarry onto Kaaterskill High Peak and Round Top to the north. There are also views down the valley and views of Twin to the southeast. This quarry is one of the numerous quarries that dot this mountain. Visitors have piled up the available bluestone scarps into furniture and walls. Continue on the trail and at about 1.4 miles there is a beaver pond and meadow that used to be a beaver pond on the right of the trail. This spot also allows a nice view of Sugarloaf. The trail, now begins to get steeper as it climbs toward Pecoy Notch where it meets the Devil's Path at 1.9 miles into the hike. Turn right on the Devil's Path and begin some really steep ascents. At around 2.2 miles there is a viewpoint that offers and unhindered view of Twin. The ascent averages 18% but that is because the trail levels a little near the summit. The grade is many places is 30%! At just less than 3 miles you will reach the summit of Sugarloaf Mt. (3800 ft.) A short distance after the summit is a viewpoint to the south with views that may be blocked by trees. To return to you car retrace your route back down the mountain. The initial descent requires great care in most seasons but the Pecoy Notch Trail may allow a faster descent.
(The image above is the vertical profile for the route up to the summit. This actually gives a fair idea of the easy hiking a the beginning and the end and the steep areas in-between.)
| Quick Look - Sugarloaf Loop from Roaring Kill | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Round trip | Total climb | Location | Internet Maps |
|
6.2 mi. | 1840 ft. | N42.1311 W74.1506 | AllTrails |
Turn onto Bloomer Rd. off Route 23A just west of Tannersville. Bloomer Rd. turns into Elka Park Rd. Go to the
end to the parking area. Find the yellow-blazed Roaring Kill Trail. This trail ends after only .25 miles.
Turn left onto the blue-blazed Pecoy Notch trail. After .7 miles, a view opens at Dibble's Quarry onto
Kaaterskill High Peak and the valley below. This quarry is one of the numerous quarries that dot this
mountain. At 1.25 miles a meadow that used to be a beaver pond gives you a view of Sugarloaf Mountain.
This trail meets the Devil's Path at Pecoy Notch in another .4 miles. Turn right on the Devil's Path and
begin some steep ascents for 1.25 miles until you reach the summit of Sugarloaf Mt. (3800 ft.) From here
you descend 1 mile on the Devil's Path with some steep areas similar to the ones found on the way up!
Turn right on the blue-blazed Mink Hollow trail which continues through several ups and downs for
2.55 miles back to the Roaring Kill trail. Now its only .25 miles back to the car.
(The image above is the vertical profile for the route up to the summit. This actually gives a fair idea of the easy hiking a the beginning and the end and the steep areas in-between.)
| Quick Look - Elka Park (Plateau, Sugarloaf, Twin) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Round trip | Total climb | Location | Internet Maps |
|
8.3 mi. | 4440 ft. | N42 08.28 W64 10.48 | AllTrails |
In Tannersville take Bloomer Road which is on the Hunter side of town. Continue on Bloomer until the
junction with Platte Clove Rd. Bear right here onto Elka Park Rd. Follow the signs to the trail head. The
road deteriorates quickly to dirt and the parking is limited. Take the yellow-blazed Roaring Kill trail
from the parking area. After only .25 miles this trail branches left to Pecoy Notch and right to the
Mink Hollow Trail. Turn right. The trail ascends gently through hardwood forests and, at times, over rock strewn areas.
It rolls some with a few ups and downs along the way. In more than one spot hikers have walked off the trail to get a
view or collect wood. Watch carefully that you stay on the main trail. In several spot there are views of Plateau
Mountain rising on your right. The mountain in quite impressive and this gives you some idea of the climb to come! One
lookout is especially nice and allows you to take pictures before a slight descent. Continue for about 2.5 miles to the
junction with the red-blazed Devil's Path.
Turn right on the Devil's Path and be prepared for a long, hard climb up to Plateau. Continue for 1 mile and 1200 feet of vertical climb to the lookout near the summit of Plateau. The climb is strenuous with near vertical parts in places. Most of the trail has switchbacks to soften the ascent somewhat. Proceed onward for another .2 miles to the highest point on Plateau. There is little to see from this spot but it is the highest point on the mountain. Retrace your steps to the rock which allows a fine view of Sugarloaf Mountain in front of your and other peaks to the right and left. return to the parking area. When you have rested briefly, retrace your steps to the Mink Hollow trail and get ready for the ascent up Sugarloaf.
The ascent of the Devil's Path up Sugarloaf will remind you a lot of the ascent up Plateau. The vertical gain of 1200 feet is almost identical and the hiking distance is about the same. One mile and 1200 feet may not sound too impressive but the climb itself is quite a challenge made all the more challenging by your recent climb up Plateau. As you ascend and get near the top of the climb a large boulder acts as a lookout to Plateau and the other surrounding peaks and the valley below. This is even more open than the one on Plateau and so the view is better. Once you get to the summit of Sugarloaf there isn't much to see so continue on the Devil's Path toward Twin.
The Devil's Path leads down Sugarloaf and in about 1.2 miles you will be at Pecoy Notch. From here you can turn left on the Pecoy Notch trail and go back to the parking area. Since you are looking for more of a challenge, continue straight ahead on the Devil's Path. The distance is ONLY about .7 miles and the vertical gain is ONLY about 800 feet since Twin has the lowest elevation of the three mountains. These facts belie the difficulty that awaits. This short climb is one of the most challenging in the Catskills. The trail becomes steep almost immediately with several areas of open rock face to negotiate. In several other areas the trail seems to end until you look UP to see a marker almost directly above. These near vertical areas require some leg strength and upper body strength to push and pull your way up. Some views are available as you look over your shoulder back at Sugarloaf but you will be busy climbing and there are better views at the top.
Near the summit of the western peak of Twin the trail flattens and provides some relief from the difficult climb. In this area is a "cave" made by an overhanging rock ledge. Next to the cave the trail continues through a narrow passage which requires a good toehold and handhold to push and pull yourself up. The trail winds briefly and then reaches the summit on an open expanse of rock. This lookout provides GREAT views back to Sugarloaf and Pecoy Notch. In fact the view is very open for a 180 degree or more view of the entire area. The east peak of win is visible and Indian Head can be seen if you walk out onto the ledge. After taking some pictures and relaxing a little retrace your steps back down to Pecoy Notch. The way down is easier than up but still requires great care.
At the junction with the Pecoy Notch trail turn right to get back to the parking area. The trail starts as a scramble
over many rocks but softens as you move father down. In about .4 miles is a beaver pond on the left which offers views
back to Sugarloaf and Twin. In another .5 miles you arrive at Dibble's Quarry. here hikers have crate oversized chairs
out of the discarded bluestone that litters the area. This open area provides unobstructed views of Roundtop,
Kaaterskill High Peak and parts of the Hudson Valley. In .7 miles the trail ends at the Roaring Kill Trail. The parking
area is only .25 miles away!
| Quick Look - Indian Head, Twin and Sugarloaf Loop from Prediger Road | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Round trip | Total climb | Location | Internet Maps |
|
9.9 mi. | 4000 ft. | N42 06.98 W74 06.90 | AllTrails |
Turn onto Bloomer Rd. off Route 23A just west of Tannersville. At the Y in the road bear left onto Platte Clove Rd. Continue on this road for about 3.75 miles and turn right on Prediger Rd. Go to the end of the road and turn right onto the access road for the new parking area. The Devil's Path actually begins at the intersection of Prediger Rd and Platte Clove Road! After parking in the new parking area, get on the red-blazed Devil's Path and hike .25 miles to the junction with the Jimmy Dolan Notch Trail. Bear right on the Jimmy Dolan Trail. Hike 1.6 miles to Jimmy Dolan Notch.
Turn left and hike the .4 miles to the summit of Indian Head. Retrace your steps back to the Notch and continue straight ahead on the red-marked Devil's Path. About .4 miles of steep climbing brings you to the east peak of Twin Mountain. The view from this rock ledge on a clear day is hard to match anywhere in the Catskills. Since this peak is NOT the highest on Twin, continue another .7 miles to "bag" the higher west peak. This peak also has a nice view. Continue on the Devil's Path to your left. It leads down for about .5 miles to Pecoy Notch which is the gap or col between Twin and Sugarloaf.
Continue on the Devil's Path up Sugarloaf Mountain for about 1.1 miles. There is no view from the summit although
there is a lookout if you continue on toward Plateau. Turn around and retrace your steps to the notch. Here you may go
over Twin again and back to the car on the Jimmy Dolan Notch Trail. This is a hard go so turn left on the blue blazed
Pecoy Notch Trail. Walk 1.5 miles to the junction with the Roaring Kill Trail and take this trail for about .4 miles to
the parking area. Unfortunately, your car is back on Prediger Road. Turn right on Roaring Kill Rd., left when it joins
Dale Lane, right onto Platte Clove Road and then right onto Prediger. This whole distance is about 2.7 miles but it is
flat and fast compared to the trek back over Twin!
| Quick Look - Sugarloaf and Twin T from Roaring Kill | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Round trip | Total climb | Location | Internet Maps |
|
7.4 mi. | 3030 ft. | N42 06.98 W74 06.90 | AllTrails |
Turn onto Bloomer Rd. off Route 23A just west of Tannersville. At the Y in the road bear left onto Platte Clove Rd. Continue on this road until the sign for Elka Park Road appear on the right. Turn here and proceed on this road without turning until it turns into a dirt road. After about a mile the Roaring Kill Parking Area appears on the right. Park here and get ready for a challenging but rewarding hike. The Roaring Kill Trail heads into the woods for only .25 miles and then splits into the Pecoy Notch Trail and the Mink Hollow Trail. Turn left here onto the blue marked Pecoy Notch Trail. This trail begins a climb through pine forests as it works its way to the Col between Sugarloaf and Twin.
After .7 miles, you arrive at Dibble's Quarry which has nice views of Roundtop, Kaaterskill High Peak and the Hudson River valley. This is the remains of one of the numerous bluestone quarries that were active in the area. Hikers have piled the flat rocks into chairs and tables and thrones and walls making for a very interesting appearance. This area keeps changing as people add to the artistry. In another half mile the trail passes a beaver pond and can be quite muddy and even flooded at times. From here the trail climbs the last half mile to Pecoy Notch. You can choose to hike Twin or Sugarloaf or do both! If you choose to do both, it really doesn't matter which you choose first.
Turn right on the Devil's Path to climb Sugarloaf Mountain. The distance is only 1.3 miles but the climb is rugged for almost a mile. There are lots of rock scrambles and several areas that test your balance, agility and upper body strength. Near the summit the trail levels as you walk toward the summit. From the summit continue on the Devil's Path for less than a half mile. Look for a side trail on the left that leads to a designated campsite and great views to the north. Retrace your steps back down to Pecoy Notch.
The climb up the west side of Twin Mountain is one of the steepest I have hiked. Some areas are nearly vertical requiring you to pull yourself up by gripping roots and rocks. The climb is less than a mile but most of it is VERY STEEP. Just before the western (higher) summit there is an interesting "cave" or rock overhang on the left of the trail. The trail continues to the right of this overhang up through some cracks in the rock. The view from the top is always worth the climb. It is better on the days when there is less haze. Continue on the trail for another .7 miles to the eastern (lower) peak of Twin. The views here are perhaps even better than on the higher peak. There is a large rock shelf which offers great views of the western peak of Twin, Sugarloaf and Overlook Mountain.
The return trip consists of turning around and following the Devil's Path back to Pecoy Notch. Turn right and follow the Pecoy Notch and Roaring Kill Trail back to the parking area.
