34. Boulder Rock

Distance:	Dayhike
Difficulty :	Easy for children
Distance :	1.3 miles, round trip
Hiking time :	1.5 hours
High point elevation gain :	2420 feet, 280 feet
Hikable :	May-October
Map :	NY-NJ Trail Conference Map 40

If Robin Leach had been tracking down rich and famous folks back in the nineteenth century, he undoubtedly would have spent lots of time at the Catskill Mountain House. Considered the place to vacation in the northeastern Catskills during the era of the grand hotels, this Greek Revival-style resort lorded over the Hudson Valley from atop the escarpment that runs from Kaaterskill Falls (see Hike 33) to Windham High Peak. The magnificent views from the area were important inspirations for painters in the Hudson River School, including Thomas Cole and Frederic Church (see Hike 26 for more about Church).

The resort site (with dizzying views over the valley) is one of the more spectacular spots along the 24-mile-long Escarpment Trail, which connects the North Lake area with the majestic Blackhead Range. The 0.6-mile-long section of the trail described here leaves the site of the hotel and travels south, passing a kid-size cave, several overlooks, Split Rock (an impressive crevice), and, finally, Boulder Rock. This monstrous glacial erratic rests near the edge of a sheer cliff and deserves a more spectacular and less redundant name than (ho-hum) Boulder Rock.

See if your family can come up with a better one.

From New York City, take the Thruway (I-87) north to Exit 20. Follow NY-32 north for 8 miles to Palenville and the intersection with NY-23A. Turn left (west) onto NY-23A and drive 7 miles to Haines Falls. At the junction of NY-23A and Greene County 18 in Haines Falls, turn right onto Greene County 18, heading east. Drive 2.2 miles to a gatehouse and the entrance for the North and South Lake state campground. Beyond the gatehouse, the road splits; turn right and follow the park road for 1.3 miles to its conclusion at a large parking area on the right (0.1 mile beyond the South Lake parking lot on the left).

From the parking area, head eastward on a wide gravel road with power lines strung along the right side. Ignore the gravel, blue-blazed Escarpment Trail that departs left (north); you can save this challenging hike (see Hike 35) for another expedition. At 0.1 mile, walk between a pair of stone pillars that once guarded the driveway leading to the Catskill Mountain House. Bear right to reach the site of the hotel, now an open, grassy plateau on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the Hudson Valley. As you survey the valley from an elevation of 3000 feet, you are seeing the plains and distant hills from the same spot where General Sherman, and Presidents Grant, Cleveland, and Theodore Roosevelt once stood.

In the early nineteenth century, vacationers flocked to the Catskills by steamboat, stagecoach, and railroad, lured by the lovely views and "healthful mountain air." The Catskill Mountain House, first built in 1823, quickly garnered a reputation as the most prestigious place to stay in the region. Wealthy guests journeyed up the Hudson River and then took a stagecoach or carriage from the Catskill Landing up the winding mountain road to the hotel. Later, the Catskill Mountain Railroad delivered visitors as far as Palenville; eventually, the Otis Elevating Railway carried folks up the mountainside to the hotel (the railway remains are near the hotel site).

Other resorts were built nearby to attract vacationers, but the Catskill Mountain House remained the finest and most popular mountaintop hotel. In the late 1800s, the hiking trails that radiated from many of the Catskills hostelries were walked more than any other footpaths in the entire country. Sadly, with the advent of more modern means of transportation and the Great Depression, the grand hotels experienced a significant decline in business, and most fell into disrepair. The Catskill Mountain House closed for good in 1942. In 1963, the dilapidated ruins had become so dangerous that they had to be burned to the ground. As the plaque overlooking the valley so eloquently states, "Only the commanding view of this historic resort now remains."

On the right (west) side of the clearing is an information board (describing the Catskill Mountain House) and a trail sign that points the way to Boulder Rock, 0.46 mile along the blue-blazed Escarpment Trail. Follow the blue blazes into the woods, heading southwestward. Soon, the trail begins a moderate to steep ascent up a densely wooded hillside, snaking around chunks of ledge. Amid thick groves of hemlock and spruce and pockets of mountain laurel, the trail crests, 0.1 mile from the trail sign. After a brief respite, the Escarpment Trail resumes its stiff ascent, sweeping around obtrusive ledge on the right. Overhanging ledge on the left forms a kid-size cave. Revive the children's interest by pausing to let them investigate it.

As you crest shortly beyond the overhang, keep youngsters in sight; the trail runs close to the precipitous edge of the escarpment. While the adults admire the fine views southeast into the Hudson Valley, the kids are likely to be more interested in the leaning, cigar-shaped boulder on the right. Soon you return to the safety of the woods, treading on a rugged, worn path well marked with frequent blue blazes. The sedimentary rock underfoot seems to wash across the trail in waves, and clusters of mountain laurel add splashes of green even in early spring and late autumn.

At a junction with a red-blazed trail at 0.45 mile, the blue Escarpment Trail turns left (south) to reach Boulder Rock in 0.1 mile. You continue right (southwest) on the red side trail (which rejoins the Escarpment Trail in 0.2 mile). In June, when the mountain laurel that pushes in from both sides of the trail is in bloom, this short trip along the red trail is delightful. Mountain laurel leaves are poisonous to many animals, so even during the winter when food is scarce, these bushes do not tempt deer and other wildlife. Christmas tree-size spruces, moss-covered boulders, and clusters of ferns add to the lovely scents and sights along this path. After a gentle descent, the red trail ends at an intersection with the Escarpment Trail. Turn left (southeast) onto the blue Escarpment Trail (avoid the straight branch of the blue trail), guided by a sign to Boulder Rock, 0.2 mile away.

This delightful slice of the Escarpment Trail drops gradually through a sea of mountain laurel. One-tenth mile from the intersection with the red side trail, you encounter Split Rock, a formidable crevice in the ledge bordering the trail. Notice that additional sections of ledge are beginning to separate, due in large part to the forceful freezing and thawing cycles.

One-tenth mile beyond Split Rock, the trail sidesteps Boulder Rock, an elephant-size glacial erratic that perches on the edge of the escarpment. From here, the panoramas stretch across the Hudson Valley to the Hudson River and the Taconic Range, fading at the distant Berkshires. From Boulder Rock (did you come up with a new name?), the trail ducks back into the woods, trending north. A short walk returns you to the intersection with the red-blazed trail. Turn right, still following the blue blazes of the Escarpment Trail, and return to the site of the Catskill Mountain House the way you came.