48. Little Pond and Touchmenot Mountain

Distance:

Dayhike or overnight


Click here to print this page

Difficulty :

Moderate for children

Distance :

3.4 miles, loop

Hiking time :

3.5 hours

High point/elevation gain :

2750 feet, 800 feet

Hikable :

May-October

Map :

NY-NJ Trail Conference Map 44

If your gang can't agree on how tough a hike you should tackle, begin the 3.4-mile trip over Touchmenot Mountain with the knowledge that you can cut the hike short about 1 mile from the start at a lovely spot where a broad, grassy expanse allows safe exploring and offers local views that kids as well as adults can appreciate. A nearby frog pond will entice kids who like to "hunt" for water critters, and the variety of wildflowers that blanket the meadow will appeal to non-froggers. Those who elect to complete the loop will be treated to challenging ascents, breathtaking descents, and the opportunity to take a dip at Little Pond's beach area near the end of the loop. Give it a try—you might surprise yourselves with your perseverance and stamina.

From New York City, take the Thruway (I-87) north to Exit 16. Follow NY-17 west for 50 miles to Exit 96 in Livingston Manor. Drive north on Sullivan County 179 following signs to Beaverkill, Deckertown, and Lewbeach. In 1.2 miles, turn right onto Sullivan County 151 (also called Johnson Hill Road), guided by signs to Beaverkill. Drive 4.1 miles and, as Sullivan County 151 merges with Sullivan County 152 (still called Johnson Hill Road) in Beaverkill, continue straight ahead. In another 4 miles, as you cross into Ulster County, the road becomes Ulster County 54, also known as Beaverkill Road. Seven miles from Beaverkill (where Sullivan County 151 and 152 met), turn left onto Barkaboom Road following a sign to "NY 30" and another for "LITTLE POND CAMPGROUND NYDEC." In 0.1 mile, turn left onto the access road signed to "LITTLE POND PUBLIC CAMPGROUND AND DAY USE AREA." Stop at the control booth and pay a small day-use fee. Follow the park road to campsite 37; just beyond the campsite, park at the boat launch parking area.

From the parking area and western side of Little Pond, head northward on a foot trail that runs beside a wooden fence, soon passing a massive stone hearth. Sharp yellow blazes lead hikers over three dainty streams on footbridges before the trail begins to curl eastward. Count the tent sites near the water that are sheltered under a hemlock canopy. Two-tenths mile from the start, just beyond some outhouses, turn left (north) onto the yellow-blazed Little Pond Trail. (This trail also continues straight, east, to encircle the pond; you will return along this path.)

Embark on a steady climb, marching along a shallow ravine on the right that carries a stream. Just under 0.5 mile, pass a small beaver pond on the right and then reach the base of a large dam that holds back the water of Old Beaver Pond. The beaver is an industrious mammal: it significantly alters its surroundings to create an acceptable habitat. Beaver dams generate ponds that provide the builders with food and protection. If beavers leave an area and the dams deteriorate, a change in the water level will lead to significant changes in the types of trees and plants in and around the abandoned dam. Ask the children whether beavers are still living here. What would indicate beaver activity? Look for a lodge, piles of bare, pointed sticks near the water, teeth marks on standing trees, branches that have been gnawed, and trees that have been downed.

If you find unusually high marks on trees, urge the kids to analyze how they got there. Did a beaver climb the tree trunk? Did another animal make the marks? (The correct answer: beavers chewed the trees during the winter, when they were standing on snowbanks.) Why do you think beavers chew trees? Do they eat wood? (No, they eat the inner bark, and are especially fond of newer branches.) Why, then, do they down mature trees? (To be able to reach the young branches on top!)

At one time, when beaver fur was highly coveted for coats and hats, the animals nearly became extinct at the hands of overzealous trappers. Due to stringent trapping rules and other conservation measures, their numbers have steadily increased and they are now fairly common in the Catskills.

Three-quarters mile from the start, the trail opens onto a lovely meadow, lined by spruce trees on the left and deciduous trees on the right. As you climb across the meadow, heading northwest, you may have to fight through brambles. The trail passes briefly through a belt of spruces and tracks across another open field. If there is a breeze, the kids can race with the wind, judging its progress by watching the grass bow down in waves. At the top of the field, the trail meets an overgrown woods road. Turn right (northeast) onto the road, soon entering another meadow. Dive back into the woods, cutting through a break in a stone wall. Imagine the old farm that once occupied this land. Animals must have grazed these pastures, contained by the ancient stone walls. Who will find the large erratic boulder just beyond the stone wall to the right? Who can climb to the top?

As the blazes lead across a vast field at about 1 mile, the kids' gazes will be diverted to the frog pond on the left as the adults take in the lovely Beaverkill Valley views to the right. Listen to the frog voices at the pond. How many different sounds can you hear? Can you distinguish the guttural quacking of the wood frog from the spring peeper's shrill voice? Do you hear the low rumble of a bullfrog? Partway across the field, avoid stepping in a cellar hole just off the path on the right. Continuing to bend eastward, the trail crests a grassy knoll. Here, the views stretch southward toward Little Pond and into Sullivan County. Depending on the mood and condition of your group, you may decide to spread out a picnic lunch and end the hike at this lovely spot. To continue, cross the field on an easterly course. Soon, the grassy meadow surrenders to young woods. A stone wall crawls in from the left but never quite reaches the trail. After climbing a wooded hillside, the trail crests at 1.3 miles near an intersection with the red-blazed Touch-Me-Not Trail. (Energetic groups interested in adding a mile to the total distance can turn left on the seldom- traveled path to the top of Cabot Mountain. Beware of bothersome nettles along this trail, however.)

Turn right (east) onto the red-blazed trail to continue the original loop. Two-tenths mile from the intersection, the trail climbs a rugged, densely wooded slope. Give little ones a hand as you scale a slab of ledge. On the left, a narrow path leads through a crevice. Is anyone daring enough to attempt a brief side trip through this "squeezer"? Back on the main trail, climb to the top of the ridge, passing through stands of grand beech trees. American beeches are as easy to recognize by touch as by sight: their characteristic light gray bark is quite smooth.

The trail continues to snake through thick woodlands, pressing between ledge at 1.8 miles. Another winding ascent leads to a junction where a red-blazed side trail departs left toward Big Pond. You continue straight (south) toward Little Pond on the Campground Path, marked in blue. As you approach the ambiguous top of Touch-me-not Mountain (with views limited by the heavy woods), ledge intrudes on both sides of the trail. Two miles from the start the trail embarks on a steep, 0.4-mile descent. The altitude that you gained gradually over 2 miles is lost in less than 0.5 mile! Did you descend fast enough to make your ears pop? As the trail levels, thick clusters of ferns crowd the path.

After 0.3 mile of fairly level walking, listen for voices that grow in volume as you near Little Pond's swimming area. The trail approaches the pond's day-use area by a bathhouse. Stop for a swim or a few tricks on the playground equipment, and then find the yellow-blazed trail (initially a gravel road) that follows the shoreline. Pass picnic areas and campsites as you encircle the pond in a counterclockwise direction to return to your car.



Best Hikes with Children in The Catskills & Hudson River Valley, Copyright � 2002 by Cynthia Copeland and Thomas J. Lewis, published by The Mountaineers Books Seattle. Maps by Jerry Painter.