Kaaterskill High Peak Trail
- 6.9 mi
- round trip
- 1,617 ft
- climb
- 3,084 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Sep–Oct
- best months
Kaaterskill High Peak Trail is a hard hike in New York, about 1.4 miles from the town of Tannersville. The route is an out-and-back that starts at roughly 2,558 feet and climbs to about 3,084 feet, with a total gain of 1,617 feet over the course of the 13.8-mile round trip. The steepest stretch comes at about 2.3 miles in, where the grade reaches 29 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Platte Clove show July highs around 80°F with lows near 55°F, and September is a milder option with highs around 72°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the high peak run cooler. The Kaaterskill Rail Trail is about 1.8 miles away, and Twilight Park Trail is about 2 miles off. Climbers can head to the Catskills, about 3 miles away, and Huckleberry Point Trail is about 3.5 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Catskill Outfitters13 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Sep–Oct
Best time to visit Kaaterskill High Peak Trail
Best months: September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
32° / 12°
16 wet
Feb
35° / 13°
13 wet
Mar
42° / 20°
13 wet
Apr
55° / 31°
12 wet
May
67° / 42°
14 wet
Jun
75° / 51°
14 wet
Jul
80° / 55°
14 wet
Aug
79° / 54°
13 wet
Sep
72° / 48°
11 wet
Oct
59° / 37°
12 wet
Nov
47° / 28°
13 wet
Dec
37° / 19°
16 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Platte Clove, NY, 3.1 mi away at 2,032 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Kaaterskill Rail Trail
~3 min drive
2.88-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 442 ft elevation gain
Twilight Park Trail
~3 min drive
1.44-mile out-and-back trail in Twilight Park, New York with 1,285 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Poet's Ledge Trail
~6 min drive
0.45-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 294 ft elevation loss.
Huckleberry Point Trail
~6 min drive
1.30-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 250 ft gain.
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Colgate Lake Trail
~7 min drive
8.42-mile out-and-back hike at Colgate Lake in New York with 1,199 ft elevation gain
Escarpment Trail
~6 min drive
2.56-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 1,389 ft gain and 1,634 ft loss.
Schutt Road
~6 min drive
0.97-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 367 ft elevation loss
Devil's Path
~7 min drive
Strenuous 14.92-mile point-to-point Catskill ridge traverse for experienced hikers.
Winter Clove Falls trail
~10 min drive
2.58-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 1,315 ft elevation gain
Overlook Trail
~7 min drive
3.63-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 1,492 ft elevation gain
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors

