New York · Hiking

Schutt Road

Schutt RoadPhoto: Andy Arthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.0 mi
round trip
708 ft
climb
2,435 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Sep–Oct
best months

Schutt Road is a short, easy out-and-back hike in New York's Border Katerskill / Ns Lake Camp, managed by the State Department of Conservation. The route is about 2 miles long, with a total climb of roughly 700 feet from a low point of about 2,090 feet to a high of about 2,435 feet. The steepest stretch comes early, around 0.18 miles in, with a grade of about 13 percent. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Platte Clove, about 4 miles away, show July highs near 80°F and September highs around 72°F with lows near 48°F. That station sits a few hundred feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run a little cooler. The hike takes about an hour. The Escarpment Trail starts just 0.3 miles away, and the Catskills climbing area is about 0.8 miles off. Poet's Ledge Trail and Rock Shelter Trail are both within about 2 miles.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Sep–Oct

    Best time to visit Schutt Road

    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.

    1. Jan

      32° / 12°

      16 wet

    2. Feb

      35° / 13°

      13 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 20°

      13 wet

    4. Apr

      55° / 31°

      12 wet

    5. May

      67° / 42°

      14 wet

    6. Jun

      75° / 51°

      14 wet

    7. Jul

      80° / 55°

      14 wet

    8. Aug

      79° / 54°

      13 wet

    9. Sep

      72° / 48°

      11 wet

    10. Oct

      59° / 37°

      12 wet

    11. Nov

      47° / 28°

      13 wet

    12. Dec

      37° / 19°

      16 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Platte Clove, NY, 4 mi away at 2,032 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Escarpment TrailPhoto: Andy Arthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Escarpment Trail

Next door

2.56-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 1,389 ft gain and 1,634 ft loss.

Rock Shelter TrailPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Rock Shelter Trail

~3 min drive

Short point-to-point trail to a natural rock shelter in New York.

Twilight Park TrailPhoto: Alexander Gude, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Twilight Park Trail

~4 min drive

1.44-mile out-and-back trail in Twilight Park, New York with 1,285 ft of elevation gain.

Poet's Ledge TrailPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Poet's Ledge Trail

~3 min drive

0.45-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 294 ft elevation loss.

Kaaterskill Rail TrailPhoto: RobertDrake2015, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Kaaterskill Rail Trail

~4 min drive

2.88-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 442 ft elevation gain

Colgate Lake TrailPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Colgate Lake Trail

~8 min drive

8.42-mile out-and-back hike at Colgate Lake in New York with 1,199 ft elevation gain

Winter Clove Falls trailPhoto: Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Winter Clove Falls trail

~6 min drive

2.58-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 1,315 ft elevation gain

Mary's Glen TrailPhoto: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mary's Glen Trail

~4 min drive

1.28-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 69 ft gain and 637 ft loss

Devil's PathPhoto: New York Public Library, No restrictions (via Wikimedia Commons)

Devil's Path

~8 min drive

Strenuous 14.92-mile point-to-point Catskill ridge traverse for experienced hikers.

Rip's Ledge trailPhoto: Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rip's Ledge trail

~6 min drive

5.5-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 1,982 ft elevation gain and loss.

Route details

Distance
1.0 mi round trip
Climbing
About 708 ft
Summit
2,483 ft
Difficulty
Easy
Time
About 0.5 hours

Questions about this route

How long is the Schutt Road on South Mountain?

About 1.0 mi round trip.

How much elevation gain is on the Schutt Road?

About 708 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Schutt Road?

It is rated easy.

How long does the Schutt Road take?

About 0.5 hours round trip.

Conditions and forecast on South Mountain

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors