Slide Mountain

Catskill Park Preserve
Catskill Mountains,
Ulster County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Phoenicia-East Branch Trail: Yellow blaze
Curtis-Ornsbee Trail: Blue blaze
Wittenberg-Cornell-Slide (WCS) Trail: Red blaze

Total Time: 4:00 hours
Estimated Distance: 7.6 miles
Level of Difficulty: Difficult
Level of Recommendation: Recommended
Points Of Interest: Good Climb, Views, Famous Mountain

Hiking Partners:
Shimmy and Mordy Rosenberg

Google Maps of Parking:

View 2012 Hiking in a larger map

Slide Mountain is the tallest peak in the Catskill Mountains, at 4,180 feet. Though it lacks the dramatic view from its peak as some of the lower Catskill Mountains have, it is still an impressive climb and does have views along the ascent. We parked at the Slide Mountain Road trailhead, crossed the mostly dry branch of the Neversink River, and started climbing up the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail. From there we continued on the Curtis-Ornsbee Trail, taking a lollipop loop around the Curtis Monument and up the mountain. The Curtis-Ornsbee Trail is a longer route, but is more scenic, with two additional views along the way as well as some nice rock formations and climbs. The WCS Trail in its place lacks good points of interest. The Curtis-Ornsbee Trail ends at the OCS Trail, and at this point enters coniferous forest at about 3800 feet. A beautiful-north facing view comes out on the left near the summit. There actually is not much of a view left at the summit, as it has been overgrown and the old tower that used to be at the top is long since removed. We hiked down a little bit further, about 600 feet, to get to a different view facing east towards the Ashokan Reservoir. After that we turned around and headed down the WCS Trail all the way down back to the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail and then back to our car.

Map of the Route

Me at the Trailhead

Curtis Monument.

This rock looks like a whale.
On the Curtis-Ornsbee Trail

First View on the Curtis-Ornsbee Trail. Facing Southwest.

Me at the above lookout.

Second Lookout on the Curtis-Ornsbee Trail. Facing Table Mountain

View Approaching the Summit. Facing North.

Another View Facing North,
with the Devil's Path Mountains in the Distance.

Overgrown View at the Summit.
Facing east with the Ashokan Reservoir in the Middle.

Rock At the Summit with the Burrough's Plaque.

Shimmy and Mordy Above the Conglomerate Rock

Me and Mordy at the Summit.

Ditto.

Ashokan Reservoir in the Distance, from the lower view.

Cornell and Wittenberg Mountains. Facing northeast.

Hump of Cornell Mountain