North-South Lake/Escarpment Trail, Catskill Forest Preserve, NY

ABOUT THE PARK: North-South Lake, New York State DEC

TRAIL MAP: NY/NJ Trail Conference Northeastern Catskills Trails Map #141

DIRECTIONS: NY State Thruway exit 20 (Saugerties); 32 North for 6 miles; left on 32A for 1.9 miles; left on 23A into Haines Falls, right on North Lake Road (Rt. 18) for 2 miles, just before the North-South Lake campground entrance, turn right on Scutt Road (sometimes shown as Schutt Road) to parking on right. GPS coordinates to parking lot: 42.20004, -74.05873

HIKE DISTANCE: 10.3 miles

HIKE DIRECTIONS: The first 8 miles of this hike follow the blue-blazed Escarpment Trail. Trails are well-defined, well-blazed and there is detailed signage at all intersections.



At 1.2 miles arrive at the Frank Layman memorial:


The trail now makes a sharp left and soon passes several views.



At 1.8 miles arrive at Sunset Rock and shortly thereafter Inspiration Point:



At 3.8 miles arrive at Split Rock:


At 4.0 miles, Boulder Rock. If you continue on the unmarked trail at Boulder Rock, you will come out at better viewing spots that should also be less crowded. It did not look like the unmarked trail would meet back up with the Escarpment Trail so you will need to backtrack to continue on.



At Boulder Rock as well as other places along the hike, you will find engravings in the stone dating back to the mid 1800's:

There will most likely be many other people over the next couple of miles as these areas are easily accessible from the campground.

Next arrive at the site of the former Catskill Mountain House. Make note of where you enter the field by the information board as the continuation of the Escarpment Trail is to the left of the trail you come to the field on. (There are several other unmarked trails leading from the field.)
View From The Mountain House by W.H. Bartlett, 1836:

2010:


From Catskill Mountain House, continue on the blue-blazed Escarpment Trail to North-South Lake. When you reach the parking lot, the trail continues straight ahead but if you make a short side trip to the right, you will see where the Otis Elevating Railway used to be.
Otis Elevating Railway in 1904 from the bottom up:


2010 from the top looking down:


At 5.3 miles arrive at Artist Rock. You can see 4 other states from this point - Massachusetts and Connecticut straight ahead, Vermont and New Hampshire to the left.


At 5.8 miles turn right on the yellow-blazed trail for a short out and back to Lookout Rock and Sunset Rock:

After returning to the blue-blazed Escarpment trails there should be fewer people as you will be moving farther away from the campgrounds.

Continue on the blue-blazed Escarpment trail to Newman's Ledge at 6.4 miles:


At 7.0 miles, arrive at Badman Cave which was supposedly a hideout for outlaws:


At 7.7 arrive at the intersection of the red-blazed Mary's Glen Trail. This is the trail to take back to the parking lot but .25 miles further along the blue-blazed trail is North Point which offers the best views. There are, however, a few steep vertical uphill scrambles and if you are hiking with a dog, it will be challenging to get the dog up the trail at a couple of points along the way. We managed but it was not easy.


If you went on to North Point, retrace your steps and turn right on the red-blazed Mary's Glen Trail.

At 9.0 miles, turn right on the yellow-blazed trail at this sign:

Although the sign says Haines Falls Road, that is the same as North Lake Road so it is the correct trail.

At the road, turn left and walk briefly to Scutt Road, turn right on Scutt Road then 200 feet back to the parking lot on the right.

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