Home ⎟ Hikes & Wanderings ⎟ New York ⎟ Catskill Edition ⎟ The Blackhead Range

Distance: 9.6 miles out & back

Time: 6 hours

Difficulty: Moderately Strenuous

Elevation Gain: 4,695 feet

Hiking the Blackheads including Windham High Peak: 13.22 miles (one-way) + 8 “strenuous” hours: The first time I hiked the Blackhead Range and Windham together as a day-long (or rather long day…) hike. This is a good idea if you’re trying to bag the Catskill 3500 peaks or want to travel the lesser known northern reaches of the Escarpment Trail.  Otherwise, I’ve found it’s much more enjoyable hiking the Blackheads and Windham as two separate hikes, or an overnight backpacking trip.

Trail Notes: The Blackhead Range got its name because from afar, their spruce and balsam summits appear black.

Dog Friendly: Good for dogs as a 9.6 mile hike, but if you’re including Windham, I’d make it an overnight trip or leave the pup at home. It was a little too much for Ollie the first time around.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Trailhead Directions (for the hike including Windham Peak): From the NYS Thruway, take exit 20 for NY-32 toward Saugerties. Pay the toll and use the right lane to continue onto NY-32 North/NY-212 West. Take NY-32 North 6 miles, then continue straight onto NY-32A North. Go 1.9 miles and make a slight left onto NY-23A West. After 5.5 miles, turn right onto County Road 25 for 2.7 miles. Continue straight to stay on County Road 25 for 292 feet, before making a right onto County Road 23C. Go 4 miles and turn right onto County Road 40 / Maplecrest Road. In 1.9 miles, turn right onto Big Hollow Road and continue 1.75 miles to Peck Road where you’ll make a left. and go 0.75 miles to the trailhead parking at the end of the road.

Hike Directions (including Windham Peak): (including Windham Peak) From the parking area off Peck Road, take the yellow blazes 0.85 miles to the Elm Ridge shelter and an intersection with the blue blazed Escarpement Trail. Turn right onto the blue blazes and continue 2.35 miles to the summit of Windham Peak. From here on a clear day, you can see the winding escarpment ridge, Albany, and on a clear day, even the  Adirondack High Peaks! There are a number of beautiful rock slab overlooks here to explore, so take your time. When finished continue on the Escarpment Trail, passing through Burnt Knob, and several nice overlooks for the next 2.7 miles. At this point you’ll see the red blazed Black Dome Range Trail coming in on your right. Continue on the blue blazes for another 0.7 miles to Acra Point, offering beautiful views to the Northeast over Acra, New York. Continue on the blue blazes as the trail winds to the right and continues another 2.8 miles to the summit of Blackhead Mountain. While the summit is surrounded in trees, you can go right and downhill about 100 feet on the blue blazes for some nice views West. After, return to the summit of Blackhead and continue right onto the yellow blazes for 0.7 miles to Lockwood Gap, a col between Blackhead and Black Dome Mountain. You’ll get some great views of the escarpment mountains as you climb down to the col and up the other side, to the summit of Black Dome (just 0.6 miles from the col). Black Dome offers great views of Windham to the north now and the Devil’s Path (Plateau, Sugarloaf, Twin, Indian Head) to the south. Continue 0.7 miles from here to the viewless summit of Thomas Cole. Continue across 0.9 miles downhill to a col and back uphill to Camel’s Hump, a wide open ridge area with views south. From here on in, the trail is relatively downhill, as you meander your way off the ridge. O.7 miles beyond Camel’s Hump you’ll reach the top of a small peak, Caudal, with limited views South. Continue 1.3 miles downhill to the Elmer Barnum Road Parking Area. Walk 0.92 miles to the end of Elmer Barnum Road and make a right onto Maplecrest Road. After 0.33 miles, turn right onto Big Hollow Road for 1.75 miles to Peck Road. Turn left onto Peck Road for 0.75 miles back to the trailhead parking.

Trailhead Directions (for the hike excluding Windham Peak): From the NYS Thruway, take exit 20 for NY-32 toward Saugerties. Pay the toll and use the right lane to continue onto NY-32 North/NY-212 West. Take NY-32 North 6 miles, then continue straight onto NY-32A North. Go 1.9 miles and make a slight left onto NY-23A West. After 5.5 miles, turn right onto County Road 25 for 2.7 miles. Continue straight to stay on County Road 25 for 292 feet, before making a right onto County Road 23C. Go 4 miles and turn right onto County Road 40 / Maplecrest Road. In 1.9 miles, turn right onto Big Hollow Road and continue 2.45 miles to the trailhead parking at the end of the road.

Hike Directions (excluding Windham Peak): From the trailhead at the end of Big Hollow Road, take the red blazed Black Dome Range Trail 0.6 miles to a fork, a meeting of the yellow and red blazed trails. Veer to the left here, onto the yellow blazed Batavia Kill Trail and continue 0.9 miles along a stream. When you reach an intersection with the blue blazed Escarpment Trail, turn right and continue 0.9 miles to the summit of Blackhead Mountain. Though the summit if viewless, you can continue beyond the summit on the blue blazes for just 100 feet downhill to three viewpoints looking Northwest. After, return to the summit of Blackhead and continue right onto the yellow blazes for 0.7 miles to Lockwood Gap, a col between Blackhead and Black Dome Mountain. You’ll get some great views of the escarpment mountains as you climb down to the col and up the other side, to the summit of Black Dome (just 0.6 miles from the col). Black Dome offers great views of Windham to the north now and the Devil’s Path (Plateau, Sugarloaf, Twin, Indian Head) to the south. Continue 0.7 miles from here to the viewless summit of Thomas Cole. Continue across 0.9 miles downhill to a col and back uphill to Camel’s Hump, a wide open ridge area with views south. From here on in, the trail is relatively downhill, as you meander your way off the ridge. O.7 miles beyond Camel’s Hump you’ll reach the top of a small peak, Caudal, with limited views South. Continue 1.3 miles downhill to the Elmer Barnum Road Parking Area. Walk 0.92 miles to the end of Elmer Barnum Road and make a right onto Maplecrest Road. After 0.33 miles, turn right onto Big Hollow Road for 2.45 miles back to the trailhead parking at the end of Big Hollow.

Scenery: 10/10