Hiking: Mink Hollow via the Mink Hollow Trail Post Irene | Catskills, NY | 9/7/2011
The trip to Mink Hollow from the Roaring Kill Trailhead starts out on the yellow blazed Roaring Kill Trail. This short (0.25 mile) trail brings you to the trail junction of the Mink Hollow Trail and the Pecoy Notch Trail. Since I was out to check bridges post-Irene, I headed to Mink Hollow, which has two bridges before reaching the notch.
Since I was hiking a week after Hurricane Irene had passed through and after a night of heavy rain, the trails in general were very wet and there are some new blow down along almost every trail that you have to watch out for.
From the trail junction, the Mink Hollow trail cuts across a shoulder of Sugarloaf Mountain before climbing on the western side of that shoulder through a series of short steep sections and switchbacks. The trail makes use of the many old quarrries roads this run all over the mountains in this portion of the Catskills. In fact, the trail runs through or by several small quarries (though none as spectacular as Dibble's Quarry on the Pecoy Notch Trail). The biggest of these quarries is passed in just under a mile from the trail junction with the Roaring Kill and the Pecoy Notch Trails.
After climbing up to the height of land on the shoulder of Sugarloaf, the trail comes upon the only vista along this trail. The view looks down into Mink Hollow and across to Plateau Mountain on the other side of the notch. From the view, the trail makes a sharp switchback and descends to meet up with another old quarry road. This quarry road crosses a small stream on a bridge about 2 miles in and that is followed shortly by another stream with a bridge.
At 2.80 miles from the Roaring Kill Parking Area, the Mink Hollow Trail intersects with the Devil's Path just above Mink Hollow Notch and the Mink Hollow Lean-to. If you wish to go to the lean-to, take a right on the Devil's Path and head west. To climb Sugarloaf, take a left and head east. The Pecoy Notch Trail allows for you to do a loop over Sugarloaf from the Roaring Kill Parking Area with only the 0.25 miles of the Roaring Kill Trail being repeated.
I had made the trip to check on the bridges, so instead of a larger loop, I headed back down the Mink Hollow Trail to the Roaring Kill Parking area.
Trail Info
Roaring Kill Trail - Roaring Kill PA to Trail Junction - 0.25 Miles
Mink Hollow Trail - RK Trail Junction to Mink Hollow - 2.55 miles
NYNJTC Map #141
Need a hiking map for your hikes in the Catskills? We recommend the Trail Conference's Catskills Trails 6-Map Set. These maps are the best available for hiking and outdoor adventures in the Catskills and the Catskill Park. The Catskill Center offers a regional map of the Catskills that provides an excellent overview of the region, it's roadways, attractions and trails. National Geographic Trails Illustrated also produces a map for the region.
Since I was hiking a week after Hurricane Irene had passed through and after a night of heavy rain, the trails in general were very wet and there are some new blow down along almost every trail that you have to watch out for.
From the trail junction, the Mink Hollow trail cuts across a shoulder of Sugarloaf Mountain before climbing on the western side of that shoulder through a series of short steep sections and switchbacks. The trail makes use of the many old quarrries roads this run all over the mountains in this portion of the Catskills. In fact, the trail runs through or by several small quarries (though none as spectacular as Dibble's Quarry on the Pecoy Notch Trail). The biggest of these quarries is passed in just under a mile from the trail junction with the Roaring Kill and the Pecoy Notch Trails.
Can you tell the trail was a bit wet?
After climbing up to the height of land on the shoulder of Sugarloaf, the trail comes upon the only vista along this trail. The view looks down into Mink Hollow and across to Plateau Mountain on the other side of the notch. From the view, the trail makes a sharp switchback and descends to meet up with another old quarry road. This quarry road crosses a small stream on a bridge about 2 miles in and that is followed shortly by another stream with a bridge.
At 2.80 miles from the Roaring Kill Parking Area, the Mink Hollow Trail intersects with the Devil's Path just above Mink Hollow Notch and the Mink Hollow Lean-to. If you wish to go to the lean-to, take a right on the Devil's Path and head west. To climb Sugarloaf, take a left and head east. The Pecoy Notch Trail allows for you to do a loop over Sugarloaf from the Roaring Kill Parking Area with only the 0.25 miles of the Roaring Kill Trail being repeated.
I had made the trip to check on the bridges, so instead of a larger loop, I headed back down the Mink Hollow Trail to the Roaring Kill Parking area.
Trail Info
Roaring Kill Trail - Roaring Kill PA to Trail Junction - 0.25 Miles
Mink Hollow Trail - RK Trail Junction to Mink Hollow - 2.55 miles
NYNJTC Map #141
Need more information on hiking and planning your
trips to the Catskills and the Catskill Park?
Read up on the Catskill Park at our Catskill Mountains Information Page for hikes, advice, travel and planning information. We have a Guide to Hiking in the Catskills available and on our sister site, ReviewThis is a Guide to visiting the Catskill Park.
Need a hiking map for your hikes in the Catskills? We recommend the Trail Conference's Catskills Trails 6-Map Set
. These maps are the best available for hiking and outdoor adventures in the Catskills and the Catskill Park. The Catskill Center offers a regional map of the Catskills that provides an excellent overview of the region, it's roadways, attractions and trails. National Geographic Trails Illustrated also produces a map for the region.
How about a guidebook? Both AMC
and ADK
publish trail guides to the Catskill Region and the Adventures in the Outdoors Bookstore carries many more books and maps that will help you as you hike and explore the Catskill Mountains region.
and ADK publish trail guides to the Catskill Region and the Adventures in the Outdoors Bookstore carries many more books and maps that will help you as you hike and explore the Catskill Mountains region.
If you are looking for more information about the extensive history of the Catskill Mountains and the Catskill Park, we would suggest reading The Catskills, From Wilderness to Woodstock and The Catskill Park, Inside the Blue Line. For the most comprehensive natural history of the Catskill Park and the Forests of the Catskill region, we recommend reading The Catskill Forest, a History by Michael Kudish.
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