Almost 5 ½ miles of new, off-road and in-the-woods Long Path are now open to the public in the central Catskills. The new segment begins on the Willow Trail 1.6 miles north of the Mt. Tremper Fire Tower, and includes a mile walk through Warner Creek Valley, and Edgewood Mountain, the 3000' summit of the ridge to the east of Stony Clove Creek Valley. The relocation replaces an 8.1 mile segment (Long Path Sections 18 and 19)—which included 6.3 miles of road walking—with 11.8 miles, only 1.4 miles of which is road walking. See the Trail Conference’s Catskills Trails map #41, grids M-N, 4-5.

A new trail junction has been created on the ridge 1.6 miles north of Mt. Tremper and 1.8 miles northwest of Jessup Road. The existing Willow Trail from Willow to the junction has been remarked with yellow markers. The new Long Path segment is marked with blue markers.

Trail description from south to north:

Beginning at the new trail junction, the Long Path continues north on a faint wood road for 0.4 miles. Leaving the road to the left, the trail begins a moderate descent to 0.8 where a wide bench with little elevation change is followed to 1.2 miles. Here a steep 400' descent begins to Warner Creek.

The descent abruptly ends at 1.6 as one enters a long abandoned farmstead soon passing a stone foundation on the right. The trail continues northeast gradually approaching and paralleling Warner

Creek to an unbridged crossing at 2.0 miles. Leaving the creek on the north bank, the trail soon reaches a second wood road and turns right.

At 2.5 miles, the trail turns left, leaving the old road and begins a moderate to steep 1500' ascent to the summit of Edgewood Mountain at 4.5 miles. Beyond Edgewood, the trail descends at varying grades reaching Silver Hollow Notch at 5.5 miles. Here the blue, New York State markers end and the aqua blazes of the Long Path continue north (left) another 0.9 miles to State Route 214.

The Long Path continues 1.4 miles north on Route 214 to the Devil’s Path at Notch Lake within the Devil’s Tombstone State Campground. The Long Path then follows the Devil’s Path east 4.3 miles over Plateau Mountain (3860') to Mink Hollow where the original route is rejoined.

Parking is available at the large parking area next to Notch Lake (fee in season) and the Phoenicia Trailhead on CR 40. Limited parking is available on the lower end of Silver Hollow Road near Route 214 and on Jessup Road near Willow. Please respect the adjacent owners by not blocking any roads or driveways.

An alternate access point is via the old Silver Hollow Road (an unmaintained town road) from the east. At Willow Post Office, head north 4 to 5 miles on Silver Hollow Road to the end of the driveable section. Park on the west side leaving enough room for another vehicle to pass. Do not park in the turnaround at the base of the last driveway. It is about a one-mile walk to Silver Hollow Notch and the northern end of the new segment. For those fortunate enough to have 2 cars for a shuttle, the total walk from the end of the road, over Edgewood and down the Willow trail, is about 8 ½ miles with a hefty 2000' gain and 2500' loss of elevation.

Trail description from north to south:

From Mink Hollow on the Devil’s Path, continue following the red marked Devil’s Path west 4.3 miles over the summit of Plateau Mt. to Rt. 214 in Stony Clove Notch at the Devil’s Tombstone State Campground. Turn left following aqua LP blazes along Rt. 214 south for 1.4 miles to Silver Hollow Road. Turn left following dirt Silver Hollow Road 0.9 miles to Silver Hollow Notch. Silver Hollow Road becomes undriveable in about 300 yards, follow aqua blazes uphill to the notch.

At Silver Hollow Notch, bear right following state DEC blue markers south and ascend Edgewood Mt. (3000') 1.3 miles from Rt. 214. Trail continues south staying on the ridge with little elevation change at first before beginning the 1500' descent to Warner Creek at 4.3 miles.

From the unbridged creek crossing, continue downstream, gradually leaving the stream, to the beginning of a steep ascent up the flank of Carl Mt. at 4.7. The ascent eases at 5.0 where it begins following a wide bench to the beginning of a more moderate climb to a wood road at 5.9 miles.

The wood road is followed south to a trail junction where the original route is rejoined at 6.3, continue straight on blue markers. It is about 1.6 miles further to the Mt. Tremper Fire Tower and 4.4 miles to the Phoenicia Trailhead. Left, the Willow Trail (yellow) descends southeast 1.8 miles to the end of Jessup Road and 2.8 miles to Willow Post Office.

Pete Senterman
Catskill Trails Chair
New York - New Jersey Trail Conference