I too hate losing altitude just to climb back up…Some of those rock scrambles were quite fun as well. I can see your point about the steep, rocky sections in the beginning of the hike — but to me, doing a 3.2-mile hike with some steep sections warrants a 5/10, while tacking on an additional 3.7 miles and 1,000+ vertical feet appropriately nudges that difficulty to a 9/10. Traverse Panther from Oliverea to Fox Hollow. If you’re interested in taking a more strenuous hike and bagging one of the Catskill 3500’ summits in the process, you can continue along the trail straight up Panther Mountain, about two miles (and 1,000 vertical feet) one-way from the first ledge. This ascent is rather gradual with a few short, steep areas thrown in. Heading out there Saturday, will do all the good deeds. I've always been intrigued by the two viewpoint "stars" on the NYNJTC map for Southern Harriman on a hill called Panther Mountain. Parking for Panther Mountain Trail is a couple hundred feed down and across the road from the trailhead. Cha-ching! Elevation Gain: 1,981 feet. We enjoyed the hike very much but I did want to add/ warn travelers that we got lost on our way down. We go every year when we visit the area. 3/4 mile and takes an average hiker aboout 45 minutes to reach the summit that offers a beautiful view of Piseco Lake with hints of several smaller surrounding lakes. We’ve used it several times, and have pledged to use it more! I wasn’t very close to the edge at the point, so just a reminder to everyone to make sure your belongings are secure even if you aren’t close! ;maybe 3 words). Thanks so much for the sharing! (**UPDATE September 2020** Thanks to friendly hiker Denis for sharing this image of that junction in the comments!). If you go all the way to the fifth ledge, it’ll be a 4.0-mile roundtrip. Thanks! Retrace your steps back to your car – the only junction you have to worry about is the right turn onto the Yellow Trail about halfway down. Giant Ledge Trail (part of Panther Trail) - 1,5 mile. Your email address will not be published. On my most recent visit, I took a day off and came on a chilly late-October Friday. Good luck! Think of this as a heatmap, more rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors. Perfect end to great hike. When we heard that we are going to reach 3,700 feet in elevation we figured it would be a steep hill. 6 summits • 1.7 mi • 613 ft gain • 1 hr 30 min. Awesome, Mike – thanks for your responsiveness. Only .75 miles to go! It has a rocky terrain which makes it easier to climb. Oct 24, 2016 - This Pin was discovered by Erika Eklund. It took me less than ten minutes to get here from the rock that we clambered up for our first Panther view. And the views from the Ledges were amazing! 7. From the bottom of the saddle to the summit of Panther, you’ll ascend 730 feet over 1 mile, following the blue blazes the whole way. Panther Mountain (Not one of the 46 high peaks) Topographic map courtesy of Topozone. Giant Ledge-Panther Mountain-Fox Hollow Trail The trail climbs over rocks as it gains another 400 feet of elevation from the trail junction. For all the hikes documented on this site, you can find the hike’s key stats in the right-hand sidebar (on desktop) or right at the top of the page, just under the banner image (on mobile). Which is all a long way of answering: Yes, one point seems about right to me, but I respect that others will have differing opinions. My guess is that for at least 80% of visitors, Giant Ledge will be the final destination, which is as it should be. In just a moment, cross a wooden footbridge that goes over a picturesque stream. A combination of factors has led geologists to believe the mountain is on … Oh no! When we started walking back we met another traveler who also took this path, and was convinced it’s the right trail. If you see the Peekamoose Restaurant and Tap Room on the left, that’s bad news – you just missed the turn. Maybe it was climbing the saddle on the way back that did it. Awww…. Mike, great work! Panther Mountain was a great little hike! But oh my if that view wasn’t worth every single step. Just keep following Oliverea Rd to the Southeast on a map or click on the GPS coordinates he posted in the directions and it brings you right to it. Giant Ledge in particular … This mountain bike only trail can be used one direction and has a easy overall physical rating with a 330 ft green climb. From here on out, 50% of the proceeds generated from the purchase of sweet custom gear from Hike the Hudson Valley’s online store will be donated to the NY-NJ Trail Conference, the organization that makes so many of our adventures possible. The Panther Mountain trail, also sometimes referred to as Echo Cliff, is a 0.6-mile steep hike to a set of cliffs that offer an excellent … But 9/10, really? A short way down that trail, there’s a nice, spacious campsite. At .6 miles long, this hike is easily done round trip in under an hour. My wife and I like to hike but prefer not to clamber up and down rock quarries where we spend all our time looking at our feet rather than out at the view. https://www.hbtrails.com/hiking-panther-mountain-trail-with-family Thanks for being awesome! Not a High Peak and not even a very high elevation, this small mountain makes for a nice little break and has some nice views. I’m very interested to know who built this trail and when? We had to park below it in the grass. While we loved (and shared) this terrific post. The trail begins by immediately gaining elevation through an area of pine trees. The Panther Mountain peak is approx. Thanks for the compliment 1 do like to liven things up whenever possible. How was it for him/her? Latest summits. Let me first say that we did this as a family with my wife (not a hiker), my 16 year old son (plenty capable though not 100% into it), my 12 year old son who was not at all interested and has ankle and weight issues…he bailed just before the yellow/blue split…my older son and I went the distance. It seemed long to me because we kept stopping. Panther is a 2 mile moderately popular blue singletrack trail located near Tampa Bay Florida. The majority of this change in elevation occurs the … They lied. Must have been a very scary experience. Please be careful if you try anything like that — I’d hate for anything worse to happen from here. This hike is called Giant Ledge, but there are actually five distinct ledges where you can walk out and have the whole world (or at least a really large, Catskilly slice of the world) open up before you. Got any good suggestions for hikes that take this into account? While on the way home from Lake Placid in 2015, we decided on a whim to hike Panther Mountain, (not to be confused with Panther Peak, a 46er in the Santanoni Range). You may also find some wet sections here, where you’ll have to hop around the puddles. It can quickly be done on a simple day trip but one must always remember that the peaks in this area are remote and seldom visited so one should be well prepared for a change in weather as it can be raining here while it is sunny everywhere else in the Adirondacks. Quite an undertaking. Hope you enjoyed a well-earned, larger-than-usual dinner tonight. We walked this path for about 45 minutes, it goes around the mountain and hits the road at the end. The trail is super easy to follow, but challenging. While on the way home from Lake Placid in 2015, we decided on a whim to hike Panther Mountain, (not to be confused with Panther Peak, a 46er in the Santanoni Range). October, 2015. Lots of bang for your hiking buck! The hike is popular, and the trail is worn and trampled. At approximately 3,720 feet in elevation, it is the 18th highest in the range. Turn left here to follow those blue blazes all the way to Giant Ledge. Carefully cross the road, go around the guardrail, and hop across the little footbridge to begin your adventure. Although we went on a Tuesday, the parking lot was already full. I felt a little defeated but now reading other experienced hikers were challenged as well, it made me feel better. We only saw frogs, all sort of frogs, and crows and hawks circling in the sky. Thank you so much for this write up. https://hikethehudsonvalley.com/hikes/giant-ledge-and-panther-mountain Did I mention this section is not easy? Like, ever. Find the yellow-blazed Phoenicia-East Branch trail and hike .65 miles to the blue-blazed Giant Ledge - Panther Mountain Trail. If you want to "bag" a 3500' peak, continue on the trail past Giant Ledge to the summit of Panther Mountain, but the real payoff views are at Giant Ledge. – Marybeth Mills, owner, Peekamoose Restaurant. This is great! Thanks for your help! Hi, Jesse! This was our first trip to the Catskills and it did not disappoint! Oh no, Monica — I’m so sorry to hear that! I hope this feature does the trick for you — keep scrolling down in the “Directions” section above, to the part that says “GPS coordinates of parking area” in bold. Then it will turn somewhat abruptly (so keep your eyes peeled!) The most difficult part of this hike is getting to Giant Ledge (with the rocky sections you describe being the accurate part). Panther Mountain is located in the Saranac Lakes region of the Adirondack Park in NY. Jim, I agree with Dave — the trail is quite steep and rocky, and will be extremely slippery in the rain. Follow the blue trail from the junction towards Panther. The parking lot has space for maybe 4-5 cars. Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. This mountain bike only trail can be used one direction and has a easy overall physical rating with a 330 ft green climb. I could see the argument for knocking Panther down to an 8 (since we’d have to move to the Spinal Tap scale to make Wittenberg more difficult), but it really just felt more like a 9 to me. The trail starts just to the right of the guardrail directly uphill from the parking lot. . Use caution when crossing the road to the trailhead as the speed limit on the road is 55 mph. From the Slide Mountain trailhead on Route 47 cross the West Branch of the Neversink River. Has anyone ever told you that this hike is easy? Discover (and save!) The DEC Panther Mountain Parking Lot is located at GPS: N42 01.596 W74 24.223. After the hike, we drove to Ellenville and enjoyed some good food at Gaby’s Cafe. On to Panther Mountain! After following the easy and sometimes steep rock path you’ll find yourself on a ledge taking in this wonderfull scenery. If you’re not planning on staying the night, my apologies for wasting your time with this paragraph. You’re already almost there! Amazing hike. **WARNING** While most Hudson Valley parks and trails have reopened, there are still a few notable closures and parking restrictions to be aware of. From there we had to walk another mile on the main road to our car. There’s a bigger campsite a few minutes down the trail, too. Not sure if we just manged to hit a particularly bad day (we did go just after a few days of rain) but we definitely could have planned for that a bit better! Dave’s comment above just brought me back to your comment — I’d meant to respond when you left it, apologies for not getting back here until now. Required fields are marked *. In that case, you’d probably want to check out the spring. A few friends and I are planning to get up to this area in the evening, camp overnight, and then hit the trail first thing in the morning. For anyone who wants to know the truth. Hoping it’s not too crowded this late in September…? You can follow the yellow trail to the Panther Mountain / Giant Ledge Trail Head. I’d rate it higher than a 5 (especially if you have non hiker types with you), maybe if I had gone solo I’d feel different. We found it very useful when hiking Giant Ledge this week. Panther Mountain is located 13 miles outside of Saranac Lake, NY on route 3. Panther Mountain Piseco, New York You will find the Panther Mountain trailhead just off route 8 on Old Piseco Rd. Would be great if we didn’t have to do too much routefinding/hiking in the dark. Panther Mountain is one of the Catskill High Peaks, located in the Town of Shandaken in Ulster County, New York. Dogs are also able to use this trail. If you continue reading from here, I’ll assume you’re tackling Panther Mountain, too. Tents were pitched all over the place. Everything just feels different – cooler, darker, more remote. For 30 minutes or so, follow the yellow blazes of the Phoenicia East Branch trail. One additional note: a bridge on 28 a few miles before you get to 47 is under construction. Hi, Aidan! I’ll be heading out to Giant Ledge tomorrow with a friend. Hope that’s helpful – happy adventuring! My only few of the day was the Margaretville ER. Hope that helps, and let us know if you ever do find it! Hi, Michelle! Careful at the edge. Find the yellow-blazed Phoenicia-East Branch trail and hike .65 miles to the blue-blazed Giant Ledge – Panther Mountain Trail. The initial trip up to Giant Ledge is more steep and rocky. Thanks for taking the time to help us out. Very much appreciated! Thanks again – thoroughly enjoyed your writing! Great stuff. The Panther Mountain trail, also sometimes referred to as Echo Cliff, is a 0.6-mile steep hike to a set of cliffs that offer an excellent view of Piseco Lake and the surrounding landscape. More Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain Trail is a 7.1 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Big Indian, New York that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. I must say the write up oddly encouraged me to take up this hike Will still be an amazing place to be at that time of day, as long as you have plenty of good flashlights or headlamps for getting back down the very steep and rocky trail, which will be treacherous going after dark. Would be much better to go when it’s dry. Slide Mountain Trailhead to Woodland Valley Campground. Then you can ask them to turn down their boomboxes. You will see a DEC sign for Panther Mountain on the left. Slide Mountain Trailhead to Woodland Valley Campground During this section of the loop, you will have some choices. Hi! Yes, that would be a great alternative. Adventurer Insight: While the sign at the trailhead states Panther Mountain, the marked trailed ends at Echo Cliffs with a view of Lake Piseco rather than at the summit of Panther Mountain. Thanks so much for this write up! That's cool, too. From the Slide Mountain trailhead on Route 47 cross the West Branch of the Neversink River. Do you need to purify that water first before drinking? The trail is located entirely on the public Forest Preserve, on the southern edge of the West Just did this hike today and I’m really confused as to what mountain Jay hiked below. Get comfortable – you’ll stay on Rt. If you REALLY want closure and to feel like you’ve done everything you could do, that’s probably how I would tackle it. Soon after this rock formation, you will reach a junction with the blue trail. If you are newer to hiking, I wouldn’t recommend heading up Panther Mountain alone – consider joining along with a guided hike! Unless, you know, you need water and you brought a purifier. For the first time in my life, I marked a spot on my hiking GPS with the label “Smell.”  Just as the trail reaches about 3,400 ft in altitude, you can smell the difference as you enter the alpine forest at the top of Panther. What a view. The line “if you see the Peekamoose Restaurant – that’s bad news….” although meant as a directional indicator, ……our restaurant is never bad news. After reading this guide over again, it’s my opinion that it accurately depicts this hike to the best of my abilities (you know, given what they are). Hike Length: 6.9 miles (11.10 km) Total Ascent: 1,700ft (518m) … After you’ve had time to enjoy the view, if you decide you’d like to head back now, by all means, do it. This was one of the first group hikes I went on. At Big Indian, turn left onto County Road 47 (Oliverea Road – sometimes also marked as Fire House Road). All in all, this hike more than deserves those 5 cameras. See you there! Was one of those days, you know you head out early to do Anthony’s nose, only to find out still closed ( FYI mental note) thought NY was unpaused!! This ascent is rather gradual with a few short, steep areas thrown in. Still, really, the view on Giant Ledge is pretty much equally awesome, and the hike to that point has some steep sections. A combination of factors has led geologists to believe the mountain is on the site of an ancient meteorite impact crater. I’m certain your write up is incorrect concerning which sections are difficult. Our go to every time we are staying overnight in the area. If you are planning on going to any of the hiking trails in this area, make sure to come early. Not crowded at all. Was this trail guide useful to you? It’s a short hike between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. . After grabbing our bags, we started walking the Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain trail. **UPDATE September 2018** Take a moment to pay special attention to this junction, locking it into your memory for your return trip to your car. Not a High Peak and not even a very high elevation, this small mountain makes for a nice little break and has some nice views. Here’s one great way: Visit the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference homepage and click on Volunteer, Donate, or Shop! The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from April until November. This trail leads you to a truly amazing view on the Catskills area. Coming from Route 28, heading southeast, just keep heading past the Forest House to the hairpin-turn parking lot described in the “Directions to the trailhead” section above. There’s not a ton of room right here, so hopefully you left most of the crowds back at Giant Ledge. After about .75 miles, you reach Giant Ledge. For the casual dayhiker, climbing Panther will be overkill. The 6 makes me feel a little less tired this morning. You will come upon a sign for Panther Mountain and find the parking area across the street from trail head. Dawn, your comment cracked me up (cracked me up eight months ago, too, when I should have replied). I love your idea of a zipline over the col!!! You know you’re at a classy hike when there’s a porto-potty in the parking lot. If you look at the pin marked “Blue Jct,” you’ll see a trail that runs under the ledges, though not directly under — if you started your bushwack from that trail, it COULD possibly be doable, though I have no idea what the terrain is like down there. If you’re interested only in... 0 I gave Wittenberg a 10/10 for difficulty, and Panther a 9/10. 9. I was able to find the road you said it was on, but I can’t find the hairpin turn you make a reference to. It has a rocky terrain which makes it easier to climb. My first time. Panther Panther Mountain offers excellent hiking trails over varied terrain, an enormous boreal summit, and two wonderful scenic lookouts. Immediately after you pass the final ledge, the Blue Trail drops 200 feet in the saddle between Giant Ledge and the Panther ascent. It was well worth it, spectacular views from the ledges. I’m afraid I don’t know of any right near the parking area (never looked), but I’d bet there are some tucked away back there. The hike starts off along the yellow marked Phoenicia-East Branch Trail. Lastly- the Peekamoose ROCKS! So sorry that happened! I know – I just told you not to climb Panther, then I told you how nice the view is up there. Panther Mountain, also known as Echo Cliff, is a short 0.6-mile steep climb to a wide open cliff that provides an extraordinary view of the southern Adirondacks. I don’t think I’m seriously advocating doing this, but you COULD use that map to bushwhack your way toward the third ledge from the area beneath the ledges, heading toward the pin marked “Ledge three”. SUMMIT. Even though we live in the woods and are hike a lot around Wurtsboro, the Catskills are in another league of their own. I’m looking for a good hike with my labbie in the Catskills, but from my experience many of the peaks have rock scrambles that present a challenge for dogs. Beatles songs were playing on someone’s boombox. Use caution when crossing the road to the trailhead as the speed limit on the road is 55 mph. Have a great trip, Norm! Just wanted to note that it felt like more than a 5/10, and the rockiness was especially challenging for our lab, who slipped a few times. At a junction turn left onto the blue marked Giant Ledge-Panther Mountain-Fox Hollow Trail. 13. But your review makes it appear that Panther has steeper, rockier traverses than does Giant Ledge, not true. 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