Catskills Grand Loop

The landscape of the Catskills is characterized by broad, sloped floodplains covered in working farms on the valley floors, and steep, forested ridgelines rising above. The region is a mix of privately owned land and public forest preserves. Throughout the route, riders will go from valley to valley, watershed to watershed, guided up and over mountain passes seeking out doubletrack and rough gravel where possible. The best riding seasons are summer and fall. Spring has a small window after the freezes end and before the flies awaken. Winter comes early to the Catskill Plateau.

The first and last miles of this route are along the prominent Catskill Front (also called the Escarpment), the large ridgeline that rises sharply from the river valley to form the Northern and Eastern boundary of the Catskill Mountains. The route begins at the base of the Catskill Front on Bogart Rd at the intersection with the Old Mountain Turnpike in Palenville, NY. Old Mountain Turnpike is a foot and horse trail that leads 1600ft up to the Catskill Plateau, to the former site of a formerly successful hotel, the Catskill Mountain House. This was the primary path up to the hotel. Guests used this carriageway from 1824 to 1892, which is when Catskill Mountain House constructed the Otis Elevating Railway, a funicular train whose rise brought about the disuse of the road.

Riders begin by staying close to the base of the Catskill Front and riding South. We go past “The Devil’s Kitchen”, which is one of the steepest climbs in the Northeast, and past the Ashokan Reservoir, which is one of several NYC water supply reservoirs we pass on this route. We take roads to the South of the towering Ashokan High Point, have a food stop in Samsonville, and then make the climb up to the Sundown Wild Forest, where there are campsites and a waterfall. We’ve crossed the Catskill Divide, which is the line that separates waters that flow into the Delaware River watershed and the Hudson River watershed.

The route continues with 4 miles of snowmobile trails followed by a massive descent into the valley that holds the Rondout Reservoir, another of the NYC water supply reservoirs. Riders continue through Grahamsville and turn right to start a massive 1500ft climb up Denman Mountain Road. This brings riders to the Basily Road snowmobile trails and campsites near Fluggertown Road. We follow the gentle downhill slope of the Willowemoc Creek all the way into town at Livingston Manor for a grocery store, sandwiches, espresso, and ice cream. Riders cross the ridgeline to the North and descend to the Beaverkill Creek, with a great swimming spot nearby. Both the Willowemoc and Beaverkill Creeks also happen to be renowned trout fishing sites, so you might see a lot of anglers parked along the road.

The route continues North up Barkaboom Road and down sharply to the edge of the Pepacton Reservoir, another of the NYC water supply reservoirs. Riders trace the edge of the water for a rare flat section before turning right on Mill Brook Rd and riding the entire loop of Dry Brook Ridge. There are 2 convenient camping locations during this segment, and several more quite rugged campsites a few miles off the route. Riders end up going past the Catskill Recreation Center in Arkville, NY, which has a day pass for $20 that allows use of their showers (and pool, etc.). If you need them, there are many grocery and food options just to the West in the town of Margaretville, and the route brings riders to the East to the town of Fleischmanns, where there are a couple of light food options. There is a massive mountain ridgeline between you and the next grocery stop, so make sure you’re full of water, snacks, caffeine, and meals.

Riders exit town to the East to cross the gravel roads on “Hawk-it” Mountain before making the big climb over Vly Mountain. This 4×4 road is a broad doubletrack of loose and rocky stones. It’s a steep climb that’s far more challenging than the rough gravel we have seen up to this point, and most people hike-a-bike in this section. The gravel descent is much longer than the climb. Crossing this mountain puts you back in the Hudson River watershed, leaving the Delaware River watershed behind. Riders eventually make their way down to the town of Prattsville for food and groceries.

Riders depart town to the North and begin the climb up Huntersfield Mountain, the single biggest climb on the trip at 1650ft. There is a mix of paved roads with moderate traffic and gravel roads that are quiet and scenic. The final big climb is up Bluebird Rd, and then the big descent brings riders down the front face of the Escarpment with gorgeous views of the Durham Valley. Riders go south on Joseph Chadderdon Rd, continue past Riedlbauer’s Resort and the Roundtopia mountain bike trails, to end back at the old Mountain House Turnpike.

This route follows all NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation (DEC) designated trail uses, which means that we avoid foot trails. Notes (POIs) in the route indicate optional excursions along disused logging roads, rugged snowmobile trails, and occasional mountain biking areas.

• Paved: 83%
• Smooth Gravel: 4%
• Rough Gravel: 7%
• 4×4 Road: 5%
• Singletrack: 1%

Riding Season Information:

Spring – limited to late April-early May. Usually, there are at least 3 weeks after the ice melts and before the black flies come out.

Summer – late June all the way through mid-September is A+ riding, especially August.

Fall – Mid-September through the end of October. Invigorating rides in cooler temperatures and peak foliage. Freezes come early on the Catskill Plateau, and November might be too late in the season.

An exciting aspect of this route is that it is fairly accessible by train from up and down the East Coast. The route is 20 miles from the Amtrak station in Hudson, NY and 40 miles from the MetroNorth station in Poughkeepsie, NY. Below, Tyler has created some suggested routes for getting from the train stations to the route.

• Amtrak station Hudson, NY – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53156378
• MetroNorth station, Poughkeepsie, NY – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53156577

Parking:

Cairo: There is a camera-monitored gravel lot by the local police department. There is no fee, and the town is fine with vehicles parked here for 1-6 nights. On the day you are leaving your vehicle, the local police department asks that you call and leave a voice message for Sergeant Busch detailing which car will be parked there and for approximately how long. Call Sergeant Busch at 518-622-2324. Local PD also recommends that people leaving their vehicle include written identifying information, such as a name and phone number or emergency contact, on the front seat or dashboard, in case of an emergency.

The towns of Livingston Manor and Margaretville each have off-street municipal parking lots where parking is permitted for multiple nights.

Two DEC parking lots: vehicles can stay overnight, but sleeping in your car is not permitted. If you plan to leave your vehicle overnight, call the ranger and leave a voicemail.

Bike Suggestions:

A rigid frame bicycle is well-suited to this route (suspension fork not necessary). The variety of terrains on this route means you should have tires that can handle rough gravel and tree roots without being too knobby for the paved sections. Plan to lower your tire pressure when you go onto the loose, steep 4×4 mileage and any of the optional snowmobile trails that are adjacent to the route. Recommend tires 2 inches (50mm) in width, maybe a little wider than that. You can enjoy this route if you have narrower tires because of the overall percentage of paved road miles, but plan on occasionally hiking your bike down a rocky path instead of riding.

More important are words of caution about brakes and braking while bikepacking: 1) a bicycle loaded with camping equipment, water, and food requires more force to stop than an unloaded bike, 2) some of the downhill segments on the Catskills Grand Loop are very steep, and 3) the Catskills are known to be rainy, misty, and foggy. You must test your brakes and demonstrate that your most forceful braking can stop you while descending a steep hill on a loaded bike. Be prepared for reduced braking power during wet conditions. It’s scary when you don’t have that braking power, the potential for injury increases, and the journey stops being fun.

There are no bike shops along the route, but there are shops in Kingston and Catskills, east of the loop.

Traffic and Vehicles:

The route has been crafted to avoid the major 55mph highways that connect regions within the Catskill Mountains. By avoiding the big roads, we are choosing to ride further, higher, and closer to nature. Each road that’s included in the route is carefully selected to maximize feelings of remoteness and scenic beauty.

Camping:

The campsites are a combination of:

• DEC-designated spots in the forest preserve that have numerous flat areas, which are great for tents
• Lean-tos with a pit latrine, a fire pit, and a water source nearby*
• >State forest dispersed camping spots (like some places in the Great Northern Catskills)

Highlighted campsites are on public lands that permit primitive camping that is at least 150 feet from any road, trail, spring, stream, pond, or other body of water, unless it’s an area designated by a lean-to shelter or a yellow “Camp Here” sign. The perpetuity of these primitive sites for dispersed camping is only possible if riders follow all Leave No Trace guidelines. This includes digging catholes and burying human waste. The attentiveness that bikepackers show to campsites will be appreciated and commented on by trail and lean-to stewards, as well as members of local outdoor clubs.

Please familiarize yourself with the details about primitive camping and campsite selection before riding the route https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/camping/state-land-rules. Note that the NYC Water Supply DEP, does NOT permit overnight camping on its heavily monitored lands, and this route reflects that.

Since the route was made focusing on primitive and dispersed camping, campgrounds with full facilities are not included on the map. If you do want facilities like running water, flush toilets, and electricity, you will be able to find public and private campgrounds with your own searches.

*Some of these campsites have a lean-to shelter. What is a “Lean-To”? It’s an open-faced shelter with a roof and three walls. All of the lean-tos in the Catskills are log construction, and there is a wooden floor that gets you off the ground. What’s the point of a “Lean-To”? Lean-tos are for you and your fellow hikers/riders to socialize, dry and mend equipment, cook, and eat. When you’re this far out in the woods, the lean-to is everyone’s kitchen, dining room, living room, and workbench. In general, everybody should be setting up their own tent or hammock in the vicinity of the lean-to but not inside it. It is not for individuals to claim as their personal sleeping area. The exception is that it’s ok if it’s very late in the day (when it’s less likely that another person arrives).

Water:

Purification or filtration is required because flowing surface water is plentiful in the Catskill Mountains, and with a filter, you won’t be worried about when the next water source will come along. During drought conditions, moving surface water is still common but not ubiquitous. Recommend carrying at least 2L of water capacity if you are using a filter. If not, you will pass through a town at least once a day, where you can buy gallon jugs of water, and you should plan to carry closer to 4L water capacity.

Food and Meal Prep:

Each 50-mile section of the route has at least one significant town with a grocery store and other food options, so meal planning and resupplying are as simple as you want them to be. You could prep all your dried meals beforehand, or you can easily carry only snacks with you, and purchase prepared foods or groceries each day.

Services Along the Route:

Phone service is spotty, but occasionally you will have phone service while riding in the forests, and usually while you are in town. Riders can charge electrical devices and use wifi while patronizing local businesses. There is a shower stop and wifi at the Catskill Recreation Center in Arkville, NY, where a day pass costs $20.

Bears and other animals:

Compared with big campgrounds, the campsites highlighted on this route are not constant sources of food for bears and other mammals. Let’s keep them this way. On this route, you are more likely to encounter hopeful and opportunistic mice and deer before you encounter a bear, but please know that black bears are present throughout the Catskills. A bear canister is not necessary, but it would be useful if you are in a small group and you all choose to consolidate your food into a canister. Every night, it’s important to take precautions that prevent smaller mammals from eating into your shelter, such as always hanging your food from a tree branch sufficiently far from your shelter.

Route creator Tyler Burton guides cycling and camping trips as Lichen Bike Tours. For events and other bikepacking routes, click around at <https://lichenbiketours.com/> and on Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/lichen_bike_tours_hudsonny/>.

Please familiarize yourself with the details about primitive camping and campsite selection before riding the route <https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/camping/state-land-rules>.

NYS DEC has an interactive Catskills Preserve map that delineates the complicated mix of private and public lands <
https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/catmapguide.pdf>.

New York / New Jersey Trail Conference (NYNJTC) maps are a great printed resource for navigating without GPS, but keep in mind these highly detailed topo maps are for foot trails <https://store.nynjtc.org/products/catskill-trails-map>.

For info on water conditions in the Catskills, Dette Flies fly fishing store (on the route in the town of Livingston Manor) has Live River Conditions on their website, and for part of the year also has Daily Fishing Reports <https://detteflies.com/pages/daily-fishing-report>. NYS drought conditions are monitored here <https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/water-quantity/drought/current-drought-conditions> and NYC water reservoir levels are shared here <https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/water/reservoir-levels.page#>.

If you ever wanted to volunteer to rehabilitate lean-to shelters in the Catskills, the NYNJTC has a volunteer Lean-To Work Crew with many fun weekend work trips with overnight camping <https://www.nynjtc.org/catskills-lean-to-crew/>.

The Catskill 200 route is the work of Tyler Burton.

Here are a few words from Tyler:

I have loved getting to know the Catskill Mountains on foot, and I felt an opportunity to reinterpret the landscape for multi-day adventures on 2 wheels. I’m coming to bikepacking from the camping side of things and was a stalwart bike commuter for many years in the Big City. So it’s been a joy to put together a route that celebrates the forests and ridgelines that make the Catskill Mountains special. Thank you to Bikepacking Roots for considering a route with a potentially provocative percentage of pavement, and thank you to Isaac Wood for the feedback that led to this finalized route.

This route traverses many watersheds and ridgelines that were inhabited by groups of Schaghticoke, Mohican, Haudenosonee, and Mohawk indigenous peoples.

We would also like to acknowledge the public authority in New York State for the great public lands that this route traverses.