Devil's Path

Devils's Path Catskill Mountains

Adrian with Devil's Path approved horns.

Hiking the Devil's Path you can either go from east to west or vice versa. Personally I would go east to west, as this does most of the elevation gain in the first half of the hike. So I will explain this hike going in that direction.

The Platte Clove area is the start of the Devil's Path, and you will finish 24.2 miles and over 8000 feet elevation gain later near Mink Hollow on the Spruceton road. This trail is a good two or three day backpack, or a very difficult day hike. You can even kind of slack pack this hike, and camp at the Devil's Tombstone Campground about 13 miles into the hike. Then you can do the rest of the Devil's Path the next day with car spots. Some of the mountains you will hike over along the way are Indian Head, Twin, Sugarloaf, Plateau, the shoulder of Hunter Mt, and Westkill (Don't forget P*iss Me Off Hill, which is really St. Anne's Peak.....or some people call it West Westkill Mountain too!!! Trust me you will call it P*ss Me Off Hill). You will drop down five dramatic and steep notches or hollows during the hike. (Jimmy Nolan Notch, Pecoy Notch, Mink Hollow, Stony Clove Notch, and Diamond Notch.)

This is a link to many Devil's Path pictures.

General overview map.

Since the Devil is lurking of the Devil's Path, you need to watch this safety video movie. (11.9 mb)

Here are the vital statistics of the Devil's Path.
Mileage
Elev. Gain*
Elevation*
Location
0.0
0
2000
End of Prediger Road - Start of hike
0.4
100
2100
Jct. Jimmy Nolan Notch Trail
1.9
220
2220
Jct. Overlook Trail
3.2
1250
3250
View Point to the North
3.7
1420
3420
View
4.2
1753
3573
Indian Head Summit
4.7
1753
3150
Jimmy Nolan Notch
5.1
2233
3580
Twin Mountain East Peak
5.7
2413
3640
Twin Mountain Summit
6.4
2413
2850
Pecoy Notch
7.6
3413
3800
Sugarloaf Summit
8.6
3413
2650
Mink Hollow Shelter
9.9
4383
3620
View Point East
10.5
4653
3840
Plateau Mt Summit
12.1
4653
3550
Viewpoint North & West on Plateau Mt.
13.1
4713
2000
Route 214 Devil'sTombstone
15.2
6273
3490
Devil's Acre Lean-to
15.7
6273
3500
View to SW on the left
17.2
6273
2320
Jct. Diamond Notch Falls
17.9
6903
2950
Spring
18.6
7453
3500
Large rock overhang
19.3
7803
3850
Buck Ridge lookout
19.4
7853
3880
Westkill Mt. summit
21.5
8093
3420
P*ss Me off Hill (St. Anne's Peak)
22.8
8093
2450
Swamp in Mink Hollow
24.2
8133
1780
Spruceton Road - End of hike!
Mileage
Elev. Gain*
Elevation*
Location
*Roughly elevation gain and location elevation. These numbers do not match or add up perfectly, since I combined more than one sources of data. (But they are more than adequate ). I also want to thank Aaron (Askus3) for much of the information.

This is my write up of my May 2004 Devil's Path day hike on the Views From The Top website.

The hike I experienced.
Please note when I say total elapsed hiking time I stopped my watch for only those 11 times. (Peaks, support stops and end.) I drove from Maine at about 12:30 in the morning. After a few cups of coffee I arrived at a trail head in New York around 5:30. Mmmmm….coffee, but a nice dehydrator too. Well it turned out to be the wrong trail head, and I met TomEske who was at this trail head too as support staff for the hike. We figured where I needed to go, and I found the Prediger trail head.

I started around 5:55 AM going up the trail. It was cloudy and quite humid to start. I felt kind of tired with the first up in elevation of the hike. I was going at my usual clip up though. There were several lookouts along the trail on the approach up, but the clouds socked them in. I noticed someone hiking. It was Seema. We talked for a few minutes, and then I started to climb again. Still in the clouds I could feel I was near the summit of Indian Head. I made it to the lookout on the west side on the mountain, and the clouds cleared up for me. I could see many mountains to the south, and Twin Mountain not to far away. (Total elapsed hiking time 1 hour 46 minutes to summit.)

I then descended quickly down Dolan Notch between Indian Head and Twin Mountain. The climb up to Twin Mountain was fun, short, and steep. I stopped at what I thought was the peak, but it was the East Peak of Twin mountain. It was a great lookout vantage point though. About fifteen minutes after Twin Mountain West Peak is the actual Twin Mountain summit. (Total elapsed hiking time 2hours 35 minutes) I took a few more pictures of the surroundings and a quick snack.

You then start to go down into Pecoy Notch. The trail just goes down steeply. It is then I start to realize all the notches are going to drop one thousand feet each time. I see Steve and we negotiate a steep section with roots and wet rocks. We talk a bit, and I am off again. I hear some voices, and I know it is the Pecoy Notch crew with water and snacks. As I didn’t officially sign up for the hike no one knows, since I am was not part of the crew that started earlier in the day. Darren hands out a couple miniature snickers and I take some water. Darren showed me a picture of Jay with the devil horns. I see Nancy who I have met briefly before. The crew is so nice. I am sweating quite a bit now, but I feel good. I am going at a pace I normally hike, but that will wear me out for the ending miles of this longer hike. (Total elapsed hiking time 2 hours 58 minutes) I take off and start to climb Sugarloaf. There are a few views east towards Twin Mountain that are cool. You can see the some neat rock slides?? On the lower third of Twin mountain on the Pecoy Notch side. Yet again a fairly steep climb up to Sugarloaf. I am on the top of Sugarloaf. It is a wooded summit. I take a picture next to some spider web. The moist morning air really made the spider webs stand out. (Total elapsed hiking time 3 hours 42 minutes.) I hiked a little further and on the west part of Sugarloaf there was a nice lookout. I have realized these mountain drop rather dramatically on the west sides from the lookout. I can see Plateau Mountain ahead. Time for more photos, liquids and food. I usually don’t drink or eat this much, but I have a feeling I will need the energy later in the day.

The drop into Mink hollow is steep with the usual fun large rock formations to enjoy. I see a family of hikers going up and asking if I am part of that hike is doing the devils path. I tell them “I hope I can make it.” I get to the bottom of Mink Hollow and meet Eric. We talk for a while. This is the first time I noticed the bugs. They start to annoy me. So off to climb Plateau. The trail is a little wet. I met two more nice hikers. The ups and downs of this trip are becoming more noticeable on this up. I make it to what seems the summit of Plateau in the woods. (5 hours 11 minutes total elapsed hiking time.) I ended up being right that this was the summit. The next stretch of hiking on Plateau is a rejuvenator. The flatness gives my body recovery time. You can tell there was trail work done as spruce branches have been laid in the trail at points. There are two good viewpoints the right hand side of the trail to the North. Then finally a really nice viewpoint to the West is reached before the start of the descent down to route 214. The breeze here was the best of the day.

The descent down is fairly steep then moderates. The trees growing thru the extensive fields of rocks is interesting. You continue down down down. My knees are telling me they are getting tired for the downs now. I reached 214 and finally meet up with Laura, JimB, and Jay. (Total elapsed hiking time 6 hours 33 minutes) I drink some water. We are resting in the sun on the tar, not the smartest. But it seems comfortable. The support crew so nice again. Knowing I have to get up to the Devils Acre lean-to next is weighing on me. I know my pace is going to drop off now, as I haven’t done any distance hikes yet this year. JayH, Jimb and Laura start climbing away. I hangout for another 10 minutes or so, and then I am off. I think it is 1:30 in the afternoon. I climbed this trail three week earlier, and finally know what to expect on the trail. Whooh! A snake slithers by. That always freaks me out as I hike. I made it to the Lean-to. (Total elapsed hiking time 7 hours 43 minutes) The climb up was slower than the other ups. I look around for the herd path to SW Hunter as a mental note. The trail has some charcoal-ish look to it for awhile. I am plugging away. I hear some voices and see Jay, JimB and Laura ahead. I see a lookout to the left of the trail though, and check it out. You get a decent view of SW Hunter I believe.

I then continue down to Diamond Notch Falls. I see the three crew again, and catch up to them as two other hikers are going up the trail. We get out to Diamond Notch. (total elapsed hiking time 8 hours 32 minutes) Snowshoe is there barefoot after completing the hike hours before. He tell us of P*ss Me off Hill near the end of the hike. I now found it is St. Anne’s Peak of Westkill, but Snowshoe has it right. The West Point Army Cadets are in the falls finishing taking a dip. We chat with the support crew, and thank them. And we are off up to Westkill. I know I am going to be uselessly slow going up. Jay, Jim and Laura start cruising up and I slow down quickly. It is nice to be hiking with people. Since I am in the back I chat with Laura some. We are both from Maine. After several stops with me dragging up the rear we make it to the viewpoint just before the actual Westkill summit. The bugs have been out in force for about an hour now. Why do they like to go in out ears? (Total elapsed hiking time 9 hours 58 minutes.) The views are nice towards Hunter. You can see some of the ski trails. The West Point cadets are up there too. Jay, Jimb, Laura and I leave the viewpoint and go by the the actual Westkill summit. This is the first Catskill summit I have seen with a sign on it. The trail goes down gradually. The bugs seem to be able to get me at my slowed down pace. Jay, Jimb and Laura set a nice pace. We see P*ss me off peak and start up. We pass a few of the Army Cadet here and there. I hear voices in back of me in the distance closing. (Dave and Danielle.) We make it to the last up of the day. Whew! (Total elapsed hiking time 10 hours 52 minutes) The down begins towards Spuceton Road. Dave and Danielle get by the four of us.

We descend down fairly steeply and then it moderates by a brook. Jay and Jimb pick up the pace for the last 1.5 miles. The trail is pretty with the large mass of forest floor green plants to admire. Laura drags my butt down. There is a chainsaw heard in the distance. We are getting close. Or could it be WR1 and WR2 waiting for us in the woods???? On the right of the trial you can see private land that has been logged. Laura and I hear voices and emerge from the woods. I think it was around 7:30. (Total elapsed hiking time 11 hours 56 minutes.) It was fun having the encouragement at the end with everyone being there. Long hike, great challenge, good cause, nice meeting everyone. I’m tired and I want to go home now.