Slide Mountain Wilderness Area

The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province and subrange of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas close to or within the borders of the Catskill Park, a 700,000-acre (2,800 km2) forest preserve protected from many forms of development under New York state law. Geologically, the Catskills are a mature dissected plateau, a flat region subsequently uplifted and eroded into sharp relief by watercourses. The Catskills form the northeastern end of the Allegheny Plateau (also known as the Appalachian Plateau).The Catskills were named by early Dutch settlers. They are well known in American society as the setting for films and works of art, including many 19th-century Hudson River School paintings, as well as for being a favored destination for vacationers from New York City in the mid-20th century. The region's many large resorts gave many young stand-up comedians an opportunity to hone their craft. Since the late 19th century, the Catskills have been a haven for artists, musicians and writers, especially in and around the towns of Woodstock and Phoenicia.

Slide Mountain is the highest peak in the Catskill Mountains of the U.S. state of New York. It is located in the town of Shandaken in Ulster County. While the 4,180-foot (1,270 m) contour line on topographic maps is generally accepted as its height, the exact elevation of the summit has never been officially determined by the U.S. National Geodetic Survey or its predecessors, and many informal surveys suggest the mountain may actually top 4,200 feet (1,280 m) above sea level. While it was not identified as the range's highest peak until the late 19th century, it has played a prominent role in Catskill history. Renowned naturalist John Burroughs wrote memorably of his climbs up Slide, and it helped get the Catskills added to New York's Forest Preserve. Bicknell's thrush was first identified on its summit.

Friday Mountain is a mountain located in Ulster County, New York. The mountain is part of the Catskill Mountains. Friday Mountain is flanked to the north by Cornell Mountain, and to the south by Balsam Cap. The southeast side of Friday Mountain drains into Maltby Hollow Brook, thence into Bush Kill, the Ashokan Reservoir, Esopus Creek, the Hudson River, and into New York Bay. The northeast side of Friday Mtn. drains into Wittenberg Brook, thence into Maltby Hollow Brook. The western slopes of Friday Mtn. drain into the headwaters of the East Branch of the Neversink River, thence into the Delaware River, and into Delaware Bay. Friday Mountain is one of the 35 peaks in the Catskills greater than 3,500 feet elevation, and is a required ascent for membership in the Catskill Mountain 3500 Club. The ascent involves bushwhacking as there is no trail to the summit. Friday Mountain is within the Slide Mountain Wilderness of New York's Catskill State Park.

Rocky Mountain is a mountain located in Ulster County, New York. The mountain is part of the Catskill Mountains. Rocky Mountain is flanked to the west by Lone Mountain, and to the northeast by Balsam Cap. The south and east sides of Rocky Mountain drain into the headwaters of Rondout Creek, thence into the Hudson River, and into New York Bay. The northeast and northwest sides of Rocky Mtn. drain into the East Branch of the Neversink River, the Delaware River, and into Delaware Bay. Rocky Mountain is one of the 35 peaks in the Catskills greater than 3,500 feet elevation, and is a required ascent for membership in the Catskill Mountain 3500 Club. The ascent involves bushwhacking as there is no trail to the summit. Rocky Mountain is within the Slide Mountain Wilderness of New York's Catskill State Park.

Lone Mountain is a mountain located in Ulster County, New York. The mountain is part of the Catskill Mountains. Lone Mountain is flanked to the southwest by Table Mountain, and to the east by Rocky Mountain. The southeast side of Lone Mountain drains into Rondout Creek, thence into the Hudson River, and into New York Bay. The west side of Lone Mtn. drains into Donovan Brook, thence into the East Branch of the Neversink River, the Delaware River, and into Delaware Bay. The north side of Lone Mtn. drains into the East Branch of the Neversink. Lone Mountain is within the Slide Mountain Wilderness of New York's Catskill State Park.

Cornell Mountain is a mountain located in Ulster County, New York. The mountain is part of the Burroughs Range of the Catskill Mountains. Cornell Mountain is flanked to the northeast by Wittenberg Mountain, to the southwest by Friday Mountain, and to the west by 4,180-foot (1,270 m) Slide Mountain — the highest peak in the Catskills. The northwest side of Cornell Mountain drains into Woodland Creek, thence into Esopus Creek, the Hudson River, and into New York Bay. The east and southeast sides of Cornell Mtn. drain into the Wittenberg Brook, thence into Maltby Hollow Brook, Bush Kill, and Esopus Creek. The southwest side of Cornell Mtn. drains into the headwaters of the east branch of the Neversink River, thence into the Delaware River, and into Delaware Bay. Cornell Mountain is within the Slide Mountain Wilderness of New York's Catskill State Park. The Long Path, a 350-mile (560 km) long-distance hiking trail from New York City to Albany, is contiguous with the section of the Burroughs Range Trail crossing the summits of Slide, Cornell, and Wittenberg. Cornell Mountain is one of the 35 peaks in the Catskills greater than 3,500 feet elevation, and is a required ascent for membership in the Catskill Mountain 3500 Club.

Winnisook Lake is an artificial lake located in Oliverea, New York, United States. It is the source of Esopus Creek and the highest lake in the Catskill Mountains at 2,664 feet (812 m) above sea level. The lake is the private property of the Winnisook Club, which expanded it with a dam so they could have a place to fish. This created some problems with hikers in the past, who would park along the neighboring stretch of Ulster County Route 47 and cross the club's property to reach state-owned Forest Preserve lands and climb the Catskills' highest peak, neighboring Slide Mountain. Crowds of hikers steadily increased throughout the 1970s, causing the club to consider closing what had long been one of the easiest ways to ascend the peak. New York's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) solved the problem in the early 1980s by buying some land to the south of the club and building a new access trail over it. The stretch of Route 47 next to the lake has the distinction of being the highest elevation improved public through road in the state. The name, one of the few Indian place names in the Catskills, comes from Winnisook, the same legendary figure from whom the nearby hamlet of Big Indian and Big Indian Mountain draw their names.

Balsam Cap is a mountain located in Ulster County, New York. The mountain is part of the Catskill Mountains. Balsam Cap is flanked to the north by Friday Mountain, and to the southwest by Rocky Mountain. The northeast and southeast slopes of Balsam Cap drain into Maltby Hollow Brook, thence into Bush Kill, the Ashokan Reservoir, Esopus Creek, the Hudson River, and into New York Bay. The southwest side of Balsam Cap drains into the headwaters of Rondout Creek, thence into the Hudson River. The northwest side of Balsam Cap drains into the East Branch of the Neversink River, the Delaware River, and into Delaware Bay. Balsam Cap is within the Slide Mountain Wilderness of New York's Catskill State Park.

The Burroughs Range is in the Catskill Mountains of New York southeast of West Shokan. It consists of Cornell Mountain, Slide Mountain, the highest peak in the Catskills, and Wittenberg Mountain. The range was named for John Burroughs, a nature essayist whose forte was the observation of nature with accompanying poetical or philosophical commentary. Romer Mountain is located northeast and Friday Mountain is located south of Burroughs Range.

Wittenberg Mountain, locally "the Wittenberg," is a mountain located in Ulster County, New York. The mountain is part of the Burroughs Range of the Catskill Mountains. Wittenberg is flanked to the southwest by Cornell Mountain and to the northeast by Terrace Mountain. Wittenberg Mountain stands within the watershed of Esopus Creek, which drains into the Hudson River, and into New York Bay. The northwest and northeast slopes of Wittenberg Mtn. drain into Woodland Creek, thence into Esopus Creek. The southeast side of Wittenberg drains into Wittenberg Brook, thence into Maltby Hollow Brook, Bush Kill, and Esopus Creek at Ashokan Reservoir. Wittenberg Mountain is within the Slide Mountain Wilderness of New York's Catskill State Park. The Long Path, a 350-mile (560 km) long-distance hiking trail from New York City to Albany, is contiguous with the section of the Burroughs Range Trail crossing the summits of Slide, Cornell, and Wittenberg. Wittenberg Mountain is one of the 35 peaks in the Catskills greater than 3,500 feet elevation, and is a required ascent for membership in the Catskill Mountain 3500 Club.

Giant Ledge is a cliff located in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Panther Mountain is located north of Giant Ledge. A 6.3 mile in and out trail is accessible from the Giant Ledge trailhead which provides access to both mountains and their peaks.

Table Mountain is located in Ulster County, New York. The mountain is part of the Catskill Mountains. Table Mountain is flanked to the south by Peekamoose Mountain, and to the northeast by Lone Mountain. The east end of Table Mountain drains into Rondout Creek, thence into the Hudson River, and into New York Bay. The south side of Table Mtn. drains into Bear Hole Brook, thence into Rondout Creek. The west end of Table Mtn. drains into Tray Mill Brook, thence into the East Branch of the Neversink River, the Delaware River, and into Delaware Bay. The north side of Table Mtn. drains into Donovan Brook, thence into the East Branch of the Neversink. Table Mountain is within the Slide Mountain Wilderness of New York's Catskill State Park. The Long Path, a 350-mile (560 km) long-distance hiking trail from New York City to Albany, crosses the summits of Peekamoose and Table.