View Full Version : overnite hike help Wittenberg-Slide mtn.new york
The Big J
10-01-2008, 11:14
Looking to do a overnite hike columbus weekend. A friend told me to look at the wittenberg-slide mtn. trail. The information I found does not help me much. Will the campground be open on friday the oct 10, ( i think its called woodvalley camp ground) might be wrong. I would drive up on friday and camp there. How long is the trail? Looking to park on the other side of slide Mtn.(recommendations)? Is there a nice campsite along the way for saturday night. What is water the water situation. Taking my girlfriend on her second overnite, any suggestions or help would be great. I am not set on this hike, open to other suggestions.
Thank you
Call the NYS DEC about the campsite. I can't speak to camping or water conditions from Tennessee.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/camping.html
I stayed atthe campground by Slide one fall when Hurricane Bertha rolled through. It's a beautiful area and a great hike.
The NY NJ Trail Conference sells maps for the trail.
Good luck!
Looking to do a overnite hike columbus weekend. A friend told me to look at the wittenberg-slide mtn. trail. The information I found does not help me much. Will the campground be open on friday the oct 10, ( i think its called woodvalley camp ground) might be wrong. I would drive up on friday and camp there. How long is the trail? Looking to park on the other side of slide Mtn.(recommendations)? Is there a nice campsite along the way for saturday night. What is water the water situation. Taking my girlfriend on her second overnite, any suggestions or help would be great. I am not set on this hike, open to other suggestions.
Thank you
That's a nice hike, and a good time of year. Cool temps, no bugs and fall colors. Easiest route to Slide is via the Curtis-Ormsbee trail. I see you're from South Jersey and this is your girlfriends second trip. There's lots of vertical and some rock scrambles, But you're young and in love so that shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Your best views are from the summits of Wittenberg and Slide. The view from Cornell is limited. Get a set of maps.
There's plenty of good information here:
http://www.catskill-3500-club.org/catskill-peaks/slide-mountain.htm
Blissful
10-01-2008, 13:42
Let me know how it works out - I want to do that hike again (I did it when I was a teen).
The Big J
10-01-2008, 13:53
Thanks for the information I am going to order the trail map from NY-NJ trail conference and check it out. I will keep you all posted.
camper10469
10-01-2008, 17:57
The Woodland Valley campground was booked full as of Aug for the Columbus weekend. You'd do much better if you camped on the trails.
Start at Rt 47 Slide PA, after the hairpin turn. While in the PA, see if you can find another hiker to help you spot the car at Woodland Valley. I generally get someone to help me within my first 10 minutes there. If you don't get to spot the car, then you'll have to hike out the way you came in.
Since you will be up there Fri, you can hike over Slide, get water just before going down the ladders at teh spring off to the left. About 1/2 mile down Slide, there are some nice level places off to the right of the trail to camp for the night. If you missed them, there is another place at the coll between Slide n Cornell on the right.
The next day you can hike over Cornell n Wittenburg either to the lean-to or find a nice level spot before the junction to Woodland Valley. We found some nice open rock areas there with sort of a view.
If you can find someone to spot a car for you, it'll save you the begging at the Woodland PA for a ride to rt47.
Maybe someone here is heading up that weekend willing to spot for ya?
Great area to hike and camp.
bustedchucks
10-03-2008, 12:52
There is another campground on Woodland Valley Rd. called Hide a way. Its is a private commercial campground, you could check there.
If you're going to be up there all weekend here is what I would reccomend.
Park at Woodland Valley on Sat. and hike up the Phoneica-East Branch to Giant Ledge and set up camp on Giant Ledge (~3.5 mi.) There will be a marked spring about .3 from Giant Ledge, fill up there. Then either hang out or go climb Panther, ~5 mi. roundtrip and return to camp. Campfires are permitted below 3500 feet so light a small one and drink some bourbon and go to bed early cause the sunrise for Giant Ledge is grand.
Sunday would be up and over Slide via and unmarked but well graded and broad woods road that can be found just past where you turned off for Giant Ledge. It is easy to find and marked in black dashes on the nynjtc map. This will bring you down to RT 47 just above Winnisook Lake and a rroad walk of a lil less than a mile to the trail head.
Back on to the P-E trail to either the Burroughs range trail or the Curtis Ormsbee. They meet up near the top of Slide. The C-O is way better in terms of views, but if you guys are pressed for time or are looking for an easier ascent take the Burroughs Range Trail.
The summit is ok, nice trees, not much views.
There is a way reliable spring shortly after leaving the summit on a REALLY steep trail, fill up here. Into the col where there are about 6 or so campsites. Try to take the easternmost, ie. nearest Cornell. Reason being is you want to get up and over Cornell and on to Wittenberg early. Wittenberg is fantastic for views but very popular and all those people who are the reason there are no sites at the campground and probably headed there. So get there before them, trust me it will be worth it to wake up early. You can eat breakfast on the summit.
Then its another ~3 mi. downhill to the car.
You have to pay a few bucks to park at the campground and if dont have nynjc maps you can pick them up in phoenicia or in campmor if you're coming up rt 17 in nj.
The noises you will hear in camp on night two aren't bears, they are porcupines, and they are bold and they will eat your boots, so be mindful of things laying about.
gonewalkabout
10-08-2008, 22:21
I've done this backpack many times. I recoman starting from Woodland Valley as you will have have more steep uphill than down which most mountaineers prefer. The total distance end to end is about 9.5 miles. Its a very tough backpack if you are not experienced. Camp in the Cole between slide and Cornel. There is water there if you hunt around on the south side of the coll. You may have to drop off a little. Plenty of campsites. when you climb up the next day there is a spring marked on the maps. If you hit the stone stairs back up andgo to the right and the spring is there. You can hike back to wooldland valley on mostly flat terrain from 47 however the days are short in October. enjoy its a great trip.
What you can expect to see up there:
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/7283/
Not my pics.
The Big J
10-09-2008, 10:18
It looks as if we might just be able to do an overnight Sun-Mon. I have to mate on a fishing charter Sat. You say the hike is eaiser Starting at slide and ending at woodland valley. If this is true would it be easy to get a ride from woodland valley campground to the trail head for Slide mtn. How far is from The trail head to the campsite's in the col. Since i would be leaving Jersey on Sun morning. I could do the hike to Giant Ledge and ten hike up to Panther like bustedchucks suggests. There is water near and might not be as croweded as the slide-wittenberg trail. I could also park at woodland valley and not have to worry about a ride to the trail head for slide-wittenberg. Thanks for the help.