Long Path, NY.

[mykl]

Has anyone ever through hiked this trail? I've been thinking about it, doing some research and recently got a book about it. Seems like a lot of town walking and not a lot of places to make camp. Any reviews/opinions?

[sasquatch2014]

Has anyone ever through hiked this trail? I've been thinking about it, doing some research and recently got a book about it. Seems like a lot of town walking and not a lot of places to make camp. Any reviews/opinions?

Don't know as much about it as I should. I crossed it in Harriman and I know that most if not all of it south of this point is very difficult to camp almost all requires town stops/motels or stealth.

[mykl]

I hear a lot of it north of Harriman is no better. The Harriman section is very cool though.

[Appalachian Tater]

I have hiked it from the GW bridge up to Wurtsboro. That section is very easy but interesting although not very far from roads and houses. Not an obnoxious amount of actual roadwalking if you take the alternate route over the A.T.

You can find easily find places to stealth if your tent isn't orange and you plan ahead. A couple of times I was very near the path but far enough off that joggers and walkers didn't notice me although I would see or hear them. There were no other real hikers that I saw, just people trailrunning or climbing up for a view.

There are a lot of interesting things such as the Palisades with the great view, old ruins, High Point monument, Basha Kill, some unique microclimates, cemeteries, etc. plus there are places to eat and resupply so you don't have to carry too much food. There was actually a good bit of wildlife including turkeys as well as the usual deer, turtles, snakes, squirrels, chipmunks, birds, etc. Basha Kill was teeming with reptiles and birds--even if you don't do the Long Path, that is a nice day hike.

Warning, the post office in one spot returned my drop because they didn't know what "general delivery" is and apparently couldn't or didn't read the very specific instructions about holding it for a hiker so they just sent it back.

Water is a little hard to come by at times and I ended up sneaking it out of spigots from businesses in the evening and from an empty house for sale. At one point I was ready to knock on doors and ask for water or just take it if nobody was home. The trail was a little hard to find at times--it is not a superhighway like the A.T. and the maps in the guidebook and a compass definitely came in handy.

I didn't finish because the ticks were way out of control on the overgrown path and it was a dry heat spell during the summer; I had planned to start early in the spring but got held up by work.

Also you will go right by deerstands on hunting club land so be careful if it is during season.

After Wurtsboro I don't know anything you don't already know if you bought the guide book.

There also may be another thread or two here on the Long Path, I think I have said pretty much what I said here before but I'm too lazy to look.

[Bigglesworth]

Has anyone ever through hiked this trail? I've been thinking about it, doing some research and recently got a book about it. Seems like a lot of town walking and not a lot of places to make camp. Any reviews/opinions?

If you plan to do it, I live pretty close to Middleburgh/West Fulton and could get you to resupply/food/shower if I'm around when you are hiking. PM me well in advance (I'm not on here a ton) if you 'set dates' and need some help!

[stranger]

The Long Path is kinda a forced trail really, it was after all named after the Long Trail as some people (Raymond Torrey I believe) felt NY should have it's own long distance hiking trail back in the day...

Problem is that NY already has it's own long distance trail, the Finger Lakes Trail, which is now around 500 miles long, and much easier to thru-hike in terms of logistics. For a long hike in NY, I would strongly recommend either the Finger Lakes Trail or the Northville Lake Placid Trail, both are beautiful.

The Long Path has been thru-hiked, but who the hell wants to sleep next to a road or camp illegally all the time???

[Deb]

The Long Path section in the Catskill Park starting from Cherrytown Rd. to Vernooy Falls and then all the way up to Rt. 23 would be very challenging. I have done most of it as overnight or day hikes.

Catskill Park LP trails would be well maintained and marked for the most part.
Resupply would be difficult. Phoenecia and Palenville are the only two towns the trail runs through that have food/supplies.

The trail also goes through two DEC campgrounds, Woodland Valley and North/South lake, but there is nothing to buy there; there is not even a vending machine.

North of Rt. 23 is even more remote and there have been some problems in recent years with blowdowns and maintenance.

[Ender]

I always figured when I finally move out of NYC, that's how I'm going to leave. Just throw the backpack on and take the subway right to the Long Path.

[sasquatch2014]

I always figured when I finally move out of NYC, that's how I'm going to leave. Just throw the backpack on and take the subway right to the Long Path.

That's what Snake Pliskin would have done.

[Ender]

That's what Snake Pliskin would have done.

I thought he was dead.

[Snowleopard]

Has anyone ever through hiked this trail? I've been thinking about it, doing some research and recently got a book about it. Seems like a lot of town walking and not a lot of places to make camp. Any reviews/opinions?

Here's a little story of the first thru-hiker that completed it through the northern extension.
http://www.schoharie-conservation.or...lpn/hiker.html
The Catskill park part ought to be pretty nice. I've been on the escarpment trail north of Blackhead and that's pretty, especially the area around Blackhead, Black Dome, Thomas Cole. The section from route 23 along the ridge to Huntersfield Mountain also ought to be good.

I don't know about camping north of rte 23 -- it used to be all private land, but the state has bought a lot of land there. The groups that made this trail deserve a lot of credit. My parents used to live in Ashland on Rte 23, and many parts of the northern trail were not accessible. I'd ask the landowner for permission to cross their property to get up a mountain. The local people were great, always gave permission and had lemonade for you when you came back down. The rich vacation home owners were not so accommodating.

[LIhikers]

If my foot ever heals, I plan to use the Long Path as part of my route to Ohio. I live on Long island, NY and want to walk to my son's home in Ohio. The route will be to follow the Long Path north, to The Finger Lakes Trail west, to the North Country Trail west to Minerva, Ohio. I haven't figured out yet how I'll get from Minerva to Mansfield where my son lives.

[weather220]

I thru-hiked the Long Path last summer. I enjoyed it overall. But it is a very empty trail...here is absolutely no thru-hiking culture like the AT, or even the Long Trail or Northville-Placid Trail. According to the NY/NJ Trail Conference records, I am only thru-hiker #8. Besides the part in Harriman and along the AT (Harriman SP to High Point), I only saw other backpackers when I was in the Catskills; otherwise I would just see a few day hikers. While the trail is more conducive to section-hiking or day hikes, it is definitely doable as thru-hike. Stealth camping is very easy, and resupplying is generally not very difficult. A lot of road walks have been eliminated in recent years, and this was never a huge problem for me.

Yes, there are more road walks than the AT, but I rather enjoyed them. Most of them were in rural areas, walking on quiet roads along farmland.

I would recommend the Long Path, but you do have to up for an adventure (more so than doing the AT, for example). I can guarantee that you will get lost and curse the trail conditions, but overall it's a nice trip. I would budget a solid month for the trip. I did it in 28 days, but that was a bit rushed and I would've liked to spend up to a week longer on the trail.

I kept a journal at www.longbrownpath.com in case you're interested. If you decide to do it, send me an e-mail or PM, as I have some notes from the trail that could be helpful.

[Ender]

I kept a journal at www.longbrownpath.com in case you're interested. If you decide to do it, send me an e-mail or PM, as I have some notes from the trail that could be helpful.

Very cool. I look forward to reading about your trip!

[Snowleopard]

weather220, that's a really nice trip. "The Mayor's House" piece of your journal is great (funny). I'll read the rest later.

[LIhikers]

Weather220,
Great job on the web site describing the hike.
I sent you an e-mail through Whiteblze.

[A-Train]

I've done from NYC to Wurtsboro with a few sections in the Catskills. I've done most with day hikes, using public transportation. The opportunities without using a car are endless using Short Line and NJ transit, if you have the time and patience.

I'd like to hike this as a thru some day for more continuity, but I agree with most of the above. It's certainly got some highlights and charm (I really like the section near Piermont and Nyack) but overall it is a bit dull, and a lot of suburbia. I've only seen local joggers using the trail and hunters up north. I'd watch closely for ticks, I got a deer tick on me in mid-November near Piermont.

I'm looking forward to gaping some Catskills sections this year. Last year during mid-April I encountered impassable ice coming down Black Head mountain and had to turn back. Suprisingly scary!

[Appalachian Tater]

If my foot ever heals, I plan to use the Long Path as part of my route to Ohio.

I'm waiting on the North Country Trail to be complete enough to walk to the top of the lower peninsula of Michigan, at least, but you do realize all the yellow parts on this map are just proposed?

http://www.nps.gov/noco/planyourvisi...hure-map-1.pdf

It's got a long way to go!

[LIhikers]

I'm waiting on the North Country Trail to be complete enough to walk to the top of the lower peninsula of Michigan, at least, but you do realize all the yellow parts on this map are just proposed?

http://www.nps.gov/noco/planyourvisi...hure-map-1.pdf

It's got a long way to go!

Yes, I realize that.
Across NY's southern tier I'll be following The Finger Lakes Trail which will take me to the Allegeny National Forest, where the NCT is already certified. After that I'll follow the proposed route of the NCT into Ohio which will include a lot of road walking. At least that's how the maps look.

[Ender]

Finished reading your journal... sounds like it was a great trip!