North Point Loop (sort of)

▶️ Play North Point Loop Hike, Catskills Park, New York

We are walking slowly along the Mary’s Glen Trail after slogging about 1.3 miles on the Rock Shelter Trail. The footing is tough because of the roots, rocks, mud, and leaf coverage. Here we are making a steady climb, the bulk of the 500 feet ascent, towards North Point. As usual Mom takes a fine photo.

--October 14, 2021 at 12:16 PM. Catskill, New York, United States.

From our Air B&B house in Athens, New York we drove about 50 minutes to the trailhead located just outside of the North South Campground on Schutt Road (seen it spelled Scutt Road as well). The weather was going to be warm but cloudy so our chances for brilliant views were not that great. We really had no idea what to expect from the hike. The guidebook classified it as moderate and said it would take about 3.5 hours to hike the 5.5 miles of the whole loop. A good hike for our first day. Things would turn out differently for us.

The Rock Shelter Trail starts out with some lovely boardwalk crossing flowing water and no doubt plenty of mud. Once you leave the boardwalk you quickly find yourself walking amongst numerous rocks and roots paying attention to where you step avoding the sucking mud. If you are sure-footed and possess normal vision you probalby won’t have trouble maintaining a 1.5MPH pace to achieve the suggested hiking time. We did not come close to managing that lofty speed. Toss in the fact that the leaf coverage obscures the trail and tings get tougher still. Were I hiking this loop alon I have no doubt my speed would have been considerably below 1.0MPH. AFter all, I don’t think we managed 1.0MPH over the just under 4 miles of trail we did hike (our last mile, coveraging miles 4 to 5, was on a paved road).

This waterfall is, I think, flowing into Ashley Creek. We are turning off the Escarpment Trail onto the Mary’s Glen Trail to head down towards the paved road that serves the North South Campground.

--October 14, 2021 at 2:54 PM.Catskill, New York, United States.

There are quite a few trails that you can access from outside the campground and more still that you can reach from within the campground (though you must pay a day-use fee). I suspect the footing on most of them is comparable but I also suspect we did not see the best views or most notable sights. What we did encounter was pretty varied and certainly mae an impression but if you are looking to make good speedy time perhaps this isn’t the best set of trails to achieve that goal unless your balance is good and your strong in mind and body.

Dad and I taking a break just beyond the waterfall I shot in the previous picture. Photo by Judy.

--October 14, 2021 at 3:03 PM. Catskill, New York, United States.