Devil's Path - Indian Head

The Devil's Path earns its ominous name through relentless vertical gain and loss across a series of Catskill summits, and the Indian Head Mountain approach represents one of its most savage entry points, climbing 1,600 feet in under 2 miles on trail sections steep enough to require hands-on rock scrambling. Indian Head's summit at 3,573 feet sits on the northern escarpment of the Catskills, the dramatic west-facing wall that towers above the village of Tannersville and Haines Falls. The cliff edge at the summit drops away nearly vertically to the valley floor 2,000 feet below, providing some of the most dramatic exposure of any Catskill summit. The route ascends the east ridge through dense northern hardwood forest before breaking onto open ledges near the summit where wind-stunted pitch pines cling to thin soil above the cliff face. Devil's Acre, a small campsite below the summit, is accessible to backpackers with a Catskill 3500 Club camping permit. The full Devil's Path traverses seven Catskill peaks over 24 miles, considered by many hikers the hardest full-day hike in the eastern United States. The Indian Head section alone requires excellent physical fitness and sure footing on wet or icy rock surfaces.