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The view from the Giant Ledge is absolutely amazing! I went mid October and the fall colors were beautiful. There are several ledges, although most people crowd on the first ledge. Continue hiking and you’ll pass atleast 5 or 6 more ledges/lookout points that have the same exceptional view.
Parking is tight. You can park on the road but it does fill up quick even on a week day. The hiking trail itself was easy, it did get steep at some points but manageable. Might be hard for beginners who do not have much experience with hiking.
Amazing view! If your looking for a view this is the place. Skill level is difficult but hey, if you determined you can 🏁, I'm not active and it was amazing workout, that didn't kill me, lol. Not for most kids under 7 but if you have adventurous kids that love climbing this might be the place. My 5yr old and 9yr old get bored with flat hikes, we have to do the difficult level they finished without a problem took us 5hr to and from. Without kids like 4hrs.
I've been to better ledges and the route is way too crowded esp in the time of covid.
The hike is pretty straight forward and easy for beginners and everyone's target are one of those 5 ledges that stick out with amazing views I've been here many times but these days it seems impossible to even walk onto the ledge.
The Giant Ledge Trail and Overview is located off of Oliverea Road near Big Indian in the Catskills.
The trail takes you on a hike through dense woodland leading to a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the Slide Mountain Wilderness in the Catskills mountians.
The trail ranges from moderate to challenging in sections as the gradient changes and the surface is VERY ROCKY! Its the type of trail where you spend a lot of your time looking down to make sure that your footing is good due to the uneven surfaces! The trail is well marked with the colour signs on the trees along the trail and it is worth noting that there is a trail "log in" book at the begining of the Giant Ledge Trail Head near the carpark.
I cannot stress how important that this is to jot down your name and check IN and check OUT! It may just save your life! They should have these on all trails in my opinion!
The trail took us just over 4 miles and a total moving time of 2 and a half hours to complete the round trip. This is not including breaks on the trail and a well earned break at the view point.
The view point is really worth the effort as you can see for miles and it was really nice to just listen to the birds and just enjoy the forested mountain tops! Be aware of the animals though as I came across a snake at the top but I am not sure if it was dangerous or not.
I would advise good footwear such as boots that braces your ankles. This is coming from someone that has rolled their ankle on many trail.
We did see a lot of people on the trail in just sneakers however, I would not advise it. And we seen a few people attempt it in jeans which must have been tough going in the heat and with the gradient of the trail.
There is a carpark at the trail head however it is limited as a lot of people attempt this trail so be there early! There are spaces along the road if there are no spaces are available.
Highly recommend this trail if you are in the Big Indian area of Ulster County NY!
Absolutely a great spot for a Catskill sunrise! A little tricky walking up in the dark with a headlight but manageable. The distance from the parking lot to the ledge isn't that far.
