To our hikers:

The 2017 hiking schedule can be found at: http://mths.org/hikes.html or by selecting the Hikes link under the Interpret section in the side menus. As always, hikes are subject to change. Please check this site just prior to the date of any scheduled hike.

Thanks to the Kaaterskill Rail Trail Facebook Page for posting this notice.

Please everyone stay on the marked trail, do not cut across the private land to access the trail from MTHS. Please follow Trail up North Lake Road to Featherbed down to the rail trail.
The last section is in the process of being acquired by the Mountain Top Historical Society however it is still PRIVATE LAND, please respect the private land owners and their property.
The grand opening for the new final section connecting Kaaterskill Falls with the MTHS Campus will be opening on May 20th- more details to follow.
Thank you everyone for you help and cooperation in this matter.

The Mountain Top Historical Society Presents Hikefest 3 as part of the Catskills Lark in the Park.

On Saturday, October 8, 2016 the Mountain Top Historical Society will be just the place to begin your Lark in the Park!  This year we’ll be offering a choice of five hikes.

Two longer, more challenging hikes will be meeting at the MTHS campus at 8:00 a.m.

Hike #1 Kaaterskill High Peak
Difficult: 7 miles, 2,500’ ascent
Leaders: Tom and Anna Martone

A special Lark in the Park route to Kaaterskill High Peak from the north side. We'll see nice views to the Blackhead Range on our way up the north side to the summit of Kaaterskill High Peak. We'll take a short walk over to Hurricane Ledge to see awesome views of the Devil’s Path peaks and the Hudson Valley before returning the way we came.

Hike #2 Three Waterfalls and Poet's Ledge
Difficult: 5.9 miles
Leaders: Jim Gebhard and Paul Martin
A special Lark in the Park route hiking the Long Path past three dramatic waterfalls: Buttermilk,Wildcat and Viola. A short out and back to an awesome view from Poet's Ledge before winding our way down to Palenville. Our special Lark in the Park route will ensure that gravity is our friend as we will be hiking downhill throughout most of the hike.

Two groups will be offered a more moderate hike and will be meeting at the MTHS campus at 9:00 a.m.

Hike #3 Kaaterskill Falls, Layman's Monument, Council Bluff and Sunset RockModerate to difficult 3 miles with an elevation change of 700 ft.
Leader: Bob Gildersleeve

A vigorous climb alongside one of the highest and most famous waterfalls in New York State followed by a wooded walk with views into Kaaterskill Clove.
Starting at the Molly Smith parking area on Route 23A, we will follow the trail past Bastion Falls and after a half mile walk to the base of Kaaterskill Falls climb the new 200-step stairway to the escarpment trail near the site of the Laurel House. Taking the blue-marked Escarpment Trail for approximately a half mile we will arrive at Layman's Monument erected to honor Frank Layman who perished in 1900 fighting a forest fire that threatened homes in Haines Falls and Twilight Park. From Layman's Monument we will continue uphill passing a fine lookout known in the 19th century as Council Bluff and on to other vistas into Kaaterskill Clove including one now called Sunset Rock and on to the original Sunset Rock, now often called Inspiration Point. With a little backtracking, we will arrive at an old carriage road and follow it back to the site of the Laurel House where we will have some cars waiting to take us back to the MTHS campus. Note that possible construction in the area of Kaaterskill Falls may require some modifications of this walk.  

Bob Gildersleeve is an MTHS Board Member and the author of Catskill Mountain House Trail Guide.  He is a frequent and knowledgeable hiking guide in this area.

Hike #4:  This group will follow the same itinerary as Hike #3.  Hike leader: Jeff Senterman.

For Hike #5 we have lined up an easy hike which will also meet at the MTHS campus at 9:00 a.m.  The hike, led by Pete Senterman Will explore the area of Colgate Lake in East Jewett. It should be a great opportunity to enjoy and photograph the now peak Autumn leaves.

All of the hikers will meet at the MTHS campus in the KRT parking lot and car pool to the various trail heads for the hikes.  The hikes are designed to return to the MTHS campus at around noon for lunch.
Lunch will be hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill with all the fixings including salads, cold drinks and dessert.  Doug Senterman has graciously agreed to be our Grillmaster.  The cost per person for lunch is $10, reservations required.
After lunch, at 1:30 p.m. in our U&D Train Station, Mike Callan of the DEC will present an update on the Kaaterskill Falls Projects.  Hear the inside scoop on those great stone steps, the viewing platform and the bridge that is currently under construction.

We welcome hikers and those interested in hiking or in the beauty of the Catskill Park to join us for a hike, lunch, the presentation and good company as part of the 2016 Lark in the Park.
Hikers must register and indicate which hike they are registering for.  Hiking groups will be limited to 12 participants.  You must register by 3:00 p.m. on October 5th.   MTHS does not require membership for hike participation. We do however request that you register for each hike. Participants can register at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling (518) 589-6657. Please leave your name, phone number, and total in your party. Schedule subject to change. The latest information is available on our website http://www.mths.org. Notification of changes, including cancellations due to weather will be made on the web site up to the day of any given hike.

Mountain Top Historical Society 2017 Hike & Event Schedule

Check our website as the hikes & events that interest you approach.
See entry for May 20 for news on the Kaaterskill Rail Trail

April 15 (Sat) Overlook Mountain Led by Bob Gildersleeve. The Overlook Mountain House had three incarnations and was considered comparable in views and location to the Catskill Mountain House.; Trails around the Hotel featured outlooks and romantic locations such as Turtle Rock, Lover's Cave, and the Duke's Profile. We plan to explore the area and the concrete shell of the last hotel. Meet 9:00 am at the Municipal Parking Lot at Route 212 and Rock City Road Woodstock, NY. Return around 4:00 pm. Bring lunch, water, and appropriate hiking shoes. Register by calling MTHS at (518) 589-6657 (leave name, phone number # in party) or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

April 29 (Sat) Saugerties Lighthouse and Walkway over the Hudson The Saugerties Lighthouse [http://www.saugertieslighthouse.com/ http://www.saugertieslighthouse.com/] is located on land jutting out into the Hudson and gives the feeling of being in the center of the river. The trail and Lighthouse area will allow us to view the river and give a nice view of the Catskill Mountains. From the Lighthouse we will drive south to The Walkway over the Hudson for another Hudson River view. Difficulty: Easy with little or no climb and the opportunity to walk at the pace most comfortable to you. Register by calling MTHS at (518) 589-6657 (leave name/phone number/# in party) or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Meet at 9:00 am at the Thruway parking area across from the Southbound Thruway entrance on Route 32 (Exit 20 Saugerties-Woodstock).

May 6 (Sat) MTHS Clean-up Day The Mountain Top Historical Society will emerge from its annual winter hibernation into the sunlight of another exciting season of hikes, programs, and special events.  Beginning at 9:00 a.m. we will be staging groups of willing workers around the Haines Falls campus to clear the cobwebs and clutter of winter.  Please plan to join us.  It is an opportunity for you to get to know more about the MTHS and to meet other community members who are involved in keeping things moving forward.  A thorough cleaning needs to be done in the Visitors' Center, in the Train Station, and around the grounds.  The more volunteers we have there, the quicker the chores will be completed.  Check out the 2017 schedule of events on our website: www.mths.org and come out to help us prepare on May 6. Looking forward to seeing you then and throughout the summer.

May 20 (Sat) Spring Fling - Opening of the expanded Kaaterskill Rail Trail Hiking the Kaaterskill Rail Trail since it opened on June 1, 2013 has meant taking a detour from the MTHS parking lot out to Osborn Road to North Lake Road and then south on Featherbed Lane to re-join the KRT about ¾ mile from the Railroad Station.
Now, on Saturday, May 20, 2017, there will be another community celebration beginning at 10:30 a.m. This time we will mark the end of the detour and the opening of the missing link with a few speeches, a ribbon cutting, and a beautiful, delicious cake. Walkers and hikers will be able to enter the KRT along the old train route just east of the MTHS' historic Railroad Station. Read details here.

June 10 (Sat) Presentation by author/publisher Nick Lyons -- Reminiscing about the Laurel House, fishing in South Lake and Lake Creek and fly-fishing in the Catskills -- Nick Lyons is a well-known and well-respected Catskills fisherman. He began fishing during the summers he spent as a boy at the Laurel House which was owned by his grandfather Louis Bernstein and operated by his uncle and aunt Nathan and Sadie Bernstein between 1929 and 1953. 7:00 p.m. at U&D Train Station  We had a very nice afternoon sharing with Nick the information that MTHS has about the Laurel House during the period from 1929 to 1953 when his family owned the property. Nick's evening presentation was exceptionally well received -- interesting, humorous, and warm. He brought his experiences at the Laurel House to life and gave us an appreciation of the sport of fly fishing.

June 17 (Sat.) Colgate Lake - Hike and Presentation At a brunch beginning at 9:00 am in the U&D Railroad Station, Gerry Loucks of the Eastkill Valley Historical Association will share photos, maps and information about the Colgate family and their connection to East Jewett. The presentation/brunch will be followed at 11:30 am by a hike in the area around Colgate Lake led by Pete Senterman and Moe Lemire. Reservations required for the bunch ($10.00) by Wednesday, June 14th. Register for the hike by calling MTHS at (518) 589-6657 (leave name/phone number/# in party) or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

July 8 (Sat) Giant Ledge Discovery Hike with Paul Misko. Join us for a hike to a fantastic view up Giant Ledge. Along the way learn about some local history, hear some great stories, and see some critters. Bring lunch, drinks, rain jacket, and wear good hiking shoes. NO DOGS ​please. Level of difficulty; Moderate, about 5 miles total, with some steep and rocky places. Meet at 9:45 a.m. at the Giant Ledge trail head parking area, located on Rt. 47, about 7.4 miles south of Rt. 28 in Big Indian. Register with Paul at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also register by calling MTHS at (518) 589-6657 (leave name/phone number/# in party).

July 14 (Fri) Presentation on Women’s Suffrage – Johanna Titus - 7pm Twilight Park Clubhouse The Centennial of Women’s Suffrage in New York: The Keystone of the Women’s Rights Movement Join author and MTHS Board Member, Johanna Titus, for an historic prospective of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Beginning with Seneca Falls and defining an often chaotic trail, women’s suffrage in New York was not successful until it became both local and inclusive. Many full and part-time residents of Greene County were vital to the effort of establishing not only women’s suffrage in New York, but also the passage of the 19^th Amendment, and advancement of Women’s Rights. Some of those women are remembered and celebrated in this short discourse.

July 29 (Sat) Rip Van Winkle Hikers - All Along the Escarpment the Rip Van Winkle Hikers will explore the Catskills Escarpment, the eastern edge of the dissected Catskill plateau overlooking the Hudson Valley, with several coordinated hikes designed to suit a wide range of abilities and interests. Hikes will include: Escarpment Highlights at North South Lake (5 miles), Acra Point Loop (5.2 miles) and Traverse from Black Dome Valley to North South Lake (12-14 miles). Hikers will meet at the MTHS campus in Haines Falls at 8:30 am, to sign in, form carpools, and fan out All Along the Escarpment for a fun-filled day in the Northeastern Catskills. Register by calling MTHS at (518) 589-6657 (leave name/phone number/# in party) or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Aug. 12 (Sat) Thacher State Park NYS Museum geologist Chuck Ver Straeten and Thacher Park naturalist Nancy Engel will co-lead a 3 hour hike through John Boyd Thacher State Park in Voorheesville. Meet in the Thatcher Park Visitors Center parking area, at 10:30 a.m. for an 11:00 a.m. start. The hike will begin with a walk through the visitors’ center and then follow follow the Indian Ladder Trail and Mine Lot Creek through scenic glens, past impressive sinkholes, and other beautiful views and geological features. Bring a lunch, water and wear good hiking shoes. NO dogs please. Register by calling MTHS at (518) 589-6657 (leave name/phone number/# in party) or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Update on parking: Thatcher Park has reinstated a $6.00 per car parking fee.

Aug. 18 (Fri) Historical Trivia Quiz by Paul Misko Enjoy learning some little known facts about local history as contestants match wits with each other and the host. Stay afterward for dessert and informal history chatter. 7 p.m. at the U&D Train Station

Aug. 26 (Sat)

Rip's Country Bazaar
Saturday August 26th
10 am to 5 pm

Mountain Top Historical Society Campus

Route 23A, Haines Falls

Fun for the Whole Family!
ANTIQUES, CRAFTS, FLEA MARKET
OVER 35 VENDORS

Live Music: 77^th Regimental Balladeers
Food -- Open Archives
Ulster & Delaware Railroad Exhibit
Children's Activities

Sept. 9 (Sat.) Hudson River Ramble - Indian Head Mountain. Join New York State Licensed guide Moe Lemire on a loop hike up and over Indian Head Mountain. This hike will take place on September 9th. Meet at the parking area at the end of Prediger Road off of route 16. This loop hike is a total of 6.25 miles from start to finish. Ascending up to the summit of Indian Head Mountain at an elevation of 3573 then descending This is a moderate to difficult hike climbing up and over ledges and some boulders. Please wear sturdy foot wear. Bring a bagged lunch as we will be eating lunch on the southern view point. This hike offers several views of the valley, Platte Clove, Kaatterskill High Peak, Round Top as well as the old Police Camp which is now the Platte Clove Community. Remember to bring plenty of water, rain gear and a warm layer in case of cool weather on top. This hike will take place rain or shine. Register by calling MTHS at (518) 589-6657 (leave name/phone number/# in party) or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sept. 16 (Sat) 6^th Annual Postcard Show – 10 a.m. to 3p.m. @ the U&D Train Station. Food will be available. The MTHS will also be selling ephemera from its attic in a special sale. A $3.00 entry fee will be charged at the door.

Sept. 22 (Fri) Presentation by Carolyn Bennett – Pratt’s Five Wives – 7 pm @ U&D Train Station. A unique look at the role of women and the struggle for women’s suffrage from the Colonial period through the 19^th century through the lives of Congressman Zadock Pratt Jr.’s five wives, Esther Dickerman, Beda Dickerman, Abigail Watson, Mary Watson and Susie Grimm. This is also the theme of the Zadock Pratt Museum’s 2017 exhibit, which will contain quilts, period clothing & jewelry, kitchen and cleaning items, magazines, books, paintings, etc.

Oct. 7 (Sat) 4^th Annual Hikefest - Kaaterskill Rail Trail and the Falls. Exciting things are happening since we explored the Rail Trail and Falls last year. Plans for our contribution to the Lark in the Park will develop and be announced as the highly anticipated changes come in to clearer view. Register by calling MTHS at (518) 589-6657 (leave name/phone number/# in party) or by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MTHS does not require membership for hike participation. We do however request that you register for each hike. Participants can register on our [http://www.mths.org/contact-mths.html contacts page] or by calling (518) 589-6657. Please leave your name, phone number, and # in your party. Schedule subject to change. The latest information is available on our web site [http://www.mths.org/undefined/ http://www.mths.org]. Notification of changes, including cancellations due to weather will be made on the web site up to the day of any given hike.

As we plan programs and hikes for the 2016 season, we are looking at a need for volunteers to help us keep our Haines Falls campus looking as pristine as it has looked for the past 20 year.
The Mountain Top Historical Society is looking for someone to serve as a co-chair of the building and grounds committee. This is a volunteer, working foreman position. One does not need to be an MTHS board member to fill this position. Board member, Nancy Allen, has already volunteered to be co-chair of this committee. She is interested in the groundskeeping tasks and is hoping to find someone to work with her as a regular inspector of our buildings and facilities with an eye toward maintaining the buildings and staying ahead of any problems.

Dick Haines, who has filled this position for many years, since we first acquired our Haines Falls home, has decided to hang up his lopping shears and turn over the keys to the John Deere. Dick has done an awesome job over the years, keeping the campus looking great and maintaining the buildings on a shoestring budget. He has offered to mentor the new chairpersons and help out as he is needed.
With Dick's help we have created a job description. There is a lot involved in keeping up the property, but we have been building a core group of volunteers who are available to help regularly. It is the job of the co-chairs to coordinate the volunteers and keep the board apprised of buildings and grounds needs.

In addition to looking for a co-chair to work with Nancy Allen, we are always looking for volunteers to help with the tasks of mowing, trimming, clearing sticks and branches.
If you can give a few hours a week or a few hours a month, we welcome the help.

To volunteer or if you'd like more information, please e-mail the director at from our contact page.

Thank you!

Mountain Top Historical Society 2017 Hike Schedule

Check our website as the hikes & events that interest you approach.

Walk back in time on one of our popular hikes through the High Peaks of the Catskills. These were America's first hiking trails whose beauty was immortalized in the novels of James Fenimore Cooper and romanticized in the poetry of William Cullen Bryant. The breathtaking views seen along these trails today were first captured in the 19th century by the premiere artists of the Hudson River School of art, our country's uniquely American school of landscape painting.

MTHS hikes are conducted by volunteers knowledgeable about the area and include historical narrative and insider information, the result of years of study about the area’s trails, overlooks and historic sites. Robert Gildersleeve, author of the Catskill Mountain House Trail Guide, is a frequent hike leader. Bob Titus, the Catskill Geologist and author of The Catskills: A Geological Guide, leads a few hikes every season as well.

The trails, the views and the history are still here, preserved by New York State's designation of the Catskills as lands to remain forever wild. A walk through the woods with MTHS makes the past come alive for those who are adventurous and want to see and hear the story of America's first wilderness for themselves. All hikes are free and the public is invited. Please wear proper hiking attire and boots (no sneakers!), pack a lunch, don't forget rain gear or sunscreen, and bring plenty of water.

August 25, 2015

The Mountain Top Historical Society owes thank yous to more people than we can possibly name in a single letter!  Please accept these thanks by category and know that we are thanking each one of you as individuals.  For a successful Local History Day on August 15th at the MTHS campus in Haines Falls, thank you to all of the dedicated volunteers from all of the local historical associations who spent the day sharing their expertise with the people who came by.  Thank you to the vendors, the people who donated food, the Twilight Park Day Camp counselors, the members of the Board of the MTHS, the MTHS program committee, the Mt. Top Arboretum, the Patchworkers, the volunteers in our Visitors' Center, and the volunteers who cleaned up at the end of the day.  Thank you to Larry Tompkins and to the trustees from Sheriff Seeley's program that provides help to not-for-profits.  They are the ones who prepped the barn for the big day.  Jay Fink and Patti Morrow anchored the WRIP broadcast from the train station,.  Carver Blanchard stopped by to share some music with us.  Mike Ryan did a great job ofdocumenting the proceedings.  Thank you Jay, Patti, Carver, and Mike.  Thanks to Todd Whitley and Draga Susanj for bringing the Calico Indian Showdown to the our place.Thank you to everyone who came by and listened to presentations, made donations, and purchased food and 50/50 raffle tickets.  It was a true community event! 

Thank you all!
Cyndi LaPierre President, MTHS