The Palmer Hill Trail is the third trail created by the Catskill Mountain Club, and the second in partnership with the NYC DEP.
The trail, which was designed, built and will be maintained by the Catskill Mountain Club, features spectacular views for most of its 3.7 mile length. The trailhead is located just off Route 28 between Margaretville and Andes (2 miles from downtown Andes and 9 miles from Margaretville), with parking available at the existing scenic overlook site on Finkle Road.
It’s a really special hike – glorious views, extensive stone walls and old foundations, and vast open sky — truly an unusual Catskill trail. The trail meanders through open meadows with beautiful views of forested lands, productive apple trees and historic stone walls. It passes over Bryant’s Brook and also features excellent views of many of the Catskill High Peaks, including Balsam, Eagle, Doubletop, Graham, Balsam Lake, and the Dry Brook Ridge.
An interpretive sign identifying the peaks was created by the Town of Andes with the help of the NYS DEC and paid for with a generous donation from an Andes resident.
The trail is comprised of the .6 mile segment leading to the old farm homestead and barn foundation (1.2 miles round trip), plus the 1 mile Upper Meadow Loop and the 1.5 mile Lower Meadow Loop. Both offer serenity and wonderful views. A map of the trail is below.
The trailhead is located on Finkle Road, just off Route 28 in between Andes and Margaretville. Driving directions to the Palmer Hill Trail as well as the Shavertown Trail and Andes Rail Trail can be found here.
Click here for a full size map. Free GPS enabled maps for the iPhone and Android devices are available at the Avenza Map store (the Avenza PDF map app is also free). Learn more, or view, download or print the map here.
