Some say it’s the Toughest, most Dangerous Hiking Trail in the east. We set out on a backpacking trip to find out how tough the Devil’s Path trail really is.

Set in New York’s Catskill Mountains, the Devil’s Path is a 24.6 mile long end to end hike on steep, rocky terrain with around 8,500 feet of elevation gain and and 9,000 feet of elevation loss.

The mountain range that the Devil’s Path traverses is basically one large plateau with a handful of deep notches carved into it. The result? Almost all of the elevation change is crammed into a handful of 1 mile or less stretches, with little to no distance in between each ascent and descent. Scrambles, loose rock and mazes of gnarly roots add to the challenge.

Myself, Kyle from the Trail Tails Podcast and Flossy packed up our backpacks with some tents and hammocks and hit the trail on a midAugust morning to find out if this hiking trail would live up to it’s devilish reputation. (Gear list at bottom)

Kyle’s Podcast https://trailtalespod.com

For an easier read & GPS data:
https://www.sintax77.com/backpacking...

There are 5 Major Summits (Catskill 35ers) on this hike

Indian Head Mountain 3,573′
Twin Mountain 3,652′
Sugar Loaf Mountain 3,806′
Plateau Mountain 3,840′
West Kill Mountain 3,880′

Starting Trailhead Used (East): Platcove Trailhead
Prediger Trail Road, Elka Park, NY 12427

Accessible parking lot with room for a decent amount of cars, but it does fill up by early morning on weekends.

Trails Used, Day 1

Follow the red plastic trail markers for the Devils Path.
At the Mink Hollow intersection (mile 8) take the spring side trail for water.
Continue on the DP trail
Grab water near Devil’s Acre Leanto
Continue for 1/4 mile
To the left there will be a herd path to Southwest Hunter Mountain (Leavitt Peak)
After a tenth of a mile you’ll find some nice campsites on the right side of the herd path. Note: The left side of the herd path is just above 3500′ & not legal to camp on.

Day 1 Mileage: 14.5 miles
Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 6,694'
Day 2 Gross Descent: 5,205'

Trails Used, Day 2

Head back out on the SW Hunter herd path
Continue west on the Devil’s Path trail.
Keep following those red discs until you arrive at the Devil’s Path Western Trailhead on Spruceton Rd.

Day 2 Mileage: 10.1 miles
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 2,210'
Day 2 Gross Descent: 3,968'

Grand Total Mileage: 24.6 Miles
Grand Total Gross Elevation Gain: 8,904'
Grand Total Gross Descent: 9,173'

Ending Trailhead Used (West): Spruceton Road Trailhead
1589 County Rd 6, West Kill, NY 12492

Check out Kyle’s YouTube Channel    / @kylehateshiking  

Notable Backpacking Gear:

ULA Ohm 2.0 Backpack https://www.ulaequipment.com/product...
Dutchware Pack Cover https://dutchwaregear.com/product/wat...
Dutchware Gear HalfWit Hammock https://dutchwaregear.com/product/hal...
Dutchware Whoopie Hook hammock suspension w/ kevlar tree straps. https://dutchwaregear.com/product/who...
Hammock Gear Burrow 40 Top Quilt https://www.hammockgear.com/premiumb...
HG Phoenix 40 Underquilt https://hammockgear.com/premiumphoen...
Dutchware Folding Sit Pad https://dutchwaregear.com/product/fol...
Hammock Gear Dyneema Hex Tarp https://www.hammockgear.com/dyneemaf...
DIY Cat Can Alcohol Stove
Light My Fire Mini Fire Steel Striker https://amzn.to/30S3rxm
Vargo Windscreen Pot Stand https://amzn.to/2M3uRuG
Toaks 750ml Titanium Pot https://amzn.to/2GR7AJX
Sea to Summit Long Handled Spork https://go.magik.ly/ml/v9xv/
Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets https://amzn.to/2EMQDSA
Outdoor Research Helium III Rain Jacket https://amzn.to/2BiSnB1
Outdoor Research Helium III Rain Pants https://amzn.to/2MkuI5F
Outdoor Vitals Satu Adventure Pants https://satuadventurepantscomfort....
La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Runners https://amzn.to/3hyKrMi
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp https://amzn.to/2YVsp0A
Casio ProTrek FR30 Smartwatch https://amzn.to/3dtY7Xj
Mountain House Southwest Breakfast Hash https://amzn.to/3gHedx8
Korean Coffee Sticks https://amzn.to/2VXijcS

Camera & Nav Gear:

GoPro Hero 8 Black https://amzn.to/2D8n6lL
GoPro Shorty Tripod Grip https://amzn.to/2MPhGOM
128GB Sandisk Extreme Memory Card https://amzn.to/2YWsFIB
Garmin Oregon 650 GPS unit https://amzn.to/2WFzsps
Spot Gen3 GPS Messenger & SOS device https://amzn.to/2EJLQhC

FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links.

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