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Catamount Mountain – A trail for the rock-scrambling enthusiast

Catamount mountain sits by itself above the plains and lakes north and east of Whiteface mountain. The views from the summit are expansive, and include Whiteface, Taylor Pond, Union Falls Pond and even Vermont on a clear day.  

This is not a trail for the faint of heart.   First, it is not that easy to find.   One can take the highway to the Whiteface Auto road out of Wilmington, and continue on the rougher county road (right) encountered just before the auto road entrance station. At the bottom of the hill, take the first right, right at the next T intersection, and then you will see the mountain across the meadow as you drive a little north of east. The trailhead (on the left going east) is marked by red paint on the trees and a wide place on both sides of the road to park.  

Second, the trail gets progressively steeper as you go, culminating with a climb through a chimney (shown to the right). After that you scramble up more rock onto the nose of the spur.   This is followed by a scramble, not well marked, up and across to the summit ridge. The ascent from the road is about 1540 feet over 1.8 miles. Since the first about 0.7 miles is nearly flat, the rest of the trail is pretty much all up hill.

 

By walking around on the summit, views in all directions are available. The terrain below and the hills to the north show a variety not often seen in the High Peaks. This picture is a view of Taylor Pond which is north of Catamount.

If you have adventure in your heart, this is a great peak on a clear, sunny day.  

NOTE: For a more complete description of the trail, please see ADK's (guide to) ADIRONDACK TRAILS - High Peaks Region 13th Edition, pp 157-158.

Hope you have a great hike!
Bob Goodwin

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