Delaware Wild Forest

General information on hiking includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Touch-Me-Not Trail (approx. 6.5 miles, red markers): The Touch-Me-Not Trail extends between the Beech Hill Road Parking Lot at the west end of the trail and Alder Lake in the Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest to the east. The trail travels over Cabot Mountain, offering views from the Beaverkill Vista at 1.5 miles. The trail intersects with the Little Pond Trail and the Campground Trail, as well as connecting the Middle Mountain Trail to the west.

Little Pond Trail (approx. 1.5 miles, yellow markers): This yellow marked trail travels along the east shore of Little Pond and then ascends Cabot Mountain to the Touch-me-not Trail. Many campers from Little Pond Campground use this trail, Touch-me-not Trail and Campground Trail to create a rugged loop hike.

Campground Trail (1.1 miles, blue markers): This blue marked trail leaves Little Pond Campground and ascends 0.8 miles to the summit of Touch-me-not Mountain and 1.1 miles to the junction of the Touch-me-not Trail.

Middle Mountain Trail (2.3 miles, red markers): The Middle Mountain Trail extends from the Mary Smith Hill Road Parking Area to the west and extends to the Beech Hill Parking Area to the east. The trail passes over Middle Mountain (2,975 feet).

Mary Smith Hill Trail (4.3 miles, red markers): The trail extends from the Pelnor Hollow Trail east to the Mary Smith Hill Road Parking Lot. The trail passes the Holiday and Berry Brook Road Parking Lot and travels over Mary Smith Hill (2,767 feet).

Pelnor Hollow Trail (4.5 miles, blue markers): Pelnor Hollow Trail extends from the end of the rough dirt Pelnor Hollow Road up 1.0 miles to the Pelnor Hollow Lean-To. The trail continues to ascend, reaching the junction of the Mary Smith Hill Trail at 3.2 miles and makes a sharp turn westward. After a steep descent, the trail reaches the views from Split Rock Lookout at 3.4 miles. The Pelnor Hollow Trail ends at 4.5 miles at the junction of the Campbell Mountain Trail and Little Spring Brook Trail. The entirety of the trail is also a snowmobile trail and a small section of it from the Mary Smith Hill Trail to the end coincides with the Finger Lakes Trail.

Huggins Lake (1.7 miles): This unmarked trail utilizes an old woods road for a pleasant walk to the shore of Huggins Lake.

Little Spring Brook Trail (0.7 miles, yellow markers): This short trail travels 0.7 miles from the end of Little Spring Brook Road to the junction of the Campbell Mountain Trail and the Pelnor Hollow Trail. After 0.4 miles the trail passes a small pond. This trail has been damaged by multiple storms, but is still walkable.

Campbell Mountain Trail (approx. 6.25 miles, blue markers): The Campbell Mountain Trail travels from Campbell Mountain Road and at 1.2 miles reaches the junction of the Hog Hollow Trail. This is where the Finger Lakes Trail joins the Campbell Mountain Trail. At 1.4 miles a side trail on the right travels a short distance to the Campbell Mountain Lean-To. At 2.4 miles it crosses NY 206. There is some parking available here. At 3.4 miles reach a high point on Brock Mountain. At 4.7 miles reach the junction of the Miller Hollow Trail. At 6.25 miles reach the junction of the Pelnor Hollow Trail and Little Spring Brook Trail. The Campbell Mountain Trail coincides with the Finger Lakes Trail for most of its distance.

Trout Pond Trail (4.9 miles, blue): The Trout Pond Trail extends 2.8 miles from the Russell Brook Road Parking Lot to Campbell Mountain Road. The trail crosses Russell Brook on a bridge just past the trailhead. Russell Brook Falls is found just a short distance upstream. At 0.1 miles there is a trail register. At 0.9 miles the trail reaches the south shore of Trout Pond. At 1.4 miles there is a junction of side trails that lead to lean-tos, one to the north and the other to the west. From the pond the trail ascends more than 500 feet in elevation, then descends to cross Campbell Brook at 2.7 miles.

At 2.9 miles, the trail passes a gate and reaches Campbell Brook Road. The trail turns left and follows the road for just over 500 feet before turning right off the road past a DEC sign. The trail again ascends, then descends, up and down, crossing a stream before finally reaching a gate at Campbell Mountain Road at 4.9 miles. The trail straight ahead is the start of the Campbell Mountain Trail.

Mud Pond (4.5-mile loop, blue markers): The Mud Pond Trail creates a 4.5 mile loop with Russell Brook Road. From the Russell Brook Road Trailhead, the trail extends 1.4 miles to Mud Pond. At 1-mile the trail splits. To the north, the trail travels 1.9 miles to Trout Pond. The trail west is 0.4 miles to Mud Pond. From Mud Pond the trail extends south 1.6 miles to the end of Russell Brook Road. It is a 1.5 mile trip on Russell Brook Road Back to the parking lot.

Hog Hollow Trail (approx. 4.5 miles, red snowmobile markers): The Hog Hollow Trail extends from Park Hill Road - private road / Downsville to the Campbell Mountain Trail, and coincides with part of the Finger Lakes Trail. In the winter, the trail is a snowmobile corridor.

General information on backcountry camping includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Delaware Wild Forest features four lean-tos and two primitive campsites, Mud Pond/Russell Brook Falls and Big Pond. The Mud Pond, Trout Pond, Campbell Mountain, and Pelnor Hollow Trails all provide access to a lean-to.

At large primitive camping is allowed. Campsites must be at least 150 feet away from the nearest road, trail, or body of water. Camping for more than three nights or in groups of ten or more requires a permit from a Forest Ranger.

General information on boating includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations and lists of DEC boat launches by county.

Electric motors are allowed on Big Pond.

General information on paddling includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Big Pond features a hand launch.

General information on fishing includes how-to and safety tips and links to seasons, rules and regulations.

Trout Pond and Huggins Lake both feature brook trout. Big Pond features brown trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, sunfish, yellow perch and chain pickerel.

Public Fishing Rights are also held on the Beaver Kill off of NYS Route 17, south of the Delaware Wild Forest. For Public Fishing Rights (PFR) on the Beaver Kill, visit DECinfo Locator- Interactive Trout Stream Fishing Map (DECinfo Locator is best viewed on a desktop computer. Users are encouraged to visit the Trout Stream Fishing Map User Guide first for "how to" instructions on using the fishing map.)

East- Central NY Fishing provides information on fishing in the Catskills and links to top fishing waters, stocking lists, public fishing access and waters open to ice fishing listed by county.

Wildlife Management Unit: 4W

General information on hunting includes how-to and safety tips with links to seasons, rules and regulations.

Hunting is allowed during appropriate seasons, except where specifically prohibited by posted notice. The main game species and furbearers found on the property include deer, bear, beaver, bobcat, coyote, and fisher.

Wildlife Management Unit: 4W

General information on trapping includes how-to and safety tips with links to seasons, rules and regulations.

Trapping is allowed during appropriate seasons, except where specifically prohibited by posted notice. The main game species and furbearers found on the property include deer, bear, beaver, bobcat, coyote, and fisher.

General information on snowmobiling includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Delaware Wild Forest features four snowmobile trails in the winter. The following hiking trails are also snowmobile trails:

• Campbell Mountain Trail (south of Route 206)
• Trout Pond Trail
• Hog Hollow Trail
• Mud Pond Trail

See the trail description above in Hiking.

General information on cross-country skiing includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Delaware Wild Forest is open to cross-country skiing in the winter. There are no groomed or maintained trials, however cross-country skiing is permitted on all hiking trails.

General information on snowshoeing includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Delaware Wild Forest is open to snowshoeing in the winter. There are no groomed or maintained trials, however snowshoeing is permitted on all hiking trails.

General information on animals includes links to information about birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects that inhabit or migrate through the state.

The Catskills are home to an abundance of wildlife. With both larger mammals (including deer, bear, and bobcat) as well as smaller mammals (including porcupine and fisher) the Catskills have several unique habitats. In addition to the many mammals found in the Catskills, hundreds of species of birds can also be found in the Catskills.