Peekamoose and Table Mountains from Peekamoose Road
Directions to trailhead
NY State Thruway I-87 to exit 18 for NY-299 toward New Paltz/Poughkeepsie. Take NY-299 W/Main St towards New Paltz and continue on NY-299 for about 7 miles until it ends at NY55/US44. Turn right on NY55/US 44 and continue following NY55 for a little over 17 miles. Keep right on NY55A when NY55 goes left just before Roundout Reservoir. Proceed on NY55A for about 7 miles then turn right on Sundown Road . Continue onto Co Rd 42/Co Rd 46/County Line-Sundown Rd for 2.7 miles. Continue to follow Co Rd 42 (Peekamoose Road) another 3.7 miles to parking on left.
Hike Description
The Peekamoose-Table Trail, blazed with blue round discs, starts by the Peekamoose Mountain Parking sign at the western end of the parking lot. Although the Long Path follows along this trail there are no Long Path blazes throughout this section. Be sure to bring along a pair of water shoes and a towel but leave those in your car for later.
The trail immediately starts to ascend on a woods road. In .15 mile a trail register on the left gives you a minute to catch your breath while signing in. Continue up the woods road but don’t be concerned if the blue discs are few and far between – the woods road is easy to follow and they aren’t necessary here. Turn right when the trail branches off as a foot trail at the .75 mile point. Where the woods road continues to the left, logs block the way to keep you on the right path. The trail will start to ascend more steeply alternating between short level sections and rock scrambles. While none of the scrambles are overly difficult, there is one crevice you need to climb up through where a large dog might get stuck and need assistance. (My dog, a lean 65 pounds, was just barely able to get through on her own.)
Around the 1.7 mile mark, a rock scramble appears to have a trail going both to the left and right, which might cause some confusion. Veer left here and just a few steps up you will see where rock steps switchback up to the right.
Arrive at Reconnoiter Rock, a boulder that appears to be balancing precariously, at 2.2 miles. This makes for a welcome break spot.
At 2.4 miles, another confusing scramble with trails branching off to either side, possibly a result of other hikers searching for the correct route. Continue straight through the middle of the scramble here and you should see the blue disc on a fallen tree off to the right to confirm you are heading in the right direction.
At 2.8 miles, just as the trees change to spruce, round a bend and come up on the 3500 foot elevation sign indicating most of the ascent is now behind you. A few short steps ahead, an unmarked side trail to the right brings you to a view to the East at a rock outcrop. Return from that view and continue along a short distance to another view immediately to the right off the trail. Be careful to keep with the most defined trail here as several unmarked trails branch off in either direction.
After a nice level section, a few more rock scrambles up bring you to the summit of Peekamoose Mountain. Around the 3.5 mile point watch for a large boulder straight ahead which marks the summit. Just as that boulder comes into view, look to the right for an unmarked trail to a fairly recently cut view which is not on the Trail Conference map. Cut tree stumps are obvious in this area indicating there was not always a view here. You will be able to see Ashokan Reservoir clearly from this viewpoint.
Return to the trail and continue past the summit, descending into the saddle between Peekamoose Mountain and Table Mountain. It’s a little bit of a downhill and uphill again but nothing compared to what has already been and well worth the effort. Once you ascend to the top of Table Mountain, it’s a lovely stroll along the flat “table” of the mountain all the wau to the summit which is marked by a cairn off to the right side at 4.45 miles. Keep going just a little farther gradually downhill and turn left at the fork to a rock outcrop view to the West. If you start going downhill steeply, you missed the turn for the view. From this viewpoint, retrace your steps back to the Table Mountain summit, then down and up to the Peekamoose Mountain summit, then all the way back down to the parking lot.
Back at your car, grab your water shoes and head across the road and down the short hill for a nice soak in the icy cold Roundout Creek. Then jump into your car and head one mile east along Peekamoose Road to the Buttermilk Falls parking area on the left for spectacular views of a beautiful waterfall just steps from the parking lot.
Turn-by-Turn Description
[ 0.00] Start from west end of parking lot on blue-blazed Peekamoose-Table Trail
[ 0.15] Sign trail register on left
[ 0.75] Trail veers right as foot path leaving woods road
[ 1.50] Trail starts to switchback up more steeply; rock scrambles start
[ 2.20] Reconnoiter rock on left
[ 2.80] 3500 ft. elevation sign; just beyond short side trail to right to eastern view
[ 2.85] View to the right
[ 3.60] Just before large summit boulder side trail to right to eastern view; retrace
[ 3.65] Large boulder at summit of Peekamoose Mountain
[ 4.00] Saddle between Peekamoose and Table Mountains
[ 4.15] Begin flat stretch along top of Table Mountain
[ 4.45] Rock cairn at Table Mountain Summit
[ 4.50] Take left fork to western view; retrace then right on blue trail to return
[ 4.60] Rock cairn at Table Mountain summit
[ 5.20] Saddle between Table and Peekamoose Mountains
[ 5.35] Large boulder at summit of Peekamoose Mountain
[ 6.20] Eastern view to the left
[ 6.90] Reconnoiter Rock
[ 8.45] Trail merges left back on to woods road
[ 9.05] Sign out at trail register on right
[ 9.20] Back at parking lot