Table And Peekamoose Mountain hike is a very enjoyable hike to do in the Catskill Mountains. This hike is not that popular and the trail head is somewhat very far from other hikes in the Catskills. This is a great place to go backpacking though and the camping spots and lean-to are very well maintained. The views are very beautiful but somewhat hidden as well. If you just keep going straight, you may miss the viewpoints.
Table And Peekamoose Mountain Hike Important Information
Trail Map: Trail Map 1, Trail Map 2
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps
Difficulty: Strenuous
Distance: 10 Miles
Elevation Gained: 2,400 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: None
Trail Breakdown
Yellow Trail
Blue Trail
Blue Trail Ascending
Table Mountain
Blue Trail Ascent
Peakamoose Mountain
Same Trails Going Back
https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/3591754861
Note: The information is just an approximation.
Parking
Start Of The Hike
It was 9AM in the morning and the horses were eating to their hearts content. There was farmland nearby the parking lot and while uninteresting it may seem, those horses, all they did was eat and poop. They were nice to see as I haven’t seen horses up close in a while. I always believed these types of animals belong to the rich and yet here they were, right in front of me.
Yellow Trail
The yellow trail was very well maintained and very flat. Although I don’t really see any houses, it seemed that there were private residences nearby as I saw a few dogs with their owners walking by. I walked happily with each step as I would like to savor the flat for I know that this will not lasts for very long.
Wooden Bridge
A peculiar wooden bridge could be found as I was walking through the yellow trail. It was sturdy, well built and seemed very old as well. Strong enough to cross with no worries whatsoever.
Yellow And Blue Intersection
Yellow and Blue trail intersection.
Blue Trail
The blue trail started off flat as well. A nice even terrain with various types of trees growing everywhere. So far, the trails had been nice and very kind to the legs. If all the trails were like this, I wouldn’t mind them at all.
Blue Trail Bridge
Another bridge.
Camping Spot
Across the bridge was some sort of camping spot. There were man-made chairs that were crudely made but they seemed comfortable. The campfire place seemed to be used quite often as it was very clean as in barely any dead leaves or any type of trash nearby.
River
Near the camping spot was a river which flowed rather gently yet magnificently. The river was very shallow and very clean. I could see through the water and see the stones at the bottom. It was a perfect place to camp with plenty of flat ground to set up tents and plenty of water for hydration and other uses.
Bridge
There was a bridge constructed that allowed me to cross the river without getting my boots wet.
Blue Trail Ascent
I snugged the hip belt of my backpack tightly on my waist in order to avoid wasting any energy. The ascent was going to be long and strenuous, so being prepared early on could save myself some time and energy. Blanketed with leaves and a few stray rocks here and there, the footpath seemed friendly and well maintained but looks could be deceiving so I hiked upwards slowly, making sure to watch out for dips and other hazards hiding below the the millions of dead leaves scattered on the surface of the trail.
Blue Trail Ascending
The steep footpath went on and on and yet I haven’t met a soul since I started hiking to the top of the mountain. There was only silence that surrounded me as even the wind felt dead and there was no rustle of the leaves nor chirping of the birds that could be heard in this part of the trail. I felt alone but such a feeling was not uncomfortable as I was used to it. In fact, solitude was like a nice comfortable blanket to me, away from the buzzing of the cars in the city and away from noise pollution of the world. I kept moving upwards, not a care nor thought about the world, just trying to stay present and enjoy my time in this beautiful forest.
Blue Trail Going Up
An hour had passed by and yet the steep incline continued without any hint of it ever ending. In this part there were hardly any dead leaves covering the trail. The trail looked popular as if people came here often and stomped on the leaves until they turned to dust but then I realized that this part may just had been steeper so that the leaves would roll downward whenever the wind passed by.
Blue Trail
Difficult and arduous, the steep footpath became even more strenuous as I was faced with big boulders and rock scrambles along the way. But in all of the chaos and natural beauty of the forest, the big rocks on this part seemed arranged somewhat perfectly to help hikers get up the trail. While the trail was practically empty, devoid of any human beings, and most likely not that popular among the trails in Catskills, I was still grateful that the path was well maintained and safe for people who wished to go up to the top of this mountain.
Blue Trail
All I could see were these two gigantic rocks in front of me and in between them was a narrow path were the trail marker was. I took off my backpack and put it in front of me as I was climbing upwards, my build combined with the bag was too big for the crevice as such I had to take it off. I dropped down on four legs and slowly climbed up, trying my best not snag any loose rocks or branches and safely and securely get to the top. The footpath was narrow and had to squeeze myself through but it wasn’t hard nor dangerous. It was just different and consumed more energy than I wanted.
First Lookout
There was a viewpoint near the trail but there were no ledges to sit on so I just kept moving.
Lean-To
Lean-to that people can use to camp for the night.
Blue Trail Ascending
After a few minutes more of hiking, I came across the 3500 foot elevation sign. It was a common sign that could be seen in many trails in the Catskill Mountains, just a friendly sign to remind people of the laws such as no camping and fires beyond this point.
Blue Trail
A drop of sweat rolled from my forehead to my cheeks then to my jaw, a clear sign that I’ve been hiking and gaining elevation for some time now. There was exhaustion in my breath, and tiredness with the way I stepped on the unforgiving trail but I kept going and decided to take a rest on the next viewpoint.
Near the top of this trail, I saw a footpath going towards the side and not to the trail marker. I decided to follow it just in case there was a viewpoint. My expectations was not betrayed, a small ledge overlooking a beautiful valley could be found at the end of the unmarked trail.
Table Mountain Lookout
It was a small ledge overlooking an ocean of green trees and hills. It was so small that maybe it could only accommodate one or two people but to me that was enough. I just wanted a place to sit down, enjoy the wind, and replenish my energies so that I can hike easier again.
Table Mountain Vista
As the pillow like clouds move with the gentle force of the wind, I find myself stuck in time, just admiring the beautiful valley before me. All I could do was stare at it. Stare at the shadows created by the clouds, the blue sky that would peak occasionally, the trees nearby that would sway back and forth. In those moments of stillness, all I could feel was peace. I didn’t need money nor any items, I just needed to be still in order to feel good about everything in life and about myself.
Table Mountain Top
The top of the table mountain was flat for a while. A gentle footpath that was narrow but didn’t have any elevation gain. I walked effortlessly through the footpath while wishing that it would lasts for a while.
Descending From Table Mountain
A steep descent greeted me after walking on a flat terrain for a while. It was not something I wanted to see as I was not at the last viewpoint yet which meant that I had to ascend again. An unnecessary waste of energy. If only this part would remain flat then this hike would be a lot easier. But there was no sense of complaining now. I had a good rest while walking on the flat terrain and now it was time to put in some effort again.
Ascent To Peekamoose
Another ascent greeted me at the bottom of the descending trail. It was not something I wanted to see but I was expecting it. I took a 5 minute rest just to restore my energies before heading upwards as I was carrying a heavy backpack filled with cameras and photographic equipment. At this point in time, my energy had already been depleted and I was basically running on sheer will power. The steep footpath did not look friendly but I knew I could do it. So I punched a hole on the ground with my hiking stick and proceeded to keep going.
Big Rock
A big rock by the trail.
Going Up
The last ascent was in front of me, just a few more steps and I would be at the top. There was a big grin on my face as I was hiking upwards. I took a look around, slowly taking one step at a time while appreciating the beauty of nature that was surrounding me. “No rush, I’m already there”, I told myself. I won’t be back here for a long time and I wanted to savor each moment and each step before going back to the parking lot.
Peekamoose Mountain Lookout
I stood at the edge of a cliff, proud that I made it to my destination, and to most people, they would seek another mountain to conquer after arriving at this point. Such is the common mindset of people which is to conquer goals and grab ambitions but to me, at this moment, I just wanted to stay still. I just wanted time to not exists for a few moments so I can just be at ease, to be able to love and appreciate the view that I found while I was here.
Peekamoose Mountain Vista
The fatigue that I have accumulated seemed to be fading away with each passing of the wind. All that was left was a body ready to hike again, ready for some more adventure. But I just stood there admiring the view in front of me. There was no sense of urgency to leave. No urge to keep going. All I felt was to stay still and just savor the moment before it was gone forever.
Peekamoose Mountain Sky
The sun hid itself among the clouds as if it was giving me time to savor the cool wind that was blowing forth from the valley. There were no shades to take refuge in on this ledge as such, any shade that the clouds could offer were greatly appreciated. Maybe the universe was shining down upon me and giving me a few minutes to enjoy the views fully before I leave this place.
Peekamoose Mountain
The valley looked never changing as if in 1 thousand years, it would be the same valley that I would be looking at. Such feelings were carved deep into my heart at that time, hoping that I would stay the same also. That I would be enjoying my life like what I was doing in this moment and hope that never changes as time passed me by.
Descending From Peekamoose Mountain
I had a good rest and enjoyed my time on the vista but it was time to head home. I had a good hike and would love to eat some good foods to replenish my energy again. I walked downward on the steep footpath, eagerly anticipating my arrival at my car where I could rest and go to a restaurant to replenish my body.
Going Downward
After an hour or so moving downward, my strength was diminishing again. Tough and hard, the descent to the bottom was steep with my knees and legs wavering to the constant pressure of going downhill. But I had plenty of time and the sun will not sleep for a few more hours. I took off my hiking backpack, and sat on a cold hard rock before continuing again. For some reason, everything looked beautiful with the leaves waving back and forth as the shadows and light danced on the ground with a few cool breaths of the calm wind.
Bridge Before
The familiar wooden bridge was a nice sight to see as I knew that the slopes were over. All that were left were flat terrain all the way to the parking lot. I could take it easy and just enjoy the walk as I also knew that I was very near.
Intersection
It was the last intersection sign where the yellow trail starts.
End Of The Hike
It was the end of another journey, the end of another hike. The familiar gate looked so sweet as my body was craving for a good rest after a good hike. I looked at my phone, looked for restaurants nearby. No sense in resting without eating first. Food always tasted a lot better after a good hike. I opened my car, said goodbye the forests and mountains, then headed to the nearest restaurant that I could find. I looked back at the trail one last time.
“Until the next adventure”, I whispered to myself.
For more hikes similar to this one, you can go to my Best Hikes In Catskill, New York page.