devils tombstone

[Adk_dib]

Anyone stay at this campground. is it better or worse that woodland valley. I want to camp here and do hunter one day and the devils path the next.
the question I have about the devils path route is this. what is the mileage and elevation change if i wanted to do "plateau", "sugarloaf", "twin", "indian head" and back. is this to much to chew in one day hike. Are there any water sources on this route and would it be to difficult for my dog.

 

[DSettahr]

Devil's Tombstone to Indian Head is about 9 miles, so such a hike will be about 18 miles in one day. I dont know about the exact elevation changes for the section you refer too. The NY-NJ Trail Conference Map shows only two sources of water, one located where the trail descends Plateau Mountain into Mink Hollow, and the other a short distance down a unmarked trail that heads north in Mink Hollow.

 

[teejay]

Devil's Tombstone is a "primitive" campground. The only amenity is running water. There are pit toilets but no showers. Woodland Valley, North/South Lake, Mongaup Pond and others are luxurious by comparison, having showers, flush toilets, electic sites, swimming, boating, playgrounds, etc. The only attractions at DT, beside the Tombstone and access to the Devil's Path, are the dedicated, thoughtful, attentive, colorful DEC staff, WR's 1 and 2, who maintained, I would say, a tight ship (in '04).

teejay

 

[JimB]

Teejay,great comment on the caretakers . Adkdib, if you want to do the Devil's path I would suggest spotting a car at Prediger road and hiking back to your campsite. I did Twin, Sugarloaf, and Plateau a few years ago by spotting a bicycle and it was a good dayhike. Doing these as an out and back would be extremely difficult because of the elevation gains(and losses). Just the climb to Plateau is 1840 ft and loose walking. It's a nice area. Have fun.

 

[snowshoe]

I like woodland valley over Devils Tombstone only because it is much farther from a busy rd. Devils tomb is a little to close to 214. Kind of ruins it. Woodland valley is a nice setting with the creek and in the deep valley.

 

[Jay H]

As mentioned already, no showers at the Devil's Tombstome but the DEC will honor your camping permit at North South lake so you could take a shower there for free. It's about 9 miles away north on Rt 214 to Rt 23A east to Haines Falls.

I would not camp at the Devil's Tombstone unless one could guarantee WR1 and WR2 for my week's worth of entertainment. Unless you are female, but I don't feel as threatened by them being male, although maybe I should??? Who knows, thats where the entertainment lies.

The bicycle spot is a good idea, I first did the DP thing as three separate hikes using bike spots at Roaring Brook road in Elka Part, to do the Indian Head, Twin thing and also at Diamond Notch to do west kill from Notch Lake and I think I did a spot from Notch lake to Roaring brook to do Sugarloaf and PLateau once too.

But if you're interesting in doing hunter, take a look at Diamond Notch Leanto. It is easier to get to on a late friday night than Devil's Acre (less elevation gain). It is about 2 miles from the end of DN road (unless you are brave and have an SUV to drive to the actual trailhead). or it's a closer and easier hike from Spruceton Road. Then you can do Hunter in a loop and SW hunter or Rusk if you want too, you should have enough time with an early enough start and a average pace and then return to DN. Or you might just do Hunter and perhaps West Kill and then back to DN.

Day two, you could hike out with a real early start and go do the eastern part of the DP after a bike spot or so. Really ambitious would be to spot a bike first at Prediger (hide it well into the woods as not to piss off the person living there and his/her thousand of "no parking" signs ). Then on Day two, you can hike all the way to Prediger and bike back to Notch lake.

Jay

P.S. If your dog can handle the length, elevation gain, it is probably EASIER for the dog.. 4 paw drive, ya know...

 

[Artex]

I'm staying at the Devil's Tombstone campground this weekend, along with lumberzac and some others (we'll be hiking the Devil's Path in its entirety in one day). I can give you an up-to-date, first hand report when I get back.

 

[Adk_dib]

I am doing westkill this saturday,maybe i'll see you guys. Should be at diamond notch falls around 3:00 afternoon. look for a crazy yellow lab.

 

[pepsi]

beside the Tombstone and access to the Devil's Path, are the dedicated, thoughtful, attentive, colorful DEC staff, WR's 1 and 2, who maintained, I would say, a tight ship (in '04).

teejay

teejay and Jay wil be dissappointed to hear that, according to someone that stayed there last week, only one of the brothers is a caretaker there this year.

In their defense because of the location they probably have an equal number of hikers, campers, and people just looking for a place to party and no way to tell one from the other for sure untill they're gone.

But, they were definately a highlight when we did it as a dayhike last year as well. We did it the week after you and they had only good things to say about you guys. Hope they said the same of us.

 

[Warren]

We did it the week after you and they had only good things to say about you guys.

Must have been the bagels we gave them.

Nah, it was probably the ladies....

 

[Artex]

I am doing westkill this saturday,maybe i'll see you guys. Should be at diamond notch falls around 3:00 afternoon. look for a crazy yellow lab.

I'll keep an eye out for you.