does SW Hunter/catskills have a view/lookout

[Adk_dib]

If it doesn't I will save this for a rainy day, but if it does I want to do it on a nice fall day. Like this sunday.

 

[MattC]

The summit of SW Hunter (Leavitt Peak) is completely and heavily wooded. There is a nice little lookout ledge just off the Devils Path between the Devils Acre leanto and Diamond Notch. This lookout actually has a view of SW Hunter. You could always climb SW first, and then continue up to the main summit if you're really after vistas. I may be in that neighborhood myself this weekend.

Matt

 

[Mike P.]

I've been closed to the summit of SW Hunter (I think) & I'm not thinking I'd want to be up there on a rainy day due to the density of the brush/trees. A dry gray day or combined with the main peak. I ran out of daylight/turnaround time but that was January, should be fine doing both.

 

[Peaks]

Fire Tower

I haven't done everything in the Range, but the one place where you can get a view any summit of Hunter is from the Fire Tower. Other than that, from what I've seen, it's pretty wooded on top.

 

[Jay H]

I once hiked to SW Hunter (leavitt peak) from the Diamond Notch leanto. Once you get over the initial false hump you get onto a ridge and somewhere on that ridge is a nice viewpoint looking south if I remember. I wouldn't be able to find it and it is hard to find the canister on that cause it's a long ridgeline with many false herdpaths, but there is a view somewhere on that peak.

Jay

 

[TMax]

I would suggest heading up the Devil's Path and doing SW Hunter first (no views, slightly boring hike) then head over to Hunter (via Hunter Mtn Spur Trail) for lunch and spectacular views from the firetower. It only adds about 1.4 miles and 500' of elevation gain (one way).

 

[Mark Schaefer]

The Geiger Point view on the Devil's Path that Matt mentions is quite nice. If you are coming up from Spruceton it is about 0.1 mile beyond where the trail levels off after the climb up from the Diamond Notch waterfall. It is on a short side path to the southwest off the trail. It is not signed so you need to watch for it. Even if you come up from Devil's Lake on Route 214, it is worthwhile to make the side trip over to Geiger Point, It is 0.5 mile beyond the old railroad bed herd path to SW Hunter (Leavitt Peak). The start of the herd path is 0.2 mile west of the Devil's Acre Lean-to at the height of land on the Devil's Path (although it is very flat there). Otherwise as already stated there are no views on the densely forested summit.

There may be a small cairn at the start of the herd path. As of 2005 there was a tree just west of the herd path's start on which the red trail markers (both sides of tree) had faded to near yellow. The herd path follows a narrow, overgrown, level, railroad grade. After about 0.5 mile (possibly at a cairn) the herd path climbs 200' up a small drainage. The herd path meanders a bit on the flat summit but leads to the canister.

If you also do Hunter with SW, then there are some nice views from the tower and from the viewpoint opposite the top of the Becker Hollow trail (another unmarked path that is worth looking for). The birches that are sprinkled amongst the spruce on the summit of Hunter should be in the early stages of turning yellow. Often they are attractive, but they are also subject to early leaf drop as the summit of Hunter is windy. There could be some sprinkling of color elsewhere, though most of the trees in the Catskills are still green.