Slide Mountain

Slide Mountain is the tallest mountain in the Catskills at 4,180 ft. elevation. It is a part of the Catskills 3500 club list of required peaks, as well as the Northeast 4,000 footers. It is one of the most popular hikes in the region and gets a lot of foot traffic because of its relative location to major metropolitan areas like New York City. 

Common Routes

The most common and easiest way to ascend Slide is from the East beginning at the Slide Mountain parking area on Rt. 47. The shortest way up from this area is via the WIttenberg Cornell Slide trail and is only 2.6 miles one way to the summit, with about 1,800 ft. of elevation gain. Taking the Curtis Orsmbee alternate will add about 1 mile to the journey to the summit, 2 miles total. Slide can also be reached from the West starting at Woodland Valley Campground, however this route also traverses Wittenberg and Cornell, with some steep obstacles to overcome in between. This route is significantly longer and harder and should only be attempted by more experienced hikers. Slide can also be hiked as part of a Slide, Cornell, Wittenberg out-and-back from the Slide Mountain Trailhead Parking area.

Summit and Views

The best viewpoint on Slide Mountain is not at the true summit, but just before if approaching form the East. The view looks north through a clearing of trees towards Panther Mountain. The summit itself has a somewhat unremarkable view with it being partially obstructed by trees. There is a monument to John Burroughs at the summit, who was a Catskills advocate, enthusiast, and essayist. 

Water

There is a stream crossing of the West Branch of the Neversink River just beyond the Slide Mountain Parking area. There is also a spring on the western side of Slide, on the Wittenberg Cornell Slide trail headed towards Cornell. Other than those two sources, there is no reliable water on the trailed portions of Slide Mountain to speak of. 

Camping

There are campsites on the eastern face of Slide, both along the Wittenberg Cornell Slide trail, and at the junction of the Curtis Ormsbee trail and the Phoenicia East Branch Trail. Additional camping can be found closer to Cornell Mountain along the Burroughs Ridge, if attempting to hit the three peaks together. Woodland Valley Campground is the starting point for the western approach and offers paid camping. 

The Catskill 9

Slide is one of the peaks in The Catskill 9, a difficult but efficient route for peakbaggers seeking to complete advanced hiking challenges like the Catskill Grid, or single season attempts. The most common order of peaks to summit when doing the 9 is Table, Peekamoose, Lone, Rocky, Balsam Cap, Friday, Cornell, Wittenberg, and ending with Slide.