Hunter Regional Trails
If you are looking for a great way to experience the beauty of the Catskills, the Hunter Regional Trails are a great option. The trail is well-maintained and offers a variety of scenic views. The HRT is a great way to get some exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and explore the Catskills.
The Hunter Regional Trails (HRT) is a network of rail-trails that run along a former railroad corridor in Hunter, NY. The trail is currently over 50 miles long and connects the escarpment trail in Windham, Kaaterskill Falls, hamlet of Haines Falls, the village of Tannersville, Hunter and West Kill Mountain. The HRT is open to hikers, bikers (parts), and horseback riders (parts) and offers scenic views of the Catskill Mountains. The trail is a great way to explore the natural beauty of the Catskills and is a popular destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
The HRT is a work in progress, but the vision is to connect Kaaterskill Falls in Haines Falls to Dolan's Lake in the Village of Hunter. The Hunter Area Trail Coalition (HATC) is working to make this vision a reality and has already completed several phases of the project. The HRT is a great asset to the Town of Hunter and is a popular destination for visitors from all over the world.
Hunter Branch Rail Trail
The HBRT is a 1.4-mile trail that connects Clove Road off State Route 214 to Dolan's Lake in the Village of Hunter. The bridge opening marks the completion of Phase 5 of the HRT, which includes the installation of a 90-foot-long pedestrian bridge. The bridge spans a small Schoharie Creek tributary and includes original stone abutments from the former Hunter Branch of the Stony Clove and Catskill Mountain Railroad. The railroad was discontinued in 1939, but the trail has been revitalized by the HATC and is now a popular destination for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders.
Kaaterskill Rail Trail
The Kaaterskill Rail Trail (KRT) is a 1.5-mile rail trail that connects the Mountain Top Historical Society to Laurel House Road in Haines Falls, New York. The trail was built on the former Ulster & Delaware Railroad and offers amazing views of the popular Kaaterskill Falls. The KRT is open to hikers, bikers, and horseback riders and provides an important link between the Mountain Top Historical Society and the facilities at the NYS North South Lake campgrounds. The trail was completed in 2017 and is a popular destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
Kaaterskill Wild Forest Recreation Enhancements
The HRT network in the Kaaterskill Wild Forest Recreation Enhancements entailed safety and public access improvements. NYSDEC invested close to $1 million in these improvements, which included installing a 115-foot pedestrian bridge over Spruce Creek, constructing a new foot trail leading to the middle pool of the falls, installing a stone staircase, expanding two parking areas, constructing an observation platform overlooking the top of the falls, and building new, wide, smooth surface trails with level resting areas. These improvements made access to Kaaterskill Falls safer and more manageable.
HRT Phase 3
Phase 3 of the HRT network will connect the KRT 1 at the Mountain Top Historical Society in Haines Falls to the Huckleberry Multi-Use Trail in Tannersville. Three landowners have agreed to allow the trail, and pedestrian access agreements have been executed with the Town of Hunter. The Town of Hunter was awarded a $75,000 NYSDEC Smart Growth grant to advance planning on the north side of Route 23A (the "sidewalk connector") and to begin trail construction on two properties.
The completion of Phase 3 will create a continuous 6.1-mile trail that will connect Haines Falls, Tannersville, and just east of downtown Hunter. The trail will be open to hikers, bikers, and horseback riders and will offer scenic views of the Catskill Mountains. The trail is a great way to explore the natural beauty of the Catskills and is a popular destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
HRT Phase 4
The completion of Phase 4 would create a continuous 10.2-mile trail that would connect Haines Falls, Tannersville, and just east of downtown Hunter. The trail would be open to hikers, bikers, and horseback riders and would offer scenic views of the Catskill Mountains. The trail is a great way to explore the natural beauty of the Catskills and is a popular destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
HATC and Partners
The Hunter Area Trail Coalition (HATC) is a group of local government, state, city and county agencies and local not-for-profit organizations that plan and collaborate on trail projects that enhance hiking opportunities within the Town of Hunter. The HATC was formed in 2016 as the early KRT committee expanded its planning efforts on future trail extensions to the Village of Hunter. The HATC currently is implementing a multi-phase network of trails throughout the Town of Hunter with the goal of creating a cohesive town-wide trail network that connects public and private lands for year-round outdoor recreation.
