- Summertime vista (courtesy of Lillian Browne)
- Sunset
- Late summer
- Snake Pond with waterlilies
NOTE: The Shavertown Trail will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, April 20-21, for emergency work at the pond. Please visit the Andes Rail Trail or the Palmer Hill Trail if you wish to hike in the vicinity. Thank you.
NOTE: The upper trail has been closed due to an ongoing logging operation. Hikers may still access Snake Pond via a new route. See below.
The Shavertown Trail offers families and novice hikers a unique opportunity in the Catskills – a spectacular view after only one moderately strenuous mile. You’ll break a sweat as you climb 520 feet in that first mile, but it is so worth it. Wander past a lovely pond, complete with pink and white water lilies in season, and enjoy the spectacular view of the Pepacton Reservoir.
The trail is currently following a new trail segment to Snake Pond. The old woods road approach has been closed temporarity due to a logging operation. The trail above the pond has been abandoned, with all markers down and its use forbidden by the NYC DEP due to the active logging operation. After a period of forest recovery, the CMC will build a new trail to replace the segment above the pond. The trail remains the same from the trailhead to the woods road. Directly across the road, hikers will pick up the new segment, which follows a footpath through forest that will not be harvested for two-thirds of a mile, approaching the pond from the west rather than from the east as before. The round trip distance will be a little over two miles.
The Shavertown Trail was created by the Catskill Mountain Club on land owned by the NYC DEP, with the assistance of the Town of Andes and support from the NYC DEP and the NY-NJ Trail Conference.
The trailhead is on County Rt 1, about a tenth of a mile north of the intersection of Route 30 and County Rt 1 in Andes. Park at the parking lot by the bridge.
Driving directions to the Shavertown Trail as well as the Rail Trail and Palmer Hill can be found here.
Click the map below for a larger, printable version of the map, or get the free GPS Enabled map available for your iPhone or Android devices — click here to learn more
NOTE: Print the map here: https://catskillmountainclub.org/events/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ShavertownSnakePondMap.pdf
Trailhead
[…] do: Since you’re in the mountains, exploring the Catskills is a must. Check out the nearby Shavertown Trail which overlooks Pepacton Reservoir; or opt for taking in scenery the easy way by hopping on […]
Is camping permitted along the Shavertown Trail with overnight parking at the boat launch parking area…? Sounds like it might make for a cool overnight backpacking trip 🙂
Sorry, but camping is not permitted on DEP property.
Ares dogs allowed on the trail?
Yes, dogs are allowed. They must be “under your control” but do not need to be leashed.
Nice hike- good workout. Near the very top we came across a otherworldly spot of mossy rocks covered with clumps of deep orange mushrooms- with the magical Red Efts crawling nearby. Truly a special experience.