This is the newest of the original three sections of the Hunter Regional Trails, opened in April 2023 with the dedication of Luke's Bridge, named for Luke Patterson. It runs from Clove Road off Route 214 in Hunter, west through the woods and alongside Ski Bowl Road, out to Evergreen Mountain Contracting at 300 Ski Bowl Rd.

It is also the most historically significant piece of trail in the county, and most people walking it have no idea.

Camp Jened

There is a state historical marker at the trail's western end:

Former site of Camp Jened from which grew the disability rights movement, the fight for justice for all disabled people. Camp Jened, 1953 to 1977.

Jened was a summer camp for disabled teenagers. What happened there fed directly into the American disability rights movement and eventually the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is the subject of the documentary Crip Camp. The site is Evergreen Mountain Contracting now.

What to expect

Mostly woods trail, with the occasional leftover railroad tie still in the grade and a few wooden bog bridges along the way. Flat, but not smooth.

This section is not yet fully accessible. Funding is in place to bring the Hunter Branch up to full ADA compliance, with the goal of making it a real example of what accessible outdoor access can look like, on the ground where that movement started.

If wheels are part of your plan today, the Huckleberry is the segment that works.

Where the trail actually ends

You will see Dolan's Lake described as the western end of this trail, including in our own older writing. That is the goal rather than the current reality. Past Evergreen, getting to Dolan's Lake means walking the road, and much of that stretch is posted at 55. There is no shoulder situation out there we would send anyone onto with kids, a dog, or a stroller. Treat Evergreen as the end of the line for now and turn around there.

Getting there

Coming from the shop on Main Street in Tannersville, head west on 23A through Hunter. Park along Clove Rd off Route 214, or at Evergreen Mountain Contracting, 300 Ski Bowl Rd.

Good to know

• Flat is the point. These are old railroad grades. If Catskills elevation has put you off hiking here, start on one of these.
• Leashed dogs are welcome along the whole system.
• No day-use fee.
• Cell service is mostly good out here, though it goes spotty in places.
• Winter: nothing is plowed or maintained, but this stays walkable when the high peaks turn into an ice problem. Good for snowshoes or cross-country skis. When it is icy, microspikes help.
• Apps are not gospel. The system is on AllTrails as a list of the Hunter Regional Trails, though the tracks are not always exact. We carry the NY-NJ Trail Conference Catskill Trails Map ($17.95, printed on Tyvek).
• Official info: the Town of Hunter keeps it at townofhunterny.gov/hunter-regional-trails.

Nearby

There is a long road gap east of here before the Huckleberry, so the two do not connect on foot in any pleasant way yet. The whole system is mapped on the Hunter Regional Trails page.

We are on Main Street in Tannersville. If you are not sure which segment fits your group, stop in and ask.