Blackhead, Black Dome and Thomas Cole

Hiking in New York

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Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 6.3 miles / 10.1 km
Duration: Full day

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Overview: This is a fun hike over a beautiful range in the Catskills. You will climb 3 different peaks in this hike and have various views from near the wooded summits of each. To do this one-way hike you can shuttle cars or, as I did, drop a bike off at the Big Hollow Trailhead and bike back to the starting trailhead when you are done with the hike.

Tips: Directions to Big Hollow Trailhead:
Take exit 21 from I-87 to route 23 west. Folow 23 west for 20.5 miles and then make a left onto Brooksburg Road (County Road 65). Follow Brooksburg road for almost a mile and then make a left onto Sealy Road. Travel 2.1 miles down this road and then make a left
onto Big Hollow Road. Take Big Hollow Road 4.2 miles to the trailhead. Here you will drop a shuttled car or as I did a mountain bike so you can bike back to the other trailhead.

To get to the trailhead you will start off on backtrack on Big Hollow Road thorugh MapleCrest and then turn onto Barnum Road just south of the town off Sealy Road (county road 40). At the end of Barnum road you'll find a parking lot to park in.

Points of Interest

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Big Hollow Road Trailhead

This is where you can either leave a car or leave a mountain bike.

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Elmer Barnum Road Trailhead

Park here and start heading up the trail over Thomas Cole and the rest of the range. You'll reach the top of the ridge after a steep ascent but then you'll have to walk along the range a bit to get to the true summit of Thomas Cole.

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Views from the ridge

Views through some open trees towards the summit of Thomas Cole.

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Thomas Cole Mountain Summit

At 3,940 feet you are at the summit of Thomas cole. You will have a limited view to the south from this wooded summit.

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Summit of Black Dome

At 3,980 feet you are at the summit of Black Dome. There aren't any views from the true summit but there are ledges as you descend to the col towards Blackhead.

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Trail Junction

You are at the col between Blackhead and Black Dome. You can run up Blackhead pretty quick and then return to here to head 1.7 miles downhill to your car or bike at the Big Hollow Road trailhead.

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Blackhead Summit

At 3,940 you are at the summit of Blackhead and at the easternmost summit of the range. On the way back down to the col you will have some views towards Black Dome.