Primitive Camping, Picnicking and Trail Access in the Devil's Playground
Written: Jan 22 '07 (Updated Feb 02 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Scenic beauty, Primitive camping, Not many sites, Access to area trails
Cons: Too primitive for some, Reservations needed, Roadway noise
The Bottom Line: A decent primitive state campground in a beautiful location with access to trails and picnic areas for campers and day-use users
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| jps246's Full Review: Devil's Tombstone Campground and Day-Use Area, NY |
If you’re in the Catskill Mountains and you’re looking for a no-frills campground that provides decent camping sites in a scenic area, then consider making yourself some reservations at Devil’s Tombstone Campground and Day-Use Area. Not only is there camping, the site is also provides access to some of the most scenic (and roughest) trails in the Catskills.
One of the Catskill’s (and New York State’s) oldest State campgrounds, the Devil’s Tombstone Campground and Day-Use Area is home to camping sites, picnic sites and access to several hiking trails up both Hunter Mountain and Plateau Mountain. Not only that, you also get to soak in a little history of this area of the Catskills, which according to the original Dutch settlers in the Hudson Valley was the residence of the Devil (hence the names of many locations throughout the area).
Where is it?
Located right off of Route 214 as it travels through Stony Clove Notch, Devil’s Tombstone Campground and Day-Use Area is just to the south of the top of the notch and just below Notch Lake, a small pond nestled into the headwall of the upper portion of the Notch.
Route 214 travels north and south between Route 23A in the north and Route 28 in the south. Both 23A and 28 are accessible from the NYS Thruway and Devil’s Tombstone is about an hour or so away from the Thruway. The villages of Hunter and Tannersville are just to the north of the Campground, Hunter Village is west on 23A while Tannersville is east on 23A. The village of Phoenicia is at the southern end of 214, about 9 miles from the Campground.
Camping
If it got much more primitive than Devil’s Tombstone, you’d be striking out into the woods and setting up your own campsite. The campground offers 24 tent and trailer sites. That said – these sites are designed to be comfortable for a tent – anything bigger than a small pop-up trailer will probably be tight and you should call ahead to see if what you are pulling can fit. This is not a campground for giant RVs or trailers.
There are no water or sanitary hookups at the campsites and there is no electricity either at the sites.
Because of the limited number of sites, you generally need to have reservations, especially during the weekends, when the campground is almost always full.
The campground portion of Devil’s Tombstone generally opens in the middle of May and closes the day after Labor Day for the winter.
There are bathrooms and water available for drinking, but no showers are available on the site.
The sites are all wooded sites that provide a level of privacy from one another. Small roads provide access to the sites in a one-way direction. Because the area of the notch where the campground is located is fairly narrow, none of the camping spots are too far from Route 214, therefore there will be roadway noise and from some of the sites, you can see the roadway. The sites are all leveled out and make for good tent camping – I haven’t had any complaints the few nights I’ve spent here.
The campground at night is generally quiet, with the staff doing rounds throughout the late evening and checking up on any groups that may be making noise after quiet hours begin.
Department of Environmental Conservation Staff run the campground and there is a caretaker there at all times to check-in campers, collect day-use fees, provide information and take care of emergencies.
There is a small playground in the campground for children, along with a volleyball court and a set-up for playing horseshoes.
Picnicking
There are two picnic areas within the Devil’s Tombstone Day-Use area, one on the eastern side of Route 214 near the southern end of the area and the other on the western side of Route 214 just before Notch Lake. Both areas have several picnic tables, fireplaces and charcoal grills for barbequing.
The more picturesque picnic area in the northern one, along the shores of Notch Lake where you can look up to the high-point of the Notch beyond and also get views of the extensive cliffs along the higher reaches of the notch. Because the lake is small and shallow, no swimming or boating is allowed in Notch Lake.
Day-use fees are collected for those who wish to use the picnic facilities, unless you are already a registered camper in the campground.
Trail Access
The northerly parking area within the Devil’s Tombstone area provides access to the Devil’s Path, an east-west hiking trail that runs over the Devil’s Path Range – from Indian Head in the east to Westkill Mountain in the west, a distance of over 20 miles that includes 6 mountain peaks.
From the Devil’s Tombstone parking area you can climb Plateau Mountain to the east and Hunter Mountain to the west. The Plateau Mountain trail is the gentler of the two, but still is a strenuous hike up one of the Catskills 3500 foot-plus mountains. Hunter to the west is more rugged, generally steeper and a much more taxing climb. However, it is possible to do a loop hike if you are staying at the Campground and don’t want to have to re-hike portions of trail that you already did. From Devil’s Tombstone you would climb Hunter Mountain and then descend on the Becker Hollow Trail, which takes you to a trailhead that is about a mile north of Devil’s Tombstone. You can walk back along Route 214 to the campground.
Otherwise, the two trails require the use of two cars for a mountain traverse or require that you hike back the way you came to make it back to the Campground.
Day-use fees are required to use the Devil’s Tombstone parking areas but are not required if you are just hiking through the area of the Devil’s Path. Day-use fees are not collected during the months when the campground is closed.
Area Mystique
According to the early Dutch Settlers of the Hudson Valley This area of the northern Catskills was home to the Devil and the place names in the mountains reflect that belief. Stony Clove Notch is home to two such places, the Devil’s Tombstone is a large boulder that was thought to be the tombstone of the Devil, which the face of the Devil, is believed to be in silhouette on the cliffs of the Notch. The Tombstone is located in the southern picnic area, while the silhouette of the Devil can be seen from the northern picnic area by looking up towards the cliff on the western side of the notch. When the lighting and angle is right, it does look like a person face has been carved into the cliffs.
Other haunts of the Devil include Devil’s Acre on top of Hunter Mountain, the entire Devil’s Path mountain range, and over towards the eastern edge of the Catskills and the Devil’s Path range, there are a number of sites including Devil’s Kitchen and the Hellhole.
Nearby Activities
If you’re staying at Devil’s Tombstone and want to venture further out than the campground or the nearby trails, there are several other attractions nearby. Hunter Mountain Ski Area to the north is open year round offering scenic chairlift rides in the summertime (and an easy way to get to the top of Hunter Mountain), Bear Creek at the northern end of Route 214 is home to a restaurant and miniature golf course. The villages of Hunter and Tannersville have some shopping opportunities along with several different dining choices. A bit further to the north is the village of Windham, which has a number of places to shop and eat and you can mountain bike on the slopes of Windham Mountain Ski Area in the summertime.
To the south, Phoenicia is home to the Catskill’s white water rafting and tubing business. You can raft or tube down the Esopus River and ride the ‘tube train’ back up to do it all over again. Phoenicia also has a number of interesting shops and restaurants. From Phoenicia the village of Woodstock isn’t too far.
For hiking activities, the possibilities are almost endless – I’d suggest getting yourself a set of the Catskill Maps from the NY-NJ Trail Conference for details. A number of rewarding (and challenging) hikes are possible in the area, which is home to most of the Catskills 3500 foot-plus mountains and many different trails.
Final Thoughts
If you don’t mind the primitive nature of the Campground, camping at Devil’s Tombstone can be a great experience and if you’re not up for camping, then the picnic areas are home to some great scenery and the parking lots provide access to the Devil’s Path, allowing you to climb Plateau or Hunter Mountain.
All together Devil’s Tombstone Campground and Day-Use Area is a pleasant destination in the Catskills for camping, picnicking or hiking.
Catskill Resources
The Catskills
Woodstock
Hunter, Tannersville and Haines Falls
Phoenicia
Hunter Mountain Wild Forest
Westkill Mountain Wilderness Area
Tremper Mountain Fire Tower
Hunter Mountain Fire Tower
Woodland Valley Campground
Hunter Mountain Ski Resort
Ski Windham Ski Resort
Belleayre Mountain Ski Resort
Emerson Place
Catskill Trails Map Set
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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