Trip report
Jul 7, 2025 — The Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain hike is one of the more popular trails in New York’s Catskills, famous for its series of rock ledges that peek out over the rolling landscape. It’s a relatively short outing, though you can extend it by continuing north along the ridgeline to another trailhead in Panther Mountain Park, though I opted to turn back after reaching the summit.
I started at the Giant Ledge Trailhead, tucked into the elbow of a hairpin on Oliverea Road. The trail eased me into the hike with a gentle climb through typical lower-elevation forest. A few rocky stretches along the Phoenicia–East Branch Trail led to a saddle on Panther Mountain’s south side.
Once on the ridgeline, the trail wove around several outcroppings before reaching the famed Giant Ledge. The open ledges offered sweeping views eastward across mountains and valleys.
Heading north, the trail dipped a few hundred feet before climbing toward Panther Mountain. The summit itself was unmarked, so I wandered a bit until I found a final viewpoint, confident I’d reached the high point, and then turned back.