Wagon Wheel Notch(New DEC Acquisition/ Sundown Wild Forest-Catskills)

Headed down to the Catskills today to check out a large area of new state land just south of the Ashokan Reservoir and east of Ashokan High Point.  The 900 acre acquisition is the largest addition to the Catskills in well over a decade and I have been anxiously waiting for the opportunity to visit the land.  Today, that opportunity finally presented itself, so I parked at the corner of High Point Mountain Road and Ulster County Route 3(Elevation 775 feet) and set out on a cool, breezy fall morning.

Followed a good woods road west, passing by stone walls-a Catskill staple- along the way.

Initially the terrain was fairly flat and easy going, with just a bit of ascent.  As the woods road I was on swung to the south, I left it and bushwhacked west, quickly finding steeper slopes and ledge bands.

Stumbled across a small quarry and quarry road a bit further up the mountain.

The slopes of the mountain were steep, but very open and easy to navigate.  As I neared the summit area, screened views back down to the valley began to open up behind me.  

Made my way over to an obvious area of wide open ledges, with spectacular views west, across Wagon Wheel Notch, towards Ashokan Cobble aka Little High Point.

Great views NW from the eastern ledges on Wagon Wheel Notch towards Cornell, Wittenburg, Samuels Point and Mount Pleasant.

Views west/ southwest towards the ledges on the west side of the Notch.

After enjoying the views, I continued a short ascent up the 1560 foot summit of Little Point.

From the top, I carefully made my way down, in search of a safe descent into the Notch.  Although the views were great, there was no clear route, with nearly vertical ledge bands dropping down into the Notch, forcing me much further south than originally planned.

With no way down into the Notch, I carefully weaved my way south to the very edge of state land, directly over CR 3 and a residence steeply below a large cliff band.

 

After a heart pumping climb west around a long series of ledge bands, the woods thankfully opened back up for more pleasant bushwhacking. 

Once back in the open woods, it was an easy 'whack north towards the west ledges on Wagon Wheel Gap, with a very steep drop off below.

Numerous view points opened up from a series of ledges with the last of fall's fleeting colors hanging on down in the valley to the south.

Views across the Notch towards Little Point and the east ledges that I had just been on.

Wide open views south to the Gunks.

I was able to find more and more views from the west ledges, with this view east towards Little Point and a sliver of the Ashokan Reservoir visible, with Overlook Mountain beyond.

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Amazing views east over a large swath of the Ashokan Reservoir.

Zoom view of the Reservoir.

As I made my way north along the west ledges, I was able to find one last view back across the Notch towards Little Point. 

Finding a route down from the west ledges was also a challenge, as I had to make my way north for quite a distance, before finally finding a safe descent.  Once down, I found this view south into the northern entrance of Wagon Wheel Notch.

A good woods road lead me east around Little Point's north slopes before it left state land and left me to bushwhack the rest of the way.  Along the way, I literally stumbled upon this large vernal pond on the east slopes of Little Point.

From the vernal pond, a nice and easy descent east brought me down to my car.  Covered about 4 miles total, with 1200 feet of ascent.

Map below.   Red P=Parking    Red X=Little Point summit   Blue X's=Ledges