Indian Head Wilderness Area
Directions
For parking areas see TC Map 41
Park Overview
The Indian Head Wilderness Area comprises 16,800 acres of state Forest Preserve land at the east edge of the Catskill Mountains along the border between Greene County and Ulster County. The topography is extremely rugged and includes five major peaks.
The DEC site contains little information about this wilderness area.
For a compilation of New York State lands in the Catskill Forest Preserve consisting of wild forests and wilderness areas click here. For a description of Catskill Park and its trails click here.
Trail Overview
See Catskill Park [link above] and Trail Conference, Catskill Trails, Map 41.
Park Description
A wilderness area is where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by humans --where we are visitors who do not remain. A wilderness is further defined to mean an area of State land or water having a primeval character, without significant improvements or permanent human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve, and where necessary, enhance and restore, its natural conditions. Wilderness areas offer outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation.
A wild forest is an area of Forest Preserve land which differs from wilderness in that generally the physical characteristics of wild forest areas are capable of withstanding higher levels of recreational use. Wild forest areas convey less of a sense of remoteness and provide fewer outstanding opportunities for solitude for visitors. [Source: adapted from the State of New York, Catskill Park State Land Master Plan, August 2008