ReckonTrails Open the map

New York trails · Pine Hill West Branch Trail

Pine Hill West Branch Trail

A 10.7-mile out-and-back in New York, with 1,604 ft of climbing. Reaches Balsam Mountain and other summit/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the state.

Open in the interactive map →

Length
10.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,604 ft
Difficulty
Expert
Max grade
50%
Steepest mile
+875 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
4.8 mi
Shape
out-and-back
Bikes
no
Horses
no
Managed by
State

Elevation profile

2,092 – 3,697 ft135791113151719

The climbing leans toward the final third: 52% of the ascent falls between mile 12.7 and mile 19.1. It gives back about 3,467 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

3-D terrain view of Pine Hill West Branch Trail

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.
Terrain graded T2 (SAC scale).

Getting there

Pine Hill West Branch Trail access — parking nearby. 41.99136, -74.48466 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:53 a.m., the sun rises at 6:22 a.m. and sets at 7:33 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:02 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 12 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 21.3-mile round trip takes roughly 9 h 30 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 3:51 p.m. — 3 h 42 min before sunset.

Loop options

Nearby trails