Big Indian — The Tiny Hamlet at the Foot of the Catskills' Highest Peak

## Big Indian, Smaller Than the Map Suggests Big Indian is a hamlet, not a town in any organizational sense. Drive Rt 28 west from Phoenicia and the road climbs into a high valley with a country store, a couple of older houses, and the trailhead-feeder roads that climb up into the Slide Mountain Wilderness. That's Big Indian. Population in the broader Shandaken township sits under 3,000; the hamlet itself is a couple of dozen buildings. What the small footprint hides is the trail system. Big Indian sits at the foot of Slide Mountain (4,180′), the highest peak in the Catskills, and the surrounding wilderness contains the Slide-Cornell-Wittenberg ridge — the most-storied ridge walk in the range. Half the cabin rentals in the area exist specifically to put hikers on those trails at first light. ## Where to Buy No licensed dispensary in Big Indian. Closest options: - The closest is up in Phoenicia direction — there's no licensed shop in Phoenicia proper either. **Wintergreen** in Tannersville is the closest eastern option (~40 minutes via Phoenicia and Rt 23A) and **Lively Harvest** in Margaretville is the closest western option (~40 minutes via Rt 28 west and Rt 30). - Practically: stock before you arrive. Stewart Airport / Newburgh travelers route through the Hudson Valley dispensaries; western travelers hit Margaretville on the way in. A Big Indian weekend is a "stocked already" weekend. The hamlet has a country store, not a cannabis economy. ## Slide Mountain — The Headline Hike Slide is the high point of the Catskills 3500 Club's 33-peak list. The standard summit route comes in from Slide Mountain Wilderness Area parking on Rt 47 (the Big Indian-side approach), climbs about 1,800′ to the summit, and runs about 5.5 miles round-trip via the most direct loop. Stronger hikers traverse out to Cornell and Wittenberg for the full ridge — 13–15 miles depending on exit, full day, real elevation gain, the kind of hike where you start in the dark and finish in the dark in shoulder seasons. Trail conditions matter. The summer summit is dry rock; the spring summit is mud and hidden ice; the winter summit is full crampon and ice-axe terrain on the steep sections. Don't underestimate the winter climb — Slide has injured experienced hikers with bad route choices. Cannabis-aware framing for adults 21+: **New York state law prohibits cannabis consumption on state-owned land and in public spaces.** The Slide Mountain Wilderness is state Forest Preserve land. Pre-roll at the cabin, summit clean, celebrate at the rental. ## Beyond Slide The surrounding wilderness contains other named peaks — Panther, Giant Ledge, Doubletop — most of them on the 3500 list. **Giant Ledge** is the easier reasonable half-day option from the Phoenicia-side trailhead, with views toward Slide and the Devil's Path that justify the modest 2.4-mile round-trip walk. **Panther** (3,720′) is a slightly bigger half-day; **Doubletop** is a bushwhack-only summit best left for repeat 3500 chasers. ## Pine Hill and Belleayre Big Indian is also the gateway to Belleayre Mountain Ski Area, which sits about 8 miles west in the Pine Hill / Highmount area. Belleayre is state-run, family-friendly, and currently the cleaner-skiing alternative to Hunter and Windham. Lift tickets price more reasonably than Windham, the lifts are well-maintained, and the trail map runs to 67 named trails over multiple peaks. A winter Big Indian weekend can ski Belleayre Saturday (8 miles) and ski Belleayre Sunday (8 miles) without ever pointing the car east, which is a quieter weekend than a Hunter trip. ## Lodging Cabins are the move in Big Indian. Small rental cabins, A-frames, the occasional restored hunting lodge — book six weeks ahead in foliage season, two weeks ahead other times. The Belleayre side has more inn-style options if rustic-cabin energy isn't the point. **The Emerson** down in Mount Tremper (15 minutes east) is the spa-resort alternative if a Big Indian-flavored hike weekend wants a comfortable Saturday-night spa stop. ## The Weekend Template ### Friday Arrive late afternoon. Settle in. Drive to Phoenicia (15 minutes) for dinner at the Phoenicia Diner or Sweet Sue's; back to the cabin before 9. ### Saturday Pre-dawn coffee, pack-out, drive to the Slide Mountain trailhead (or Giant Ledge for a less ambitious day). Summit. Down. Late lunch at the cabin or back in Phoenicia. Evening: rental porch, low effort. ### Sunday Belleayre lift-and-lunch if winter; Mount Tremper / Emerson Spa for an afternoon if non-winter; or a third smaller hike (Esopus Creek loop) if the legs want a final easy walk. Drive home via Phoenicia. ## Why Big Indian Big Indian is for the weekend where the mountain is the point. No dining scene, no gallery to visit, no distraction. Trailhead at the door, peak above, cabin with the right view of either. Adults 21+ on a clean hike-and-cabin weekend get exactly what the place advertises — and the cannabis logistics, while requiring planning, become part of the slowing-down ritual instead of a pain point.