Rochester Hollow is my goto place when I need a walk in the woods. The trail head lies just east of Pine Hill on Matyas Road on the north side of rt 28. The trail is an old logging road that follows a stream up to the top of Rose Mountain. Springs at the top feed the stream. It is one of the few trails that is Handicapped Accessible. It is also a moderate cross-country trail that I often use when there is at least a foot of snow on the ground. In the winter wear cross country skis or snowshoes. The trail rises along the logging road for 2.5 miles. At the top of the trail is an Adirondack Lean-to for overnight camping. There are plenty of springs and water sources for drinking water which is quite rare in the Catskills.I have seen chipmunks, garden snakes, deer, and wild turkey on the trail. In the winter i have seen coyote and fox tracks at the top of the mountain.
At the crest of Rose Mountain, there are a couple of loop trails through the woods. Rochester Hollow was named after Colonel William Rochester who built an estate at the top of Rose Mountain. One of the highlights of the trail is just beyond a sharp turn near the trail high point: a monument dedicated to 19th-century Catskills naturalist John Burroughs. A major collection of Burroughs writings can be found in the Skene Memorial Library in Fleischmanns , NY.