Teva Trails

Slide Mountain Wilderness, Catskills, New York

Four days in the Slide Mountain Wilderness

Real trail miles, three summits, and nights at backcountry camps, with davening and learning built into every day.

Our mission

Mountains have a way of making space for what matters.

We give Orthodox Jewish teens an unforgettable four-day adventure: challenging trails, breathtaking views, and late-night laughs by the fire, where they push their limits, deepen their connection to Hashem, and grow together.

No counselors phoning it in. No watered-down "outdoor experience." Just guides who've spent years in Torah education and on backcountry trails, taking small groups across the Slide Mountain wilderness for the kind of trip that quietly changes a kid.

The route

Our usual route, the Burroughs Range loop, over four days

Topographic map of the loop from the Woodland Valley trailhead over Slide, Cornell and Wittenberg mountains, with the backcountry camps marked
Our loop from the Woodland Valley trailhead over Slide, Cornell and Wittenberg. The gold markers are where we camp each night. Elevation: USGS. Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.
Elevation along the route, day by day.

Day by day

The guides set the pace and can change the plan for weather or the group. This is how a trip usually runs.

  1. Day 1

    Up the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail

    Meet at The White Shul in Far Rockaway and drive to the Woodland Valley trailhead. Hike the Phoenicia-East Branch Trail to our first camp. Maariv, dinner and learning around the fire.

  2. Day 2

    Slide Mountain

    Shacharis at camp, then the old carriage road around to the west side of Slide Mountain and the climb to the top, at 4,180 feet the highest peak in the Catskills. Then along the ridge to our second camp, between Slide and Cornell.

  3. Day 3

    Cornell and Wittenberg

    Over Cornell and down the Cornell Crack, a rock scramble, then Wittenberg for the view over the Ashokan Reservoir. Down the far side to our last camp, about a mile above Woodland Valley.

  4. Day 4

    Swim and head home

    A short downhill walk out to Woodland Valley, then swimming and a slow morning before we pack the van. Back at The White Shul by 7:00 PM.

The experience

Six things you won't find at a regular camp.

Every Teva Trails trip is built around the same six pillars, the difference between a hike and a journey.

    What we provide

    A hiking pack on loan, a shared tent, kosher food for the whole trip, and transportation from The White Shul and back.

    What he brings

    A sleeping bag, clothing and personal gear. We send the full packing list once he's accepted.

    Ready to bring him along?

    $1,000 per camper. Applications for Summer 2027 are open.

    Apply for Summer 2027 See dates and cost