Owl Head to Owls Head

The people in charge of naming things sometimes just run out of ideas. So today, Kathy and I explored two of New York’s similarly-named spots: Owl Head Lookout and Owls Head.

Owl Head Lookout (marked as the possessive “Owl’s Head Lookout” on some signage) is just over the line in Elizabethtown, NY, a few minutes north on 9N between Keene and Keene Valley. It serves some as a stopping point 2.6 miles on the way to Giant Mountain through pretty forest. With a mild grade the whole way, it doesn’t take much more than an hour at a normal pace.

The lookout at Owl Head Lookout is nice, with Giant Mountain and Hurricane Mountain prominent.

Along the way, we stopped to photograph all the various flora in bloom.

After stopping for lunch, we grabbed some maple syrup from South Meadow Farm Sugar Works and on the way back to Keene stopped at Owls Head. Typically cited as a ‘beginner’ peak, it is just off Route 73 and an easy 15 minutes uphill to a wonderful lookout. Owls Head in Keene easily beats the Owl Head in Elizabethtown for vistas, but the latter has a better hike.

All things considered though, I would certainly do either one again!