Panther Mountain, a Catskill High Peak in Shandaken, New York, is one of the range’s most popular hikes because of its accessible routes, strong views, and nearby outlooks on Giant Ledge. Beyond recreation, it is notable for an unusual geological structure: its ridge is enclosed by creeks in a rough circle, and its streams form an uncommon rosette pattern. After an unsuccessful 1940s gas-drilling effort, later research pointed to Panther as the site of an ancient buried impact crater, supported by fractured bedrock, gravity readings, iron spherules, and shock-lamellae in quartz. Its significance is heightened by typical Catskill high-elevation forests, rare virgin spruce near the summit, and a long history of logging, quarrying, and trail building.