Lake Awosting, Minnewaska State Park State Minnewaska Awosting, Lake View from Balsam Mountain Balsam from View

Bluestone Wild Forest Forest Wild Wild Bluestone Bluestone Hudson Hudson the the Over Over Walkway Walkway

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Mohonk Mountain House House Mountain Mohonk

Featured Reservoir Ashokan

Hudson River Towns & Cities 6 Falling Waters Preserve (Town of Saugerties) 12 Mohonk Preserve Approximately two miles of varied trails exist on this 149-acre preserve. The trails (Towns of Rochester, Rosendale, Marbletown) 1 Walkway Over the Hudson & Hudson Valley are an excellent place to explore the rugged beauty of the Hudson River, while Located just north of Minnewaska Park, Mohonk Preserve is New York State’s Rail Trail hiking atop rock ledges that slant precipitously into the water. The 0.65-mile largest visitor- and member-supported nature preserve with 165,000 annual (Hamlet of Highland, Town of Lloyd) white-blazed Riverside Trail hugs the river and offers great views. The 0.9-mile visitors and 8,000 protected acres of cliffs, forests, fields, ponds and streams. The Walkway Over the Hudson (Walkway), the longest-elevated pedestrian walkway red-blazed Upland Trail affords views of the Catskills and a picturesque waterfall. Named one of the five best city escapes nationwide by Outside magazine, Mohonk in the world, spans the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie and Highland and links www.scenichudson.org/parks/fallingwaters Preserve maintains over 70 miles of carriage roads and 40 miles of trails for together an 18-mile rail trail network on both sides of the Hudson. Connected to the Saugerties Lighthouse Trail (Village of Saugerties) hiking, cycling, trail running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and horseback 7 riding along the Shawangunk Mountains. It is also a major destination for rock Poughkeepsie Train Station by an elevator and fully accessible, the Walkway has Located along the Hudson River at the confluence of the Esopus Creek, the land climbers, hosting 50,000 climbers each year. Day use fee or membership required. become one of the most popular destinations in the Hudson Valley for walkers, surrounding the trail to the Lighthouse consists of 17 acres of wooded grounds and www.mohonkpreserve.org cyclists, and in-line skaters. www.walkway.org/visit tidal wetland flats. The scenic half-mile trail to the 19th Century Lighthouse and its The Hudson Valley Rail Trail (HVRT) begins at the west end of the Walkway and surrounding public decks, as well as a forked trail to a beachside picnic area on the offers a 3.5-mile, paved trail that is also fully accessible and plowed for use in the Hudson, offer a family-friendly and enjoyable hike for kids and a preferred spot for winter. The HVRT offers extraordinary vistas of Illinois Mountain, the surrounding bird watching and a boat launch. www.saugertieslighthouse.com Wallkill Valley Region ridgelines, and the Black Creek wetlands. The trail provides public restrooms at the Walkway, at the HVRT Depot/Rotary Park in Highland, and at the trail end at Tony 13 Wallkill VALLEY Rail Trail Williams Park. www.hudsonvalleyrailtrail.net Rondout Valley Region (Towns of GARDINER, NEW PALTZ, ROSENDALE, ULSTER) This flat, naturally-surfaced rail trail welcomes hikers, joggers, bicycle riders, 2 Franny Reese State Park O&W Rail Trail equestrians, dog walkers, and cross-country skiers. The nearly 22-mile linear park 8 passes historic districts, downtown areas, woodlands, stunning mountain views, (Hamlet of Highland, Town of Lloyd) (Towns of Hurley, Marbletown, Rochester, Wawarsing) orchards, cement mines/caverns, and waterways and traverses the historic Overlooking the Hudson River just south of the Walkway and HVRT, this 251-acre The O&W Rail Trail is a shared-use trail open for walking, running, bicycling, Rosendale Trestle, a magnificent 940-foot long bridge spanning the Rondout New York State park offers 2.5 miles of trails, including an historic carriage road horseback riding, inline skating (northern section only), cross-country skiing and Creek. The trail is primarily hard-packed dirt and gravel. www.wvrta.org that passes the ruins of a 19th-century estate. The trails provide superb views of snowshoeing. The O&W Rail Trail is partially-completed and will eventually run from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge. Kingston to Ellenville. The northern section, also known as the “Hurley Rail Trail,” Walden-Wallkill Rail Trail www.scenichudson.org/parks/frannyreese includes two miles of accessible, asphalt-paved trail that connects to a naturally- 14 surfaced trail running 11 miles southward. The trail picks up again to the south in the (Town of Shawangunk, Hamlet of Wallkill) Located a few miles south of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail along the same former 3 Black Creek Preserve hamlet of Accord, offering a three-mile dirt/gravel trail to the hamlet of Kerhonkson. An railroad line, this asphalt-paved rail trail extends 3.2 miles from Route 208 in the (Town of Esopus) additional 1.5-mile section in the hamlet of Napanoch runs along the Rondout Creek. hamlet of Wallkill to the Wooster Grove Park in the Village of Walden in Orange The 130-acre Black Creek Preserve is a great destination for a family-friendly hike. www.ulstercountyalive.com/listing/ow-rail-trail_dh-heritage-corridor Kids love crossing the dramatic suspension bridge that spans the Black Creek Hike County. The fully-accessible trail is open for walking, jogging, bicycling, in-line as well as exploring the Hudson River shoreline. Two miles of trails pass through 9 Lippman Memorial Park skating, dog walking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. rolling forest while heading to the Pitch Pine Overlook on the Hudson River near the (Village of Ellenville, Town of Wawarsing) www.ulstercountyalive.com/listing/walden-wallkill-rail-trail inlet of the Black Creek. www.scenichudson.org/parks/blackcreek Located in the valley between the scenic Shawangunk and Catskill Mountains, Lippman Park has become one of the most popular destinations in the region for 15 Minnewaska State Park Preserve / Sam’s Point Area 4 John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary mountain biking. Offering approximately 15 miles of single-track trails ranging (Towns of New Paltz, Gardiner) (Town of Esopus) from beginner to expert, the trails were developed by the Renegades Mountain Bike The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a 22,275-acre preserve located on the The Burroughs Sanctuary is a pristine and rugged 200-acre retreat where Club to offer fun and exciting rides for all skill levels. The park also includes a dramatic Shawangunk Mountain Ridge which rises more than 2,000 feet above literary naturalist John Burroughs built his rustic cabin retreat, Slabsides, in playground, ball fields, and walking trails. www.renegadesmtb.com sea level and is surrounded by rugged, rocky terrain. The park features numerous 1895. The Preserve offers a 4.5-mile network of trails, rated easy to moderate, Vernooy Kill State Forest / Sundown Wild Forest waterfalls, three crystalline sky lakes, dense hardwood forests, incising sheer cliffs 10 and ledges opening to beautiful views, clear streams cut into valleys, 35 miles of which wind through rocky ridges, deep forests, and onto a peninsula in a (Towns of Rochester, Wawarsing) carriage roads and 50 miles of footpaths on which to bike, walk, hike and simply stunning two-acre pond enabling you to experience the same forest, geologic New York State’s 30,000-acre Sundown Wild Forest and adjacent Vernooy Kill State enjoy. The park also includes Sam’s Point Preserve, the highest section of the formations, waterfalls, fern valleys, wildflowers, birds, and wildlife that Forest, which includes the former 5,000-acre Lundy estate, connect the Shawangunk Mountains, which features Ice Caves, a waterfall, and dwarf pine Burroughs reveled in over a hundred years ago. Trail features include a Shawangunk Mountains to the southernmost part of the Catskills and the State forests. Day use fee required. www.nysparks.com/parks/127/details.aspx 55-step stone stairway, boardwalks (one through Burroughs’ former celery Forest Preserve. These forever-wild forest lands are open for hikers, cyclists, swamp), and a ladder up a cliff. www.johnburroughsassociation.org equestrians, and other pursuits. A moderate 11.2-mile loop trail passes over the Mohonk Preserve Vernooy Kill and Balsam Swamp and leads to scenic Vernooy Falls, a spectacular 16 (Towns of New Paltz, Gardiner) 5 Shaupeneak Ridge 60-foot waterfall series. www.dec.ny.gov/lands/75346.html (Town of Esopus) Located just north of Minnewaska Park, Mohonk Preserve is New York State’s Located on the slopes and top of Shaupeneak Ridge, the 936-acre preserve 11 Minnewaska State Park Preserve / Sam’s Point Area largest visitor- and member-supported nature preserve with 165,000 annual offers wildflower-filled grasslands, a waterfall, pond, stunning rock (Town of Wawarsing) visitors and 8,000 protected acres of cliffs, forests, fields, ponds and streams. formations, scenic viewpoints, and an abundance of wildlife. Nearly nine miles The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a 22,275-acre preserve located on the Named one of the five best city escapes nationwide by Outside magazine, Mohonk of trails of varying difficulty and length allow exploration of the preserve’s dramatic Shawangunk Mountain Ridge which rises more than 2,000 feet above sea Preserve maintains over 70 miles of carriage roads and 40 miles of trails for myriad natural and scenic treasures. The 0.1-mile Purple Trail (off of the White level and is surrounded by rugged, rocky terrain. The park features numerous hiking, cycling, trail running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and horseback Trail) leads to a scenic waterfall; the easy 1.2-mile Blue Trail encircles Louisa waterfalls, three crystalline sky lakes, dense hardwood forests, incising sheer cliffs riding along the Shawangunk Mountains. It is also a major destination for rock Pond and adjacent wetlands, while the moderate 1.25-mile Red Trail is and ledges opening to beautiful views, clear streams cut into valleys, 35 miles of climbers, hosting 50,000 climbers each year. Day use fee or membership required. distinguished by its two scenic overlooks of the Hudson River and Catskills. carriage roads and 50 miles of footpaths on which to bike, walk, hike and simply www.mohonkpreserve.org www.scenichudson.org/parks/shaupeneakridge enjoy. The park also includes Sam’s Point Preserve, the highest section of the Shawangunk Mountains, which features Ice Caves, a waterfall, and dwarf pine forests. Day use fee required. www.nysparks.com/parks/127/details.aspx Front Cover Photo: Hudson Valley Rail Trail Catskill Mountain Region 20 Phoenicia-Mt. Tobias Wild Forest 24 Shandaken Wild Forest (Town of Shandaken) (Town of Shandaken) 17 Ashokan Reservoir Day Use Area This 7,300-acre Wild Forest offers several scenic day hikes, including a 5.8-mile, The Shandaken Wild Forest contains four different parcels, each with its own (Town of Olive) strenuous, roundtrip hike to the historic Mt. Tremper Fire Tower. The rocky trail distinctive character. The many remnants of past industries - farms, sawmills, Known locally as “The Frying Pan,” this recreational area is located on the southern hike leads to the top of Mt. Tremper (elevation 2,740 feet), which has a panoramic bluestone mining and tanneries - will intrigue those interested in Catskill history. shore of New York City’s Ashokan Reservoir and offers a paved walkway with view of the surrounding Catskill’s peaks and valleys. The fire tower is open and The Rochester Hollow area contains ruins of a former estate and a spruce panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains. Open for cyclists, walkers (without staffed with local interpreters from Memorial Day to Columbus Day each year. plantation (John Burroughs Memorial Forest) and offers three marked trails (five dogs), runners, in-line skaters, and nature enthusiasts, the handicapped- www.dec.ny.gov/lands/79221.html miles) open for moderate hiking and biking. Additional parcels near Belleayre Ski accessible walkway (2.75 miles) offers a flat area to view the Catskill high peaks Overlook Mountain Wild Forest Center offer accessible camping opportunities and short hiking trails. 21 www.dec.ny.gov/lands/75328.html and area wildlife, including bald eagles. Additionally, a picnic area nearby (seen on (Town of Woodstock) map) contains a 0.5-mile, flat, paved path around the picturesque “aerator” One of the top three most visited locations in the Catskill Forest Preserve, the Overlook 25 Bluestone Wild Forest / Onteora Lake (water fountain), where dogs are allowed. Mountain Wild Forest offers a unique combination of history and scenic beauty. (Towns of Hurley, Kingston, Ulster) http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/maps/Ashokan_Day_Use_Area.pdf Featuring a 60-foot historic fire tower (open weekends Memorial - Columbus Day The 3,000-acre Bluestone Wild Forest is located at one of the most popular gateways 18 Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center staffed by interpreters), mountain house ruins and impressive views of the Hudson to the Catskill Forest Preserve - just off Route 28 three miles west of Kingston. This (Town of Shandaken) River Valley and the central Catskills, the five-mile, moderate - difficult, round-trip hike popular preserve offers something for everyone, including hiking trail loops from two Located conveniently off Route 28 in Mount Tremper in the Catskill Park, the along an old carriage road, just outside Woodstock, has become a favorite for locals and trailheads totaling more than 10 miles which wind along 17-acre Onteora Lake and Center is the gateway for exploring the Catskills where detailed brochures and visitors. A spur trail offers an additional four-mile roundtrip hike down to Echo Lake. traverse through beautiful forest lands. Mountain biking on most of the main trails is maps for regional trails and area attractions are available. The Center offers a www.dec.ny.gov/lands/73982.html permitted, and the eastern portion of the preserve (Jockey Hill) offers 15 miles of flat half-mile loop trail that is fully-accessible and interpretive signage. There is Big Indian Wilderness Area challenging single track mountain biking trails. There is also a fully-accessible trail 22 section leading to a picnic area and lake overlook. also a half-mile nature trail leading uphill to a picnic area and scenic overlook. (Towns of Shandaken, Denning, Hardenburgh) www.dec.ny.gov/lands/75323.html www.catskillinterpretivecenter.org The 52-square-mile Big Indian Wilderness Area contains the longest stretch of hiking 19 Slide Mountain Wilderness trails through uninterrupted virgin forest in the Catskill Mountains. The 30 miles of 26 Sundown Wild Forest (Towns of Shandaken, Olive, Denning) trail traverse a rugged, mountainous landscape offering numerous opportunities for (Towns of Denning, Olive) The largest and most popular wilderness area in the Catskill Forest Preserve, solitude and abundant backcountry camping opportunities. The wilderness is host to The 30,100-acre Sundown Wild Forest covers a large swath of the southeast the Slide Mountain Wilderness encompasses more than 47,500 acres and eight prominent peaks including Balsam, Fir, Haynes and Eagle, as well as several Catskills, including several ridges and 10 mountains over 2,000 feet. This offers more than 35 miles of rugged trail for moderate to challenging hiking. unnamed mountaintops. Elevations range from 1,500-3,860 feet. preserve hosts an impressive mix of natural features - mountains, waterfalls, The well-marked trail network includes the Burroughs Range Trail, which www.dec.ny.gov/lands/9151.html valleys and rivers - all rich with trout streams, hiking, camping, and biking ascends Slide Mountain – the highest peak in the Catskills (elevation 4,180 Balsam Lake Mountain Wild Forest opportunities. In the western portion, a short, moderate 1.2-mile hike to Red Hill 23 fire tower provides unsurpassed views of the Catskill high peaks and Rondout feet), the Giant Ledge Trail, the Peekamoose-Table Trail, and others that wind (Town of Hardenburgh) Reservoir. On the eastern end, a moderate - difficult, seven-mile round-trip hike through remote forest land offer spectacular mountain views and Comprising 13,500 acres of “forever wild” Forest Preserve, this area offers a variety of or ride on the Ashokan High Point Trail along the Kanape Brook offers plenty of opportunities for primitive backcountry camping. A portion of the 357-mile trails for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing that range waterfalls and a summit view of nearby high peaks. Long Path also passes through this wilderness area. from easy to challenging. The Alder Lake Area includes a flat 1.5-mile loop trail as well www.dec.ny.gov/lands/75346.html www.dec.ny.gov/lands/9150.html as accessible picnic area, parking and seasonal sanitary facilities. The area also offers a more challenging six-mile round trip hike/bike trail to the summit of Balsam Lake Mountain (3,723 feet), where a 47-foot fire tower is staffed by interpreters on weekends from Memorial Day - Columbus Day. www.dec.ny.gov/lands/9152.html

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