Fahnestock State Park, NY - School Mountain Road Loop

ABOUT THE PARK:
Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park - NY State Office of Parks and Recreation

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.442292, -73.915487

View Larger Map

There are many parking places along the right side of the road beyond the clearing on the right (one trailhead) opposite the house on the left.  Another way to access the trail is a little farther up the road to the right of the gate at the right of Hubbard Lodge.

First trailhead at open field beyond which parking starts.

Second trail access to the right of the gate and gazebo  next to Hubbard Lodge.

TRAIL MAP:
East Hudson Trails, Trail Map 103 - NY/NJ Trail Conference
Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park Trail Map - NY State Parks

HIKE DISTANCE:
12.5 miles
click here for the shorter 7.5 mile Round Hill/East Mountain Loop

PEAK BAGGING:
Round Hill
East Mountain

HIKE DIRECTIONS:
Several of the views are overgrown in the summer so to get the most out of the views, the best time for this hike would be when leaves are down.

Whether you begin at the clearing or at Hubbard lodge, the trails converge at a map.  If starting from the clearing, continue straight on the white/blue trail; if coming from Hubbard Lodge, turn left on the white/blue trail.

Map where trails come together.

School Mountain Road (white) combined with Fahnestock Trail (blue)

Old pillars just before the blue-blazed Fahnestock Trail leaves the white-blazed School Mountain Road

View south from summit of Round Hill

View from summit of Round Hill (click twice to enlarge)

Blue-blazed Fahnestock Trail

The Fahnestock Trail passes along a pond

Red-blazed Charcoal Burners Trail

View from side trail off of red-blazed Charcoal Burners Trail

View from Charcoal Burners Trail (click twice to enlarge)

Blue-blazed Wiccopee Trail

School Mountain Road is lined with old stone walls

Abandoned house on School Mountain Road

Old, rusty farm equipment on East Mountain Loop Trail

View of South Beacon Mountain from East Mountain

View of Fishkill RIdge from East Mountain

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.10]  Trails from clearing and Hubbard Lodge meet at map, continue on white/blue School Mountain Road
[  0.15]  Cross over two steel bridges
[  0.35]  Old stone wall, old stone pillars, cross bridge, turn right on blue as white goes straight
[  1.05]  Partial views at rock outcrop on right
[  1.85]  Views to the south at summit of Round Hill
[  3.65]  Right on blue/yellow when yellow goes left (for 7.5 mile version, turn left here)
[  4.00]  Left on blue when yellow goes right
[  4.25]  Pond on right but no access
[  4.60]  Cross over Clove Creek
[  4.75]  Right on blue at fork when left is unmarked
[  5.50]  Left on red-blazed Charcoal Burners Trail when blue/red goes right
[  6.35]  Side trail to right to view
[  6.45]  At intersection red ends; continue straight on blue-blazed Wiccopee Trail when unmarked goes left
[  7.20]  Left on blue when yellow goes right
[  7.35]  At fork keep right on blue when unmarked comes in from left
[  8.25]  Left on white-blazed School Mountain road when blue ends
[  9.50]  Keep right on white when unmarked comes in from left (not on map)
[  9.75]  Abandoned house on right; turn right on red-blazed East Mountain Loop Trail just beyond the house but before the bridge
[10.55]  Partial views of Fishkill Ridge
[11.25]  Cross wood beam bridge; right on white-blazed School Mountain road; cross another wood beam bridge
[11.80]  Cross steel bridge
[12.10]  Keep straight on white when blue goes left at old stone pillars and steel bridge
[12.30]  Cross steel bridge
[12.35]  Either straight or right at intersection with map
[12.50]  Back at parking

Clarence Fahnestock State Park, NY - AT-Fahnestock-Perkins Loop from Dennytown Road

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Clarence Fahnestock State Park - New York State Parks

New Trailheads and Parking Lots at Fahnestock - The Highlands Current

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 41.420584, -73.868904

Dennytown Road Appalachian Trail Parking

TRAIL MAP: 

East Hudson Trails Map 103 - NY-NJ Trail Conference

Clarence Fahnestock State Park Trail Map - New York State Parks

HIKE DISTANCE:  12.7 miles

THE HIKE:

Taking the Appalachian Trail northbound for the first 4 miles of the hike.  We would be returning from the 3 Lakes Trail.

Crossing Sunken Mine Road.

Crossing the blue 3 Lakes Trail.

Coming up on Route 301.

Canopus Lake

It's a short road walk on Route 301 with new (as of June 2021) AT parking on the left up ahead and the AT continuing at the kiosk on the right.

Leaving the AT on the blue Fahnestock Trail.

The red Charcoal Burners Trail joins in from the left.

Beaver Pond

Staying left on blue when red leaves to the right.

Left on blue when white starts to the right.

It's much easier hiking on a smoother woods road for a bit.

Leaving blue and taking the yellow Perkins Trail straight ahead.

Yellow leaves to the left as a footpath.

It descends steeply ...

... crosses Glynwood Road ...

... then rock hops over Clove Creek.

Clove Creek

The yellow trail then follows along scenic Clove Creek for a while.

Ascending to the left leaving Clove Creek.

The trail becomes mowed grass at the top - a welcome change after miles of rugged trail.

Coming up on the new (as of June 2021) parking lot.

I missed the turn to stay on yellow here.  It actually goes behind the parking lot.

I road walked to the kiosk up head ...

... where the white trail passes behind and leads directly to the yellow trail to the right.

Yellow crosses the parking lot access road.

At the end of yellow, right on the red Charcoal Burners Trail.

Crossing back over Route 301.

Crossing over the yellow Old Mine Railroad Trail.

At the end of red, right on the blue 3 Lakes Trail for the rest of the way.

John Allen Pond

The 3 Lakes Trail turns right on Sunken Mine Road.

The trail leaves Sunken Mine Road to the left.

This is a steep descent and I was glad I made it through that part before the sun set completely.

Passing by the opposite end of the swamp from the beginning of the hike.

Coming off the trail at the ruins along the edge of the parking lot just before dark.