Minnewaska State Park Preserve, NY

ABOUT THE PARK: 
Minnewaska State Park Preserve - New York State Parks
Minnewaska State Park Preserve - Wikipedia

TRAIL MAP:
NY/NJ Trail Conference Shawangunk Trails Map #104
New York State Parks Online Map

DIRECTIONS:
These are directions for the Jenny Lane parking lot (room for 8 cars) which is about a mile farther than the main park entrance so this information can be used to reach the main parking areas also.  The parking lots at the main entrance do not open until 9 am and a fee (around $8) is charged.  Parking at Jenny Lane adds 1.75 miles to the hike, avoids crowded parking lots at the park, does require fording a stream with no bridge or rock hops, is accessible before 9am and there is no fee to park.

GPS Coordinates to Jenny Lane Parking: 41.741832,-74.252905

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HIKE DISTANCE:
For the 10 mile NY/NJ Trail Conference version from the main parking lot, click here.
From Jenny Lane parking - 11.75 miles

HIKE DIRECTIONS:
A star on the map indicates a scenic view.  If all of the scenic views on this hike were to be shown on the map, you would not be able to see the trail for all of the stars.  It's not an easy hike in some places but there is no shortage of views.

From the Jenny Lane parking lot, take the gravel road beyond the barrier.  After a short distance, turn right on the teal-blazed Long Path.  You'll be on the teal-blazed Long Path for the first 6.30 miles.  At .25 miles come to an intersection where the gravel road forks at an information board.  Take the right fork for a few steps watching for the teal blazes to continue to the right on a foot path.  If you come to a creek where it looks like there used to be a bridge but there is no bridge, you missed the turn.

At .5 miles cross over Route 44/55 and continue on the teal-blazed trail.

Some fall foliage along on Route 44/55

Rock hop over creek with waterfalls.

Although I did not see any, signs warn of rattlesnakes along this open rock slab area.

 

After joining, then leaving the black-blazed Lower Awosting Carriageway, cross a stream with waterfalls that might be difficult without getting your feet wet.  I had better luck a few steps upstream.

As the trail ascends be sure to look behind you for views of the Catskills.

 

Continuing along the teal-blazed Long Path...

The trail will start to descend steeply down rocks.  Then, the most magnificent waterfalls, Rainbow Falls, from down below.  Expect to get spritzed as you carefully navigate the sometimes slippery trail along the waterfalls.  Pictures cannot capture how amazing these falls are.  You have to be there.  And most likely nobody else will be as there is no access without hiking to the falls.

 

After the Long Path crosses over the Upper Awosting Carriageway, the trail climbs up to ledges with amazing views.

The top of Rainbow Falls in the right section of the rock ledges.

The Catskill Mountains

 

 

Lake Awosting from Litchfield Ledge

The teal-blazed Long Path will merge with the blue-blazed Castle Point Carriageway at 5.4 miles.  Where there have been hardly any people up to this point, the trails will start to become more populated.  Arrive at Castle Point at 6 miles.  The teal trail continues straight head OVER the ledge.  It can be hard to see the trail blazes if people are standing on them so you have to look carefully.  (There is a blaze on the boulder in this picture.)

Castle Point

High Point Monument in New Jersey from Castle Point

The trail does go down the side of the ledge very steeply.  You could simply stay on the Castle Point Carriageway that runs parallel to the Hamilton Point Carriageway but it's crowded and truly, the steep descent to the Hamilton Point Carriageway is actually a lot of fun.  It will, however, be very difficult with dogs.  Knowing I could not get mine down by myself, I teamed up with some other hikers with dogs and we managed to get ourselves plus four dogs (3 of them large German shepherds, the 4th a cocker spaniel) down the steep descent.

Castle Point from below after descending.

The bottom of the descent puts you on to the Hamilton Point Carriageway.  From here turn left following the yellow markers for more great views at Hamilton Point all along the carriageway to Echo Rock.

 

Gertrude's Nose

Hamilton Point Carriageway

Echo Rock

At 9.15 miles turn left on the red trail with Lake Minnewaska on the right.

 

Turn right on the orange-blazed Sunset Carriageway at 9.8 miles.

View from the Sunset Carriageway

The second time you come to the park road, turn right, cross a bridge, then turn left at the gate house proceeding towards the parking lot where the hike would have started if you did not park at Jenny Lane.

Turn right in the parking lot to exit at Route 44/55.  Turn left and walk a short distance along the shoulder of Route 44/55.  Watch for a trail on the right.  You will first see blue blazes for the Peters Kill Trail.  Keep going just a few steps farther to this unmarked, unmaintained woods road blocked by boulders.  This is the trail back to Jenny Lane.

Although unmarked, this is a wide woods road that is easy to follow.  At 11.45 miles come to a creek that looks as though it had a bridge crossing over at one point but no longer does.  You should probably expect to roll up your pants legs and wade on over as there are no rocks above water to rock hop on.  It's not that much farther to the car if you have to get your feet wet.

At 11.5 miles arrive at the intersection with the information sign where you turned at the beginning of the hike.  Keep straight on the gravel road which is now the teal-blazed Long Path.  At the next intersection, turn left on the gravel road leaving the Long Path, heading back to the parking lot.  

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  From Jenny Lane parking take the gravel road beyond the barrier
[  0.10]  Turn right on gravel road which is now teal-blazed Long Path
[  0.25]  Right on footpath of teal-blazed trail at fork at information sign (not gravel road)
[  0.50]  Cross over Route 44/55 and continue on teal-blazed trail
[  0.60]  Flat rock slab with waterfalls; rock hop to the right over stream
[  2.20]  Keep straight on teal-blazed trail when light blue trail starts to the left at cairn
[  2.75]  Turn right at power cut for short distance then left
[  3.25]  Teal-blazed trail turns right merging with black-blazed Lower Awosting Carriageway
[  3.35]  Teal-blazed trail leaves Lower Awosting Carriageway to the left
[  3.60]  Cross waterfalls; proceed uphill; look behind you at top of ascent for view of Catskills
[  3.90]  Rainbow Falls
[  4.10]  Cross over green-blazed Upper Awosting Carriageway
[  5.00]  Litchfield Ledge with views of Lake Awosting
[  5.40]  Left on teal-blazed trail as it merges with blue-blazed Castle Point Carriageway
[  6.00]  Castle Point - watch for teal blazes on rocks going over cliff to descend steeply
[  6.30]  At bottom of descent, left on yellow-blazed Hamilton Carriage Way
[  6.55]  Hamilton Point
[  8.55]  Echo Rock
[  8.80]  Keep straight on Hamilton Carriageway as trails merge in from left the from right
[  9.15]  Turn left on red-blazed trail with Lake Minnewaska on right
[  9.45]  Keep straight on red trail as blue trail comes in from the left
[  9.80]  Turn right on orange-blazed Sunset Carriageway
[10.20]  Cross over park road staying on orange trail
[10.50]  Turn right on park road and cross bridge; turn left at gate house on gravel road
[10.75]  Turn right and walk through parking lot to Route 44/55
             Turn left on Route 44/55 and walk short distance looking for trail on right.
             Cross over at blue-blazed Peters Kill Trailhead but continue along Route 44/55
             Turn right on unmarked woods road blocked off by boulders
[11.45]  Ford creek to continuation of woods road on other side
[11.50]  At intersection, take teal-blazed gravel road straight ahead
[11.65]  At gravel road intersection teal goes straight, turn left to return to parking lot
[11.75]  Arrive at parking lot

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