Saturday, October 10, 2015

Huckleberry Ridge State Forest, NY - Lenape Ridge and Minisink Trails


ABOUT THE PARK:
Huckleberry Ridge State Forest - New York New Jersey Trail Conference

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.358542, -74.676233
Parking lot off of Minisink Avenue.

TRAIL MAP:
Kittatinny Trails Map 123 - NYNJ Trail Conference
Huckleberry Ridge State Forest Free Map - NYNJ Trail Conference

Huckleberry Ridge State Forest, NY at EveryTrail

HIKE DISTANCES:
These three hikes all done in one day along with a scenic drive from one to the other.
Mongaup Valley WMA, NY - Mongaup River Trail - 2.3 miles
     drive 8.3 miles/20 minutes to Plank Road Viewing Area (41.52152, -74.76094)
     drive 4.1 miles/9 minutes to Route 43 Viewing Area (41.55491, -74.78505)
     drive 16.2 miles/26 minutes to
Minisink Battleground Park, NY - 2 miles
     drive 24 miles/41 minutes to
Huckleberry Ridge State Forest, NY (not part of the Upper Delaware NPS trails) - 4.3 miles


THE HIKE:
The combined yellow/red trails start to the right of the kiosk.  It's overgrown but just for a few yards then ...
... it opens up.
Already at the tops, these trails follow the ridge but there will be some short steeper sections along the way.
Yellow splits away to the left and red to the right.  I chose to take yellow first since it is a more undulating trail and I like to get the harder part done first.
The trail is gorgeous throughout but you might want to check the Port Jervis High School football schedule before heading out.  If there is a game, like there was on this particular day, you will hear every cheer, every cowbell, every marching band beat, every word the announcer says.  The sound all travels right up the ridge and you'll feel like you are at a high school football game while hiking.
As I was hiking along, something fell out of a tree and landed right next to me.  Turns out it was a 6-inch piece of old bone. Almost hit me in the head, it did!
She still beats me to the top of an incline where she patiently waits.
Views of the valley and Port Jervis with Elks-Brox Memorial Park on the far right.
A helicopter came in ...
... and landed, no doubt at the hospital we had passed on the way in.
When views open up straight ahead you can see the Gunks in the distance.
In the power cut...
... red joins back in so to make the loop, this is where you make a sharp right turn....
... on to red.
Heinlein Lake below.  Yes, the water was green.
In the distance on the next ridge, I-84 and a rest stop.
A white blaze that doesn't belong.
In the distance ...
... High Point Monument in New Jersey.
Yellow joins back in.
Back at the parking lot.

3 comments:

  1. Very nice trail! Shawnee looks great! Thanks for sharing. Joanne

    ReplyDelete
  2. Did you see any camp sites along the way?

    ReplyDelete