ABOUT THE PARK:DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.75671, -74.13606
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| Pine Road Parking for Duck Pond Trailhead |
TRAIL MAP:
HIKE DISTANCE: 12.6 miles
THE HIKE:
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| Duck Pond Road starts directly opposite the parking area. |
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| A short distance in is the entrance fee payment area. |
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| Continuing on Duck Pond Road. |
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| Whenever there is a footpath alternative to the carriage road, I am on it. |
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| Although the Duck Pond Trail turns left on a carriage road, a footpath continues straight ahead so that is the way we went. |
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| Duck Pond |
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| Mohonk Mountain House from Duck Pond |
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| Left on Glory Hill Road. |
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| There is a little loop through a wildflower field to the right. |
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| It was overgrown but no thorns, all soft stuff... |
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| ... and lots and lots of American Goldfinches. With the exception of that large one. |
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| That would be a female Baltimore Oriole. |
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| American Goldfinch |
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| Back on Glory Hill Road, a view behind us before continuing on. |
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| Ovenbird |
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| A left on Oakwood Drive when the Glory Hill Trail continues straight. |
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| Left at the intersection ... |
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| ... over the bridge then left on Undercliff Road, looping around to return to this point from Overcliff Road. |
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| Lots of Hudson Valley views along the way. |
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| Lots of climbers getting ready to scale those vertical surfaces. Not in this lifetime! |
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| I am guessing that is for those who get injured. Yikes. |
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| When Undercliff Road turns sharply to the right, you get a view of that overlook that you pass driving up Route 55/44 to Minnewaska State Park. I have never stopped there because I prefer to hike to overlooks, not drive to them. |
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| Veering right to continue on Overcliff Road. |
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| Here you get views of the Catskills along the way. |
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| Back at that bridge from earlier in the hike, I had turned left on Old Minnewaska Road and stayed with that past Long Woodland Drive. |
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| Looping around Home Farm Circle is very much worth it. |
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| The picture does not do the view justice. |
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| Coming up on Forest Drive which is a boundary road of Mohonk Mountain House. Pets are not allowed but the man at the entrance where I paid the fee said boundary roads were OK with dogs. I just needed to go a short distance to the right... |
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| ... to turn right at the top of the red Duck Pond Trail, back into Mohonk Preserve. |
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| This descends very steeply on uneven rocks. |
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| Eventually the trail starts to smooth out. |
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| Crossing over Oakwood Drive. |
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| Another ovenbird. It was all ovenbirds and American goldfinches on this hike. |
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| Left on Upper Duck Pond Road. |
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| There are a couple of overlooks along the way. |
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| A mowed path on the right ... |
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| ... to the second overlook. |
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| Right on Kleinekill Farm Road. |
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| This isn't on the map but it's a nice grassy woods road over to a little pond. |
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| Continuing on Kleinekill Farm Road ... |
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| ... to a right on Lenape Lane. |
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| Kleinekill Farm |
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| Back at the entrance building, a sharp left ... |
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| ... back to Pine Road parking. |
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| I always make it a point to stop by Sheeley's Farm when I hike in the area. |
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| They have very nice organic produce. |
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