Roosa Gap State Forest, NY

ABOUT THE PARK:
Shawangunk Ridge - Wikipedia
The Long Path - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
The Shawangunk Ridge Trail - SRT Run/Hike

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.606240, -74.426607

Parking for this hike is in the Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest lot.

TRAIL MAP:
Shawangunk Ridge Trail Map 3 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
Roosa Gap State Forest Map - Andyarthur.org

HIKE DISTANCE: 6.8 miles

THE HIKE:
The ongoing fugitive manhunt in the forests of Pennsylvania, bear mauling in New Jersey, how about hiking in New York?

This sign was in the parking lot by the start of the yellow trail.  It was 7:30 AM and 51 degrees so I figured the bees would still be asleep (they were) and we could road walk in lieu of the yellow trail on our return route, which is what we did.

Just too inviting not to go so we tiptoed through and did not wake the bees up.

There would normally be several creek crossings and waterfalls but everything was bone dry.

Turn right at the Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail intersection.

Cross Ferguson Road and continue on the Long Path North.

It's a steep, relentless climb up.

Views south with low clouds in the valley early in the morning.

Looking south to High Point Monument in NJ about 25 miles away.

The Catskills start to come into view.

A memorial at an intersection.  The trail to the right goes to the fire tower, now used by the NY State Police, I believe, but I investigated that on the way back since in the morning the sun was blinding from that direction.

Onward on the Long Path.

Sam's Point

More open views of the Catskills.

View east towards the Hudson Valley and South Taconics.

Break spot with Catskill views.

Heading back south, High Point Monument in the distance.

Back at the intersection and turned left to explore now that the sun had moved around.

Roosa Gap Fire tower.  No admittance - it's fenced off.

The access road to Roosa Gap Fire Tower.

The clouds have lifted and the valley can now be seen.

As well as Kohl's warehouse.  It looked better under the clouds.

View west into the valley.

One last view of the Shawangunk Ridge to the south with High Point Monument about in the middle.

High Point Monument

Starting the descent.

The descent becomes rockier and steeper.

To avoid the bees on the yellow trail, we turned left on Ferguson Road.

Not her idea of a good time but better than her snapping at a swarm of bees.

We stopped for a drink then ...

... a dunk since there was absolutely no water for her to cool her paws off in. 

Revived enough to finish.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take the yellow trail from the parking lot
[  0.80]  Turn right on the Long Path/Shawangunk Trail (Teal/Blue); cross Ferguson Road
[  2.10]  Keep left at intersection with memorial
[  3.30]  Turn around and begin retrace when trail starts to descend
[  3.40]  Break spot off to the right with Catskill views
[  3.70]  On the left is one end of the orange trail on the Andyarthur.org map but it was too overgrown to follow
[  4.50]  Turn left at memorial intersection
[  4.70]  Turn right at intersection and loop around Roosa Gap Fire Tower
[  5.00]  Keep straight on Long Path/Shawangunk Trail at memorial intersection
[  5.40]  Trail go left goes short distance to more open views
[  6.20]  Left on Ferguson Road
[  6.80]  Back at parking lot

Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest, NY

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

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.577162, -74.464917

View Larger Map

Parking at the VFW Post looking back at the entrance drive.

TRAIL MAP:
Shawangunk Ridge Trail Map 3 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest, NY at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  8.7 miles

THE HIKE:

Continuing beyond the VFW Post, to the left is the abandoned rail bed with is the return route, to the far right, the three white blazes indicating the start of the connector trail to the Shawangunk Ridge Trail/Long Path.

The trail switchbacks up ...

... to the ridge.

Route 17 in the distance.

Looking back to the south.

The trail descends then ascends to the ridge of the mountain ahead.

A pretty creek crossing before ascending.

Kohl's warehouse down below.

The mountain we just came from behind us.

There is lead contamination in the area from tailings from old lead mines.  These warning signs are so far away from the trail I needed the 35x zoom to read them.

The Catskills in the distance but unfortunately they were under low cloud cover.

The best shot I could get when the clouds lifted a bit before covering the mountains again.

Looking back at Kohl's warehouse with the airport next to it.  It was a very windy day so that might be why no planes were flying.

A fire tower up ahead which runs near the trail beyond where there hike is going.

Break time.  We had to find a sheltered spot since it was too windy at the open views.

One final look at the partially cloud covered Catskills before descending.

The one on the right grew right through a hole in a dead leaf,

A pretty creek crossing.

Hoping this is far enough away from the lead contamination.

On the other side of the creek a yellow-blazed trail leave to the right and follows the creek for a bit.  This trail leads to a parking lot less than a mile away.

After the yellow trail intersection, the blue circle blazes become the Long Path aqua blaze.

The trail crosses Ferguson Road; here we turn left.

It's about a 3/4 of a mile road walk on Ferguson Road with a few cars passing.  The worst part is all of the garbage dumped on the side of the road and off the road down into the woods.  I have never seen anything quite like it and it really put a damper on an otherwise lovely hike.

Turn left just beyond an abandoned mustard-colored house at this old red structure ...

The left at the yellow gate on to the abandoned rail bed, which for the most part is a gravel road that doesn't much resemble a rail bed.

This is how you can tell you are on the rail bed.

A couple of unattractive pits along the way...

... littered with shotgun shells.

There are some interesting parts like the old stone farm wall on the left and cascades along the way.

Several paths join in from the left which I think might connect back to the Shawnagunk Ridge Trail/Long Path.

Down below the canal with the D&H Canal Path which I was thinking might have been a better option as most of the rail bed was not that nice.

Passing through the section where the runoff from the lead mines would be heading downhill and again the signs were so far away they required 35x zoom to be read.

Finally the gravel stops and it looks more like a rail bed.

And a garbage dump.  I have never seen so many dumped couches, mattresses, televisions and tires.

Back at the VFW Post.

Helmeted Guineafowl along the road on the drive out.  We really like them because they eat ticks!

Back at home, a bath and blow dry to get rid of any lead she might have picked up.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Continue towards abandoned rail bed then right right on white-blazed trail
[  0.15]  Left on aqua-blazed Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail (blazed blue through state forest)
[  1.65]  Cross woods road
[  1.90]  Cross woods road
[  2.30]  Cross woods road
[  3.95]  Rock hop creek and continue on blue; yellow to the right leads to parking lot
[  4.20]  Turn left on Ferguson Road
[  5.35]  Turn left on paved road at mustard-colored house with red barn
[  5.45]  Turn left at yellow gate on to abandoned rail bed
[  6.40]  Woods road goes to the left
[  7.30]  Trail comes in from the left
[  7.65]  Gravel road with yellow gate and stop sign goes left
[  7.90]  Footpath to the left with no motorized vehicles sign
[  8.70]  Back at parking

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