12. Sam's Point Preserve to Jenny Lane

Features: Shawangunk Mountains
Distance: 13.70 miles
USGS Map Quads: Napanoch
Trail Conference Maps: Trail Map 104, Southern Shawangunk Trails

General Description

The Long Path enters the northern Shawangunks by Lake Maratanza on the
Nature Conservancy's Sam's Point Preserve. The Shawangunks are one of
New York's most popular scenic destinations. Capped by a hard, white conglomerate,
the Shawangunks form a long mountain ridge with gently dipping
slopes along the surface of the conglomerate, that give way suddenly to great
white cliffs. A favored spot for rock climbers from all over the northeastern
US, the cliffs provide wonderful views of forested and farmed land in the valley
below. In addition, the many miles of carriageways provide unparalleled
mountain biking and cross-country skiing opportunities. The trail is quite rugged
where it traverses cliff sections. It passes by three lakes: Lake Maratanza,
Mud Pond and Lake Awosting. Lake Awosting especially is a gem with wooded
shores that plunge into clear, deep blue water. In this section, the Long Path
also passes two of the Shawangunk's finest waterfalls: Verkeerder Kill Falls and
Rainbow Falls.

Access

Take the New York State Thruway to Exit 17, Newburgh. Continue west on
Interstate Route 84 to Exit 5. Follow NY Route 208 north to NY Route 52.
Turn left onto Route 52 and follow it west to the top of the ridge at Cragsmoor.
Turn right on Cragsmoor Road and follow it 1.3 miles to the middle of the
Hamlet of Cragsmoor. At a three-way intersection, bear right and again make
a right onto Sam's Point Road. Follow Sam's Point Road one mile to parking
lot at end.

Parking

0.00 Sam's Point Preserve entrance (fee charged). (18T 553137E 4613363N)
13.45 Minnewaska State Park parking area on US Route 44/NY Route 55,
about 0.75 miles south of the trail crossing (fee charged). (18T 562860E
4620571N)
13.75 Parking area at Jenny Lane. (18T 562229E 4621346N)

Trail Description

0.00 The Long Path turns left near the Sam's Point Preserve parking lot and
follows the road that loops around Lake Maratanza. (From the parking lot,
turn right on the loop road.)
0.50 The Long Path passes under the cliffs of Sam's Point on the left and
comes to a spectacular view to the right. From here you can see south along
the ridge to High Point, New Jersey. You can also see across the Wallkill Valley
to the Hudson Highlands to the south and east. After the view, the trail turns
left and ascends along the road to the top of the cliffs.
0.60 To the left is a road that leads a short distance to Sam's Point. It is
worth the detour as the view is even better than along the road. Here you are
high enough to see above the high point of Cragsmoor and can see west as
well as south and east. Just to the west of the ridge and ten miles south is
Basha Kill Wildlife Management Area. On a clear day, you can see all the way
into New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The Long Path continues straight ahead on the road, passing through a dense
pitch pine forest.
1.00 Reach the intersection with the road that led down to the former
commercial ice caves. The side trip to explore the ice caves and return to this
junction takes less than an hour and is well worth the time. The Long Path
turns right and follows this road a short distance.
1.05 The Long Path turns left and leaves the road. The trail ascends through
the blueberry bushes for a short distance and then descends gradually through
a mixed blueberry-pitch pine forest.
1.25 The trail gradually turns left and goes through an open area covered with
blueberry bushes. There are continuous views north towards Mud Pond and
Minnewaska State Park with Gertrude's Nose and Castle Point prominent on
the skyline.
1.45 The trail enters a denser forest of pitch pine and blueberry.
1.65 The trail enters a hardwood forest with a stream running through the
middle. Here a highly unusual stand of birch is found in the middle of the
pitch pine and blueberry woods.
1.75 The trail exits the hardwood forest and reemerges in the pitch pine and
blueberry scrub. Again there are views towards Minnewaska State Park.
2.00 The Long Path intersects the old trail that once ran from Lake Maratanza
to Verkeerder Kill Falls. The trail left to Lake Maratanza is now closed. The
Long Path turns right and follows the other branch of the old trail as it descends
towards the falls. The forest gradually changes from one of pitch pine
and blueberry to a hardwood forest.
2.60 The trail passes a large glacial erratic on the right. To the right, there are
limited views to the valley. The trail enters a hemlock forest.
2.80 The trail crosses Verkeerder Kill. Here there are several channels and the
crossing may be difficult in times of high water.

Verkeerder Kill Falls [HERB CHONG]

2.85 The trail reaches an intersection. To the right, a path leads in several
hundred feet to a spectacular overlook above Verkeerder Kill Falls. Be careful
here, as a misstep will send you plunging to the base of the falls 100 feet below.
Please do not proceed beyond the falls as the landowner has closed the trail
beyond this point. The falls and the overlook are also on private property. The
landowner has graciously allowed us access to the falls, so please respect his
rights and keep the area as you found it. The Long Path turns left back at the
intersection and begins to climb to the top of another ridge. The climb is
gradual at first, then steep.
3.10 The climb becomes gentler as it gains the ridge crest. After a viewpoint
to the left on a conglomerate shelf, the trail turns away from the edge and
passes through an area covered with blueberry bushes and small trees.
3.20 The Long Path reaches open slab. There is an intersection with the High
Point Trail (red). The High Point Trail follows the original Long Path route to
High Point and the High Point Carriage Road 2.65 miles away.
4.15 The trail reaches and drops to the level of Mud Pond and begins to run
through swampy ground, sometimes on boardwalks.
4.25 Cross the outlet of Mud Pond and continue on a nearly flat table through
blueberry, with scattered pine and birch.
5.15 Just as the trail makes the short descent to the western end of Lake
Awosting, make a sharp turn to the right. (The unmarked trail straight ahead
connects to the Lake Awosting Carriage Road.) Turn right. The Long Path now
ascends gently through scrubby pine forest, following an old carriage road and
the route of the former, and exceptionally well named, Scenic Trail. Some
faded yellow blazes may still be visible.
5.55 Reach the edge of the ridge, with views to the south and west. The
ledges are vertical faces of white, bedded conglomerate. The carriage road
twists uphill to reach a higher outlook ledge on Murray Hill with its 270-
degree view that includes the Wallkill Valley to the southeast and the great
ridge of the Shawangunks to the northeast. The carriage road ends here and
the Long Path follows a footpath along the ledge. The route, which is often
bare and marked by cairns, is nearly flat, with occasional sharp, short climbs or
drops. The vegetation is generally short and scrubby.
5.80 Reach a high point with a 360-degree view that includes Lake Awosting.
After a short drop, the trail goes left on the overgrown remnants of a carriage
road for about 125 feet, and then turns right onto a footpath.
6.20 The Long Path turns right onto the Spruce Glen Carriage Road. In 250
feet, it turns left and uphill on a path to reach another, decayed, carriage road.
6.45 After the carriage road ends, the trail emerges onto Margaret Cliff with
its many good views. The trail continues to run along the edge of the cliff.
6.95 The trail drops steeply, at first through a cleft in the rock, until reaching
the base of the rock cliff. It moves away from the cliff, crosses a carriage road
and then a stream, and ascends through the woods.
7.15 The trail goes through a natural tunnel in the rock. It can be dark, narrow
and damp. Hikers with large packs can detour around the tunnel by going
about 15 feet to the right. The trail emerges from a cleft between rocks and
passes below an overhanging rock to reach a cliff top with several views.

Hamilton Point Carriageway [HERB CHONG]

7.60 Turn right onto the Hamilton Point Carriage Road. In 20 feet, the Castle
Point Carriage Road leaves to the left as the Long Path bears right on the
Hamilton Point Carriage Road. (For reverse direction, continue straight ahead
on the Hamilton Point Carriage Road, as the Castle Point Carriage Road leaves
to the right.)
7.70 Turn left off the carriage road onto a footpath and climb. The ascent
becomes very steep and requires hand-pulls up ledges. Very good views
appear.
7.80 Reach Castle Point and turn left onto the Castle Point Carriage Road.
The splendid view here includes Lake Awosting. (In the reverse direction, the
Long Path drops off the ledge at a sharp left turn in the carriageway.) In 25
yards, take the right fork in the carriageway. The carriageway twists gently
downhill with several splendid views. After following the cliff edge toward a
narrowing notch, the road turns away from the edge.

Castle Point [HERB CHONG]
Azaleas growing wild on the trail [HERB CHONG]

8.30 A few hundred feet past a sharp switchback turn in the carriageway, the
Long Path turns right, goes up two stone steps and enters the woods on a
footpath. It passes a small ledge on the left. After that, a tremendous view to
the south and west opens up. The ledge curves gradually clockwise and affords
views of Lake Awosting as it begins to run above a small ravine.
8.70 The Long Path turns right and leaves the ledge. A worthwhile detour
follows the ledge top for a short distance, providing yet more spectacular views
of Lake Awosting, the Catskills, and Huntington Ravine below.
8.80 The trail reaches a rock outcropping on the top of the ridge where there is
a view north toward the Catskills and east toward Castle Point. The trail
continues north following the slab and pitch pine for a short distance before
descending through the laurel into a hemlock forest. Upon reaching the
hemlocks, the trail turns right and follows the top of Litchfield Ledge. The trail
is now deep in a hemlock grove.
9.35 The trail descends and reaches an exposed part of Litchfield Ledge where
there is a spectacular view of the Rainbow Falls and the Catskills. The trail
continues along the ledge and then descends to the Upper Awosting Carriage
Road.

Wild apple blossoms by the trailside [HERB CHONG]

9.50-11.60 Indefinite detour (October 2011): the causeway across Fly Brook
has been wiped out by Irene. Instead, turn right onto the Upper Awosting Carriage
Road (green blazes) and in about 0.9 mi turn left on the Blueberry Run Trail (blue
blazes). This trail crosses the Lower Awosting Carriage Road and the Peters Kill,
and ends at the Jenny Lane Trail in about 0.6 mi. Turn right on the Jenny Lane
Trail (Long Path Aqua blazes). See NYNJTC Trail Map 104. At high water the
stream crossing at Peters Kill my be hard since the bridge is out.

9.50 The trail crosses the Upper Awosting Carriage Road and descends toward
a small stream. The trail crosses the stream as the forest becomes dominated
by hemlock.
9.70 Rainbow Falls plunges over the cliff wall just after another stream crossing.
After the falls, the trail turns right and continues down the valley of Huntington
Ravine.
9.85 The trail turns left and climbs steeply out of the valley. The ascent gradually
becomes gentler as several views appear.
10.10 Reach the top of a conglomerate rock plane with a tremendous view to
the north. The trail now descends at a moderate pitch down the rock plane
with small pines and blueberries growing in patches of soil on the bare rock.
On the way down, the trail briefly passes through denser woods and crosses a
stream. Toward the bottom of the drop, the trail enters scrubby pine woods.
10.40 Turn right onto the Lower Awosting Carriage Road (it provides the most
direct access to Lake Awosting from the Park parking area) and cross the valley
of Fly Brook on a causeway. Once over the causeway, the Long Path turns
right at the clearing with a large pine tree at its southern edge. In a short
distance, it turns left to leave the carriage road and crosses a grassy clearing.
10.55 At the end of the clearing, the trail enters the woods on a slight upgrade
and almost immediately turns right onto a wider, rocky trail. The trail follows
gentle grades near the top of a gentle slope.
10.95 The trail crosses and briefly follows a power line right-of-way. It then
turns left into the woods at a pair of poles just before a sharp drop-off and
continues near the top of an asymmetrical ridge that is gentle to the left and
sharp to the right. There are occasional views of a parallel ridge across the
valley to the right.
11.60 The Blueberry Run Trail (blue) begins to the right, leading down to
the Lower Awosting Carriage Road. The Long Path regains the ridge crest
as it passes through short pines.
11.80 Turn left away from the edge of the ridge and into hardwoods. The trail
descends gently through forest rich in mountain laurel.
13.40 Cross the Sanders Kill on rocks.
13.50 Cross US Route 44/55.
13.65 The trail crosses a stone wall and passes through a grassy field.
13.70 Reach Jenny Lane, a gravel road that was the old Wawarsing Turnpike.