New Trails in the Southern Shawangunks

Lenape Ridge & Minisink Trails

Two new trails in the southern Shawangunks (see page 1) add seven miles of trekking options for hikers. Particularly exciting is the fact that a new five-mile loop just east of Port Jervis is accessible not only by car, but also via Metro North to Port Jervis and a connecting 1.5 to 2-mile walk along the Delaware River Heritage Trail in the city.

Lenape Ridge & Minisink Trails This new five-mile loop lies east of the Neversink River, between Interstate 84 to the south and the Metro-North Rail Road line to Port Jervis to the north on land previously acquired by the Trail Conference.

The new trail, which is to be extended by another two miles this year, provides a link between the City of Port Jervis and Huckleberry State Forest. It is hoped that eventually the trail will connect with the Shawangunk Ridge Trail (SRT) north of Huckleberry SF in the town of Greenville.

The hike: From Minisink Ave./Old Greenville Turnpike, the LRT follows an old woods road for a short distance before turning right, into the woods. In another 0.2 mile, there is junction with the redblazed Minisink Trail. The MT parallels the LRT, and reconnects with it in just over 2 miles. It can be your return route to make this a loop hike.

Take the white-blazed LRT on your right. Soon you climb a moderate slope to a ridge that provides great views of the Shawangunks (and I-84) to the east, with High Point Monument in New Jersey clearly visible to the south. The trail follows the ridge for the next two miles. Steep slabs of slate-like rock along the way are popular areas for fossil hunting. You will look down on Heinlein Pond and continue until close to a power line, where the LRT and MT relink to complete their circuit.

Turn left on the Minisink Trail and return. The trail traverses a lower ridge that affords great views west of the Neversink and Delaware River Valley. Once in a while, the trail dips down close to the railroad line.

Access by train: From the Port Jervis train station or elsewhere in the city, find the Delaware River Heritage Trail (www.minisink. org/trail.html) and follow it 1.5 – 2.0 miles out to Route 6 and the bridge over the Neversink River. Near a DRHT historic sign on the west bank of the river, look for three white blazes on a telephone pole indicating the start point for the Lenape Ridge Trail (LRT). Follow the trail across the bridge, looking for the turnoff east (left) onto Minisink Ave.; the trail follows this road for about half a mile.

Access by car: From Route 6, just southeast of the Neversink River crossing, turn east onto Minisink Ave. (which is renamed Old Greenville Turnpike once it reaches the Town of Deerpark). Drive about 0.5 mile and spot the white-blazed trail turning north into the woods; drive another 0.1 mile to find a small parking area mear the corner of Old Greenville Turnpike and Limekiln Road. the parking area is a wide berm off Limekiln Road. Alternatively, parking can be found off Minisink Valley Road in Port Jervis.

Ravine & Graham Fire Tower Trail

New Shawangunk Ridge Trail Loop in Mount Hope A new loop trail in the town of Mount Hope connects the Shawangunk Ridge Trail (SRT) with the Graham Fire Tower on top of the ridge. The tower is currently closed. The new loop is accessed from the SRT.

The hike: Starting from Guymard Turnpike, hike 1.8 miles north on the SRT, here aligned on the former corridor of the Ontario & Western railroad, to the two new trails that comprise a mountainside figure-8 route. Each trail is approximately one mile long. The white-blazed Ravine Trail (RT) climbs up a rather steep and rocky ravine (easy boulder hops). Part of the ravine is green with ferns and mosscovered rocks. A nice little cascading stream is crossed once, easily. At the top of the ravine the trail heads south, passes a seasonal viewpoint, crosses a woods road (the red-blazed Graham Fire Tower Trail), and continues to the top of the ridge, ending at the now-closed fire tower.

On top, the RT again meets the Graham Fire Tower Trail, which is a series of old woods roads that can be followed back to your starting point on the SRT. Along this return route, look for the remnants of an old mine at the left of the first junction with another woods road. There used to be a lead smelter off the Guymard Turnpike, close to the old RR bed. A chimney of the old smelter is still standing.

Access by car: From Route 6, go north on Route 35 to Guymard Turnpike; west on Guymard to rail line; park along road near rail bridge.

V3 Last updated: July 25, 2007   Copyright © 1996-2006  New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Privacy Statement.