Preface

It is now Sixteen years since the last edition of the Long Path Guide was printed. In that time much has happened, both to the trail and to technology that keeps track of it. Work on the Shawangunk Ridge Trail was completed so that it now forms a continuous path from High Point State Park in New Jersey to the Mohonk Preserve. The Long Path joins the route near Huckleberry Ridge State Forest  and follows it to Verkeerder Kill Falls near Sam's Point. Several major relocations in Orange County, Sullivan County, Ulster County and the Catskills were completed between 2005 and 2014. Together they have removed many miles of road walking.

Technology has made easily possible for the first time an accurate trace of the entire route of the Long Path. An online overview map is aivalable of the entire Long Path and Shawangunk Ridge Trail, The thickness of the line representing the Long Path route on the maps greatly exceeds the error of the GPS units in marking its actual trace.

There are many changes in this online guide since the last edition of the printed Long Path Guide. Currently we are in the process of creating all new maps designed specifically for the Long Path. The Guide includes GPS co-ordinates for the official parking areas for those that are inclined to use this technology. Ed Walsh has allowed me to add his "Backpacking the Long Path" booklet as a new part of this book so that more people can take their wandering spirit a little farther afield. Finally, all of the photographs are new.

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June 8, 2021

The hard-copy guide, which was published in 2002 and reprinted in 2005, has been sold out for several years and is very much out-of-date by now. There exist plans to publish a backpacking version of the guide, and work is proceeding on a complete map set, but currently we only offer the online guide. This guide is contineously updated, and exists as a web version as well as pdf files, without pictures, for easy printing.

— Jakob Franke ( Minor edit by Andy Garrison 6-8-21)

Long Path Co-chair