AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Lake Minnewaska from cliffs.jpg
Juliancolton · CC BY-SA 4.0
Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Beacon Hill Viewpoint–Lake Minnewaska, 12 sights

15.5 mi · ▲ 1,288 ft · 5 hr 49 min

Beacon Hill Viewpoint–Lake Minnewaska, 12 sights is a 15.5-mile out-and-back in Minnewaska State Park Preserve near Kerhonkson, NY. The route passes Lake Awosting, Litchfield Ledge, Upper Awosting Carriage Viewpoint and 5 more before reaching Beacon Hill Viewpoint at the turnaround, 7.8 miles in. It climbs 1,288 ft and is mostly gravel. It scores 69/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi1,345 – 1,926 ft16.5 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.73555, -74.30781
Nearest town Kerhonkson, NY
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Beacon Hill Viewpoint–Lake Minnewaska, 12 sights

15.5 mi · ▲ 1,288 ft · 5 hr 49 min

Elevation 1,344–1,925 ft

Out & Back · Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Trailhead: 41.73555, -74.30781

Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:22 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 450 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  3. 150 ftTurn right, heading E.
  4. 450 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  5. 0.5 miBear left, heading SW.
  6. 1.4 miTurn left onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading SW.
  7. 1.2 miContinue straight onto Stony Kill Carriage Road, heading E.
  8. 50 ftTurn right onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading E.
  9. 0.7 miPass Lake Awosting.
  10. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading E.
  11. 0.3 miTurn left onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading E.
  12. 0.6 miPass Litchfield Ledge.
  13. 350 ftContinue straight onto Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange), heading NE.
  14. 50 ftBear left onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading NE.
  15. 1.7 miPass Upper Awosting Carriage Viewpoint.
  16. 0.3 miPass Lake Minnewaska Beach.
  17. 0.3 miPass Scuba Diving Access Area.
  18. 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska.
  19. 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska Beach.
  20. 350 ftTurn left onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading E.
  21. 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint.
  22. 200 ftContinue straight onto Sunset Carriage Road, heading E.
  23. 50 ftTurn right onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading E.
  24. 500 ftTurn right, heading E.
  25. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Dry Bridge, heading NE.
  26. 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading NE.
  27. 350 ftReach Beacon Hill Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  28. 400 ftContinue straight onto Dry Bridge, heading E.
  29. 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading SE.
  30. 0.2 miTurn left onto Sunset Carriage Road, heading S.
  31. 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading S.
  32. 200 ftTurn right onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading SE.
  33. 2.4 miBear right onto Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange), heading SW.
  34. 50 ftContinue straight onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading SW.
  35. 0.7 miTurn right onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading SW.
  36. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading W.
  37. 0.8 miTurn left onto Stony Kill Carriage Road, heading N.
  38. 50 ftContinue straight onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading N.
  39. 1.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  40. 1.4 miBear right, heading E.
  41. 0.5 miTurn left, heading NE.
  42. 450 ftTurn left, heading N.
  43. 150 ftTurn left, heading N.
  44. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/beacon-hill-viewpoint-out-back

Trail surface

73% gravel27% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:30 AMSunset 7:22 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 7.3 mi in (~200 min). Leave by 3:42 PM for the 7:22 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:50 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

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Hikes near Kerhonkson, New York