AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Castle Point Carriage Viewpoint–Castle Point, 8 sights

16.2 mi · ▲ 2,477 ft · 6 hr 38 min

Castle Point Carriage Viewpoint–Castle Point, 8 sights is a 16.2-mile out-and-back in Minnewaska State Park Preserve near Port Ben, NY. The route passes Lake Awosting, Lake Awosting Beach, Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint and Castle Point before reaching Castle Point Carriage Viewpoint at the turnaround, 8.1 miles in. It climbs 2,477 ft, with sections as steep as 20% grade, and is mostly gravel. It scores 79/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi289 – 2,175 ft · steepest grade: 20%16.5 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Mine Hole Trail 41.76025, -74.32531
Nearest town Port Ben, NY
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Castle Point Carriage Viewpoint–Castle Point, 8 sights

16.2 mi · ▲ 2,477 ft · 6 hr 38 min

Elevation 289–2,176 ft

Out & Back · Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Trailhead: Mine Hole Trail · 41.76025, -74.32531

Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:23 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Mine Hole Trail, heading S.
  2. 3.4 miSharp left onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading E.
  3. 2.4 miContinue straight onto Stony Kill Carriage Road, heading SE.
  4. 50 ftTurn right onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading S.
  5. 0.7 miPass Lake Awosting.
  6. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading E.
  7. 0.7 miPass Lake Awosting Beach.
  8. 250 ftContinue straight onto Castle Point Carriage Road (Blue), heading S.
  9. 0.1 miPass Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint.
  10. 250 ftTurn right onto Wolfjaw Connector, heading E.
  11. 50 ftTurn left onto Castle Point Carriage Road (Blue), heading E.
  12. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Hamilton Point Carriage Road (Yellow), heading SE.
  13. 500 ftTurn left onto Scenic Trail Scramble (Violet), heading S.
  14. 50 ftPass Castle Point.
  15. 250 ftReach Castle Point Carriage Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  16. 250 ftTurn right onto Hamilton Point Carriage Road (Yellow), heading NE.
  17. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Castle Point Carriage Road (Blue), heading SE.
  18. 0.4 miTurn right onto Wolfjaw Connector, heading W.
  19. 50 ftTurn left onto Castle Point Carriage Road (Blue), heading W.
  20. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading NW.
  21. 0.8 miContinue straight onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading NW.
  22. 0.8 miTurn left onto Stony Kill Carriage Road, heading SW.
  23. 50 ftContinue straight onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading W.
  24. 2.4 miSharp right onto Mine Hole Trail, heading W.
  25. 3.3 miArrive 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/castle-point-carriage-viewpoint-castle-point-out-back-8-sights

Trail surface

60% gravel33% dirt7% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:30 AMSunset 7:23 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.4 mi in (~59 min). Leave by 6:03 PM for the 7:23 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:11 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Car visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Mine Hole Trail Trailhead

Hikes near Port Ben, New York