Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Lake Awosting–Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint, 6 sights
11.6 mi · ▲ 1,373 ft · 4 hr 33 min
Lake Awosting–Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint, 6 sights is an 11.6-mile out-and-back in Minnewaska State Park Preserve near Kerhonkson, NY. The route passes Lake Awosting, Lake Awosting Beach and Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint. It climbs 1,373 ft. It scores 86/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Lake Awosting–Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint, 6 sights
11.6 mi · ▲ 1,373 ft · 4 hr 33 min
Elevation 1,452–2,038 ft
Out & Back · Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Trailhead: 41.73282, -74.30685
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:22 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.4 miSharp right, heading S.
- 1.4 miTurn left onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading SE.
- 1.2 miContinue straight onto Stony Kill Carriage Road, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading S.
- 0.7 miPass Lake Awosting.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading E.
- 0.7 miPass Lake Awosting Beach.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Castle Point Carriage Road (Blue), heading S.
- 0.1 miPass Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Wolfjaw Connector, heading E.
- 0.3 miSharp right onto Scenic Trail / SRT (Violet/Blue Discs), heading S.
- 0.7 miTurn right onto Spruce Glen Path, heading W.
- 100 ftBear left onto Scenic Trail / SRT (Violet/Blue Blazes), heading W.
- 50 ftReach Lake Awosting, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear right onto Spruce Glen Path, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Scenic Trail / SRT (Violet/Blue Discs), heading W.
- 0.7 miSharp left onto Wolfjaw Connector, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Castle Point Carriage Road (Blue), heading NW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading NW.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading NW.
- 0.8 miTurn left onto Stony Kill Carriage Road, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading SW.
- 1.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 1.4 miSharp left, heading NE.
- 0.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.5 mi in (~133 min). Leave by 4:50 PM for the 7:22 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:35 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
More from this trailhead
- Smiley Carriage Road 5.3 mi · ▲ 652 ft
- Smiley Carriage Road 5.9 mi · ▲ 680 ft
- Smiley Carriage Road 5.9 mi · ▲ 657 ft
- High Point Carriage Road 9 mi · ▲ 1,029 ft
- Indian Rock–Indian Rock Viewpoint, 3 cliffs 12.6 mi · ▲ 1,271 ft
Get outside more
A wild hike near Kerhonkson, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Kerhonkson, New York