Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Lake Awosting–Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint, 7 sights
9 mi · ▲ 1,677 ft · 3 hr 50 min
Lake Awosting–Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint, 7 sights is a 9-mile out-and-back in Minnewaska State Park Preserve near Rutsonville, NY. The route passes Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint, Lake Awosting Beach and Lake Awosting. It climbs 1,677 ft and is mostly gravel. It scores 78/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Lake Awosting–Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint, 7 sights
9 mi · ▲ 1,677 ft · 3 hr 50 min
Elevation 520–1,987 ft
Out & Back · Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Trailhead: 41.67616, -74.26285
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:22 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Awosting Reserve Access (Brown), heading N.
- 0.7 miSharp left, heading W.
- 0.6 miSharp right onto Awosting Reserve Loop (Purple), heading NE.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Wolfjaw Connector, heading NW.
- 0.6 miPass Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange) Viewpoint.
- 100 ftTurn left onto Castle Point Carriage Road (Blue), heading NE.
- 0.2 miPass Lake Awosting Beach.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading W.
- 0.4 miPass Lake Awosting.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Lower Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading W.
- 0.4 miReach Lake Awosting, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading S.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Castle Point Carriage Road (Blue), heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Wolfjaw Connector, heading SW.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Awosting Reserve Loop (Purple), heading SE.
- 1.1 miSharp left onto Awosting Reserve Access (Brown), heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading E.
- 1 miBear left, heading SW.
- 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 3.6 mi in (~132 min). Leave by 4:50 PM for the 7:22 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:05 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Awosting Reserve Access (Brown) 3.3 mi · ▲ 729 ft
- Battlement Terrace–Awosting Reserve Access (Brown), 5 sights 7.3 mi · ▲ 1,572 ft
- Murray Hill–Scenic Trail / SRT (Violet/Blue Blazes) Viewpoint, 9 sights 7.8 mi · ▲ 1,594 ft
- Mud Pond (Haseco Lake)–Awosting Reserve Access (Brown), 3 sights 7.9 mi · ▲ 1,472 ft
- Castle Point Carriage Viewpoint–Castle Point, 7 sights 10.2 mi · ▲ 1,827 ft
- Lake Minnewaska–Castle Point Carriage Viewpoint, 12 sights 14.3 mi · ▲ 2,263 ft
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Hikes near Rutsonville, New York