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

Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint–Lake Minnewaska, 11 sights

15.7 mi · ▲ 1,367 ft · 5 hr 55 min

Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint–Lake Minnewaska, 11 sights is a 15.7-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 Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint at the turnaround, 7.8 miles in. It climbs 1,367 ft and is mostly gravel. It scores 69/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi1,266 – 1,926 ft16.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 41.73787, -74.30360
Nearest town Kerhonkson, NY
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint–Lake Minnewaska, 11 sights

15.7 mi · ▲ 1,367 ft · 5 hr 55 min

Elevation 1,265–1,925 ft

Out & Back · Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Trailhead: 41.73787, -74.30360

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

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 0.2 miBear left, heading SW.
  3. 0.5 miBear left, heading S.
  4. 1.4 miTurn left onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading S.
  5. 1.2 miContinue straight onto Stony Kill Carriage Road, heading E.
  6. 50 ftTurn right onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading E.
  7. 0.7 miPass Lake Awosting.
  8. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading SE.
  9. 0.3 miTurn left onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading E.
  10. 0.6 miPass Litchfield Ledge.
  11. 250 ftContinue straight onto Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange), heading NE.
  12. 50 ftBear left onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading NE.
  13. 1.8 miPass Upper Awosting Carriage Viewpoint.
  14. 0.3 miPass Lake Minnewaska Beach.
  15. 0.3 miPass Scuba Diving Access Area.
  16. 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska.
  17. 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska Beach.
  18. 300 ftTurn left onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading E.
  19. 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint.
  20. 150 ftContinue straight onto Sunset Carriage Road, heading E.
  21. 50 ftTurn right onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading E.
  22. 500 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  23. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Dry Bridge, heading N.
  24. 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading N.
  25. 0.1 miTurn right, heading SE.
  26. 150 ftReach Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  27. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Dry Bridge, heading S.
  28. 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading S.
  29. 0.2 miTurn left onto Sunset Carriage Road, heading SE.
  30. 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading SE.
  31. 150 ftTurn right onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading W.
  32. 2.4 miBear right onto Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange), heading SW.
  33. 50 ftContinue straight onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading SW.
  34. 0.6 miTurn right onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading SW.
  35. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading SW.
  36. 0.8 miTurn left onto Stony Kill Carriage Road, heading NW.
  37. 50 ftContinue straight onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading NW.
  38. 1.2 miTurn right, heading W.
  39. 1.4 miBear right, heading NE.
  40. 0.5 miBear right, heading N.
  41. 350 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/lake-minnewaska-carriage-viewpoint-lake-minnewaska-carriage-viewpoint-out-back-15-beaches

Trail surface

72% gravel28% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:30 AMSunset 7:22 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 7.3 mi in (~204 min). Leave by 3:39 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