Pine Cliff Viewpoint–Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint, 11 sights is a 15.9-mile out-and-back in Minnewaska State Park Preserve near Kerhonkson, NY. The route passes Lake Awosting, Litchfield Ledge, Upper Awosting Carriage Viewpoint and 6 more before reaching Pine Cliff Viewpoint at the turnaround, 7.9 miles in. It climbs 1,479 ft and is mostly gravel. It scores 69/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Pine Cliff Viewpoint–Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint, 11 sights
15.9 mi · ▲ 1,479 ft · 6 hr 2 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
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading S.
- 1.4 miTurn left onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading S.
- 1.9 miPass Lake Awosting.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading E.
- 0.6 miPass Litchfield Ledge.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange), heading NE.
- 50 ftBear left onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading NE.
- 1.8 miPass Upper Awosting Carriage Viewpoint.
- 0.3 miPass Lake Minnewaska Beach.
- 0.3 miPass Scuba Diving Access Area.
- 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska.
- 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska Beach.
- 300 ftTurn left onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading E.
- 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Sunset Carriage Road, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading E.
- 500 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Dry Bridge, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading N.
- 200 ftPass Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 350 ftBear left onto Pine Cliff Path, heading SE.
- 50 ftReach Pine Cliff Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear right onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Dry Bridge, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Sunset Carriage Road, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading N.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading NW.
- 2.4 miBear right onto Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange), heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading W.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading S.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading SW.
- 2.1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 1.4 miBear right, heading NE.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading NE.
- 150 ftArrive 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 7.3 mi in (~203 min). Leave by 3:40 PM for the 7:22 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:49 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
More from this trailhead
- Smiley Carriage Road 6.1 mi · ▲ 748 ft
- Smiley Carriage Road 6.6 mi · ▲ 775 ft
- Smiley Carriage Road 6.7 mi · ▲ 753 ft
- High Point Carriage Road 9.7 mi · ▲ 1,125 ft
- Old Fire Tower Viewpoint–High Point, 3 viewpoints 10 mi · ▲ 1,033 ft
- Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint–Lake Minnewaska, 11 sights 15.7 mi · ▲ 1,367 ft
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