Lake Minnewaska from cliffs.jpg
Juliancolton · CC BY-SA 4.0

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

0 mi1,266 – 1,926 ft16.9 mi

Getting there

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

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

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

  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. 1.9 miPass Lake Awosting.
  6. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading S.
  7. 0.3 miTurn left onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading E.
  8. 0.6 miPass Litchfield Ledge.
  9. 250 ftContinue straight onto Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange), heading NE.
  10. 50 ftBear left onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading NE.
  11. 1.8 miPass Upper Awosting Carriage Viewpoint.
  12. 0.3 miPass Lake Minnewaska Beach.
  13. 0.3 miPass Scuba Diving Access Area.
  14. 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska.
  15. 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska Beach.
  16. 300 ftTurn left onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading E.
  17. 50 ftPass Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint.
  18. 100 ftContinue straight onto Sunset Carriage Road, heading E.
  19. 50 ftTurn right onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading E.
  20. 500 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  21. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Dry Bridge, heading N.
  22. 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading N.
  23. 200 ftPass Lake Minnewaska Carriage Viewpoint.
  24. 350 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  25. 250 ftTurn right, heading S.
  26. 350 ftBear left onto Pine Cliff Path, heading SE.
  27. 50 ftReach Pine Cliff Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  28. 50 ftBear right onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading S.
  29. 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
  30. 250 ftTurn left, heading S.
  31. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Dry Bridge, heading S.
  32. 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading S.
  33. 0.2 miTurn left onto Sunset Carriage Road, heading N.
  34. 50 ftContinue straight onto Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, heading N.
  35. 150 ftTurn right onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading NW.
  36. 2.4 miBear right onto Rainbow Falls Trail (Orange), heading W.
  37. 50 ftContinue straight onto Upper Awosting Carriage Road, heading W.
  38. 0.6 miTurn right onto Lake Awosting Carriageway (Black), heading S.
  39. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Smiley Carriage Road, heading SW.
  40. 2.1 miTurn right, heading W.
  41. 1.4 miBear right, heading NE.
  42. 0.5 miBear right, heading NE.
  43. 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

71% gravel1% grass28% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:30 AMSunset 7:22 PM

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 sunset hikes nearby

More from this trailhead