Shagbark Hickory–Vernal Pool, 5 sights is a 9.2-mile out-and-back in Mohonk Preserve near Rosendale, NY. The route passes Joppenbergh Mountain Beach and Vernal Pool before reaching Shagbark Hickory at the turnaround, 4.6 miles in. It climbs 1,378 ft, with sections as steep as 28% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 55/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi69 – 945 ft · steepest grade: 28%10.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Fairview Avenue 41.84278, -74.08522
Nearest town Rosendale, NY
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Shagbark Hickory–Vernal Pool, 5 sights
9.2 mi · ▲ 1,378 ft · 3 hr 45 min
Elevation 70–946 ft
Out & Back · Mohonk Preserve
Trailhead: Fairview Avenue · 41.84278, -74.08522
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:29 AM · sunset 7:22 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Fairview Avenue, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Joppenbergh Mountain Beach.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
- 150 ftBear left onto Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading SE.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Lime Kiln Trail (Green), heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
- 1 miTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 0.8 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Northeast Trail, heading W.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto Cedar Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Cedar Drive, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Vernal Pool.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Cedar Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Table Rocks Trail, heading NW.
- 0.3 miReach Shagbark Hickory, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Cedar Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Cedar Drive, heading SW.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Cedar Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Northeast Trail, heading SE.
- 0.8 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.6 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.8 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Lime Kiln Trail (Green), heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading N.
- 150 ftBear right, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn right onto Fairview Avenue, heading N.
- 50 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
64% dirt10% gravel3% grass23% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:29 AMSunset 7:22 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.5 mi in (~106 min). Leave by 5:16 PM for the 7:22 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:06 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Fairview Avenue Trailhead
- Wallkill Valley Rail Viewpoint–Flooded Mine, 4 beaches 3.1 mi · ▲ 140 ft
- Waterworks (Mohonk Preserve) Viewpoint–Joppenbergh Mountain Beach, 3 beaches 4 mi · ▲ 549 ft
- White Dot–Wallkill Valley Rail Viewpoint, 5 viewpoints 6 mi · ▲ 461 ft
- Mohonk Preserve Viewpoint–Joppenbergh Mountain Beach, 3 beaches 6.7 mi · ▲ 769 ft
- Vernal Pool–Joppenbergh Mountain Beach, 4 sights 9.7 mi · ▲ 1,311 ft
- Bonticou Crag–Mohonk Mountain House Property Beach, 7 sights 14.4 mi · ▲ 1,829 ft
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