South abutment, Rosendale Trestle.jpg
Coasterlover1994 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Waterworks (Mohonk Preserve) Viewpoint–Fourth Lake, 6 sights is a 16-mile out-and-back in Giant's Ledges Pocket Park near Wilbur, NY. The route passes Fourth Lake, Fifth Lake and Joppenbergh Mountain Beach before reaching Waterworks (Mohonk Preserve) Viewpoint at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 986 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly gravel. It scores 24/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi43 – 400 ft · steepest grade: 17%17.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Wallkill Valley Rail Trail 41.91106, -74.02043
Nearest town Wilbur, NY

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Waterworks (Mohonk Preserve) Viewpoint–Fourth Lake, 6 sights

16 mi · ▲ 986 ft · 5 hr 50 min

Elevation 44–400 ft

Out & Back · Giant's Ledges Pocket Park

Trailhead: Wallkill Valley Rail Trail · 41.91106, -74.02043

Weather Sep 8: sunrise 6:30 AM · sunset 7:20 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, heading SW.
  2. 3.9 miPass Fourth Lake.
  3. 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
  4. 0.6 miPass Fifth Lake.
  5. 1.3 miPass Joppenbergh Mountain Beach.
  6. 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
  7. 0.3 miBear right, heading S.
  8. 0.2 miBear right onto Lime Kiln Trail (Green), heading S.
  9. 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
  10. 1 miSharp left, heading SW.
  11. 0.3 miReach Waterworks (Mohonk Preserve) Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 0.3 miSharp right, heading N.
  13. 1 miTurn left, heading NE.
  14. 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
  15. 0.2 miBear left onto Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, heading NE.
  16. 0.2 miBear left, heading N.
  17. 150 ftBear right, heading N.
  18. 150 ftContinue straight onto Rosendale Trestle, heading N.
  19. 1.4 miTurn right, heading N.
  20. 100 ftContinue straight onto Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, heading N.
  21. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  22. 0.7 miBear right, heading N.
  23. 3.9 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

74% gravel4% dirt1% other21% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:30 AMSunset 7:20 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.8 mi in (~144 min). Leave by 4:35 PM for the 7:20 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:00 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Wallkill Valley Rail Trail Trailhead