Old Minnewaska Trail and Undivided Lot Trail
Directions to trailhead
Take the New York State Thruway to Exit 18 (New Paltz). After paying the toll, turn left onto Route 299 and continue west through the Village of New Paltz. After crossing the bridge over the Wallkill River, continue ahead on Route 299 for another 5.5 miles until the road ends at a T intersection with Route 44/55. Turn right and follow Route 44/55 for half a mile to the Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center, on the right. Stop here to purchase a pass ($15 per person daily; $55 annual pass), obtain a free map and view the exhibits. Then continue ahead on Route 44/55, which makes a sharp hairpin turn and climbs to Trapps Bridge (a steel truss overpass). Continue for 0.5 mile past Trapps Bridge and turn right onto Clove Road. Follow Clove Road for one mile to Mohonk Preserve’s Coxing parking area, on the left.
Bus Directions
Bus service to New Paltz from New York City, Nanuet, Newburgh and Kingston is available via Adirondack Trailways, www.trailwaysny.com (800) 776-7548. Limited weekday bus service to New Paltz from Kingston and Highland is available via Routes R and H of Ulster County Area Transit, www.co.ulster.ny.us/ucat (888) 827-8228. Ulster County Area Transit also offers bus service from the Metro-North station in Poughkeepsie to New Paltz via their Ulster-Poughkeepsie Link. Taxi service from New Paltz to Mohonk is available from New Paltz Taxi, www.npztaxi.com (845) 255-1550.
Hike Description
From the parking area, cross the road and walk past a gate. Continue ahead along a gravel road, passing ruins of the Enderly barn on the right and their home on the left, and cross a wide wooden bridge over the Coxing Kill.
Just beyond the stream crossing, a yellow-blazed trail leads to the left, and then the red-blazed Shongum Path departs to the right. Continue ahead on the gravel road, known as the Old Minnewaska Trail. Built in 1879 to link Mohonk with Minnewaska, this carriage road was abandoned in 1907. It is marked with light blue blazes (and also with the dark blue plastic discs of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail).
After climbing gradually through hemlocks, the road descends slightly to cross a stream. The stone abutments of a former bridge may be seen ahead, but the footpath dips down to the stream, which It crosses on rocks.
The route now narrows to a footpath and begins a gradual climb. As the trail levels off, the remains of an old quarry can be seen down to the left when there are no leaves on the trees. The hand-cut drill holes at the edges of the large conglomerate stone blocks are still visible. The trail continues along a relatively level route, with some minor ups and downs. Huge slanted rock slabs begin to appear on the right. After a while, you’ll come to a broad viewpoint to the left, with pitch pines lining the slope below, and the Catskills visible in the distance.
The trail now begins a steady but gentle climb through mountain laurel thickets. In half a mile, the trail begins to descend. Soon, you’ll reach a spot where the old road has been eroded down to the bedrock. Here, a slanted rock slab on the left affords a superb view across the Rondout Valley to the Catskills. This is a good spot to take a break.
Just beyond this viewpoint, watch carefully for a trail junction (marked by a signpost). Here, a triple light-blue blaze on the left marks the start of the Undivided Lot Trail. Leave the Old Minnewaska Trail and turn left onto the Undivided Lot Trail. Immediately, you’ll reach a rock ledge studded with gnarled pitch pines, with views to the north and west.
Carefully follow the light blue blazes as the trail descends rather steeply over rock slabs, then levels off. There are more views over the Catskills to the left, and up to the right, you may be able to see two gazebos at the Copes Lookout. Soon, the trail bears right, crosses an intermittent stream, and climbs steeply to the top of a cliff, passing an overhanging rock ledge on the left. At the top, the trail bears left and soon reaches an area with deep fissures in the rock. Use caution here, as the crevices crossed by the trail are quite deep!
After passing a stone fireplace on the right, the trail begins a steady descent, soon coming out on open rocks, with views through the trees of the Rondout Valley below. As the trail continues to descend, you’ll reach a particularly fine view from a lichen-encrusted rock outcrop to the left of the trail over the Devil’s Path mountains in the eastern Catskills.
After passing a second viewpoint from a rock outcrop on the left, the trail levels off, crosses a stream, and reaches a junction with the red-blazed Clove Path. Turn right and follow this trail steeply uphill. You’ll be climbing about 450 feet in less than half a mile; this is steepest sustained climb on the hike. After crossing a streambed, you’ll reach a junction with the Plateau Path (also blazed red), marked by a sign. Turn right and follow the Plateau Path – a relatively level trail, which soon widens to a woods road – until it comes out onto Laurel Ledge Road.
Turn right onto Laurel Ledge Road, a wide, maintained carriage road, which is open to bicyclists as well as hikers. Soon, the road begins to follow a narrow shelf, with steep cliffs above to the left and below to the right. It then crosses a talus slope, with gigantic boulders on both sides of the trail.
After the Old Minnewaska Trail begins on the right, you’ll pass the fascinating Rhododendron Swamp, where many rare plants are found, on the left. Imposing cliffs soon appear on the right, after which the road curves sharply left.
Continue ahead to the end of Laurel Ledge Road at Rhododendron Bridge. Do not cross the bridge; rather, continue straight ahead on Undercliff Road (marked by a sign). After the road makes a sharp S-curve, you’ll reach the famous Trapps Cliffs, considered the best rock climbing area in the East. From here to the Trapps Bridge, you’ll probably encounter many rock climbers along the road. You might want to stop and watch them scale the cliffs. There are views to the left over the Wallkill Valley.
After about two miles along Undercliff Road, you’ll reach a junction with the yellow-blazed East Trapps Connector Trail, which begins on the left. Route 44-55 now comes into view below to the left. Continue ahead along Undercliff Road. The Trapps Cliffs begin more closely to approach the road, and you’re likely to encounter more climbers at a closer range.
In another half mile, you’ll reach the Trapps Bridge, where Undercliff Road ends at a junction with Overcliff Road. Bear left and descend on a gravel road (do not cross the bridge). Soon after the road levels off, you’ll reach a junction with the red-blazed Shongum Path (marked by a sign). Turn right and follow the Shongum Path downhill.
The trail crosses rock outcrops, descends through a dense hemlock forest, and follows a stream, which it crosses twice on wooden bridges. It follows a long stretch of narrow boardwalk across a wet area and continues along a gravel path bordered by rocks. After approaching the Coxing Kill and briefly paralleling an old stone wall, the Shongum Path descends steps to end at the Old Minnewaska Trail. Turn left onto the Old Minnewaska Trail and follow it back to the Coxing parking area where the hike began.