Awosting Preserve - Minnewaska State Park NY
Feb 23, 2016 7:43:31 GMT -5
Post by hoosier on Feb 23, 2016 7:43:31 GMT -5
Sunday February 21, 2016
Minnewaska State Park New York – Awosting Preserve
Sunday morning I headed up to New York State’s Minnewaska State Park. And hiked an area of the park I have not explored prior to this day. That area being the 2,518 acre Awosting preserve that was added to the park a few years back. The area was originally was stated to be developed with a golf course and 349 luxury homes. But fortunately the land was purchase by the Trust for Public Land and the Open Space Institute then eventually transferred to Minnewaska State park.
All of the trails in the Astowing Preserve are mainly wide shale surfaced carriage ways. Access to the trails is off Aumich Road near the village of Tillson Lake NY. There is room for four to eight cars at the gated carriage road (Awosting Preserve Access Trail), did a ten mile loop using the following trails:
Awosting Preserve Access, Left side of the Awosting Preserve Loop, Mud Pond Trail, (All carriage roads), Scenic Trail (from Mud Pond over Murray Hill), Awosting Preserve Loop Right Half, and then back out Awosting Preserve Access.
Swung off the left side of the Preserve Loop to check out the falls on Dwaar Kill. The falls are forty feet or so tall. And are not easily accessible (base of falls). One other interesting part of the hike. Is at the end of the Mud Pond trail. The trail seemingly ends, but if one looks closely. There is an narrow opening in the mountain laurel to the right. From there a narrow path (red flagging)crosses a small stream and climbs up over some open slabs and after .2 miles or so meets up with the purple blazed scenic trail adjacent to Mud Pond. Followed the scenic trail northeast. Past the west end of Lake Awosting, then up and over Murray Hill with it extensive views. To the signed junction with the upper end of Awosting Reserve Loop. Where I made a right. The upper part of the trail passes thru a beautiful spruce forest shown as Spruce Glen on the NJNYTC Shawangunk Trails Map 104.
Highlight of the day was some very beautiful trail over open slabs of rock, Pitch Pines, White Birch and a understory of Blueberry and Huckleberry between Mud Pond and Spruce Glen. Only drawback was the cloudy grey skies that filled in by the time I arrived at Mud Pond. Ended up cold grey and windy for the remainder of the hike. Only to clear up on the ride back through New York into Pennsylvania.
Falls on Dwaar Kill
A frozen Mud Pond - As grey as the sky
View from Murray Hill towards Margaret Cliff
View NW from Murray Hill of the Catskills
View NW from Murray Hill of the Catskills
Minnewaska State Park New York – Awosting Preserve
Sunday morning I headed up to New York State’s Minnewaska State Park. And hiked an area of the park I have not explored prior to this day. That area being the 2,518 acre Awosting preserve that was added to the park a few years back. The area was originally was stated to be developed with a golf course and 349 luxury homes. But fortunately the land was purchase by the Trust for Public Land and the Open Space Institute then eventually transferred to Minnewaska State park.
All of the trails in the Astowing Preserve are mainly wide shale surfaced carriage ways. Access to the trails is off Aumich Road near the village of Tillson Lake NY. There is room for four to eight cars at the gated carriage road (Awosting Preserve Access Trail), did a ten mile loop using the following trails:
Awosting Preserve Access, Left side of the Awosting Preserve Loop, Mud Pond Trail, (All carriage roads), Scenic Trail (from Mud Pond over Murray Hill), Awosting Preserve Loop Right Half, and then back out Awosting Preserve Access.
Swung off the left side of the Preserve Loop to check out the falls on Dwaar Kill. The falls are forty feet or so tall. And are not easily accessible (base of falls). One other interesting part of the hike. Is at the end of the Mud Pond trail. The trail seemingly ends, but if one looks closely. There is an narrow opening in the mountain laurel to the right. From there a narrow path (red flagging)crosses a small stream and climbs up over some open slabs and after .2 miles or so meets up with the purple blazed scenic trail adjacent to Mud Pond. Followed the scenic trail northeast. Past the west end of Lake Awosting, then up and over Murray Hill with it extensive views. To the signed junction with the upper end of Awosting Reserve Loop. Where I made a right. The upper part of the trail passes thru a beautiful spruce forest shown as Spruce Glen on the NJNYTC Shawangunk Trails Map 104.
Highlight of the day was some very beautiful trail over open slabs of rock, Pitch Pines, White Birch and a understory of Blueberry and Huckleberry between Mud Pond and Spruce Glen. Only drawback was the cloudy grey skies that filled in by the time I arrived at Mud Pond. Ended up cold grey and windy for the remainder of the hike. Only to clear up on the ride back through New York into Pennsylvania.
Falls on Dwaar Kill
A frozen Mud Pond - As grey as the sky
View from Murray Hill towards Margaret Cliff
View NW from Murray Hill of the Catskills
View NW from Murray Hill of the Catskills