Background
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Background you can feel free to skip: If you’d like to spend the day rubbernecking, but you don’t feel like visiting Manhattan, Undercliff/Overcliff is your spot. This pleasant, relatively flat 5-mile loop sends you (as you might have inferred from the name) under a cliff, but what you can’t tell from the name is that this place is a huge hotspot for crazy rock-climbing people. As you stroll along the wide Undercliff carriage road with a never-ending view to your right, you’ll also have ropes dangling to your left every few feet, with tiny little humans clinging to the rock face hundreds of feet above.
Undercliff Road is so nice, I’d considered writing this hike up as an up-and-back affair, rather than a loop. What a mistake that would have been. In the several years since I’d walked the Overcliff Road, I’d forgotten how nice the views are there, too, looking out onto the Catskills and smaller ridges in the Mohonk Preserve.
If you’re looking for a longer hike, you could make this into an 8- or 9-mile extravaganza, visiting the Mohonk Mountain House (with its Sky Top Tower, Lemon Squeeze rock scramble and beautiful lake) once you reach the junction with Overcliff Road.
I’ve done this before, since it’s the poor man’s way to visit the Mountain House, rather than paying the $20 per-person ($25 on weekends) fee there. It makes for a long day, though, and I’d only recommend doing that if you’re feeling really, really spry. I’ll assume you’re not doing that, but if you’re interested, I’ll point the way in the trail guide below and leave you to it.
The parking area for Undercliff/Overcliff is a jumping-off point for many of the most popular hikes in the Hudson Valley. If you’re coming on a nice weekend day, try to get here early (or very late in the afternoon). The large parking lot can fill up, forcing you to stalk someone back to their car so you can steal their spot, like it’s the mall at Christmas. (Sometimes they just put cones at the entrance so you can’t even come in, which is a bummer. If that happens to you, park in the Wawarsing Lot less than a mile away, towards New Paltz, just under that hairpin turn on 44/55. You can still access Undercliff Road from there, but you’ll have a ton of stairs to climb first.)
Once you find a parking spot, though, you’re in for a visit to one of the most awesome and unique places in the Hudson Valley, or anywhere else.
Trail Guide
Bonus unsolicited advice: Don't depend on having cell service in the woods - it can be spotty out there! Download this trail guide to your phone before you head out. (It's easy to do on iPhone and Android.) May your connection to nature be strong, even when your connection to the internet is weak.
1. Walk to the far end of the parking lot, away from the guard shack and entrance. You’ll see a short trail that runs roughly parallel to Rt. 44/55. Take this trail until you climb the stone steps that bring you up to a large trail junction, with the pedestrian bridge that leads across 44/55 straight ahead (don’t cross the bridge).
If nobody was in the guard shack when you drove in, this is the spot where someone will be waiting to relieve you of your 10 bucks (per hiker) and give you your day pass.
2. From the top of the stairs, turn left toward the “Welcome to Mohonk Preserve” kiosk, which you’ll walk straight past to join the well-marked Undercliff Road.
3. In just a moment, you’ll get your first views (that didn’t take long, did it?) off to your right, looking over the scenic pull-off parking area that you passed on your way in, if you came from the east.
4. That’s really all the direction you need for the next 2 miles or so. Just keep wandering down the road (I’ve seen parents pushing strollers here, the road is so flat), gawking at the views to your right and the gorgeous cliffs (complete with crazy people) to your left.
5. Notice the chalk on every single possible handhold, and on some impossible ones, too. You know, if you feel like noticing that.
6. As the road leads away from the base of the cliffs, you’ll see several little trails leading back to the cliffs, which you can ignore, unless you’re one of the crazy people with ropes.
7. The cliffs get smaller and smaller until you’re walking down a regular woods road without views on either side. Hey! We’re spoiled. Give us some views!
8. Through the trees, on your right, you’ll just be able to make out the Sky Top Tower at the Mohonk Mountain House.
If you want to hike all the way up there (bringing your total to at least 9 miles for the day, including that large hill you’re looking at right now), you’ll get your chance in just a moment. Don’t try it unless you’re really sure that’s what you want to do, and you have enough provisions to do it. Your day pass doesn’t allow you access into the Mountain House, just onto the grounds, and it’s a long way back to the car from there.
9. It took me about an hour from the parking lot to reach the junction with Overcliff Road. There are a mess of other trails at this junction. See the map podium on the little bridge to your right for a clear picture of the trail structure here.
Optional reading if you’re considering a visit to the Mountain House: It’s 1.5 miles to the Mountain House from this spot, plus a steep climb (or optional rock scramble) up to the Sky Top Tower, so we’re talking an additional 3-4 miles roundtrip. If you want to do that, go ahead, but I might recommend just paying the entrance fee and checking it out some other day, unless you’re super hard-core and/or cheap. I’ve brought friends along for that entire hike, and we all enjoyed it, but everyone was ready to see the car about two miles before we saw it.
If you do venture off to the Mountain House, bon voyage (and I hope you have lots of water and snacks)! Look for the Red Trail leading up into the rocks at the far end of the lake (near the Mountain House) if you want to do the Labyrinth rock scramble leading to the Lemon Squeeze. That scenic scramble takes you up to the Sky Top Tower, or you can just stroll up the paved (then gravel) path from the lake to the tower. That paved path is the way you’ll come back down, no matter how you get to the top.
Have fun out there, and good luck! Retrace your steps to this trail junction when you’re done, and rejoin us sane people for the stroll down Overcliff Road to end your day of hiking.If you’re a sane person, stick with me and let’s head back to the car via the Overcliff Road.
10. Follow the signs to take an immediate left onto Overcliff Road (that is, a left if you’re coming from Undercliff Road, not from the map podium).
11. In just a few minutes, you’ll wander past some more cliffs. These would look awesome on any other hike, but you’re all spoiled now. Yawn.
12. Enjoy the view of the Catskills that opens up to your right. This view sticks with you for much of your return trip. The only minor disappointment on Overcliff Road is that you don’t get any views over the tops of the cliffs you’ve just walked under, as the name seems to imply. But the urge to complain quickly fades away as you take in the awesome views you get instead.
13. After 30 minutes or so, you’ll find yourself in some quiet woods again, sans views.
14. In about an hour (or more, especially if the toddler riding on your back kicks off his shoe and you backtrack for ten minutes unsuccessfully looking for it), you’ll arrive back at the kiosk where you started. (And if you’re the jogger who went out of his way to return the shoe to me on November 6, 2010, you are a super cool person. Thank you again.)Once you’re back at the kiosk, turn right and go down the stone stairs to head back to your car. Going to bring your climbing ropes next time?
Directions
Directions to the trailhead: From New Paltz, head west on Route 299. Follow 299 until it dead ends into Rt. 44/55, where you’ll make a right turn. Follow 44/55 past the hairpin turn under the Shawangunk cliffs and arrive at the West Trapps Trailhead parking area on your right. Turn into the lot, drive past the guard shack and try to find an empty spot. (The picture below was taken pulling out of the parking lot, so it’s the reverse of what you’d see coming from New Paltz.)
You can also get directions by checking out the Undercliff/Overcliff entry on the HiketheHudsonValley.com Google map.
Sorta nearby address for your GPS: The Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center’s address is:
3197 Route 44/55
Gardiner, NY 12525
From there, just keep heading west on 44/55 for another 1.3 miles to find the West Trapps Trailhead parking area on your right.
GPS coordinates of parking area: 41.73677, -74.19865 (Clicking will open in Google Maps or the Apple Maps app, depending on your browser/device.)
Resources & Interactives
Related resources: If you’re looking for actual facts and/or useful information, visit these resources:
- A nice alternate hike write-up from the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
- General information on the preserve at mohonkpreserve.org
- More general information at the Mohonk Wikipedia page
Want to support trails in the Hudson Valley? Here’s one great way: Visit the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference homepage and click on Volunteer, Donate, or Shop! (Then you can volunteer, donate, or shop, depending on your mood.)
Hi Mike,
I did this hike today with wife and 3 kids (9, 6 and 2). Took us 6 hours and yes we went all the way to Mohonk Mountain House. Now we can hardly walk straight. Thanks to ur directions and tips, we had planned ahead and kept a rich stock of food, water and songs to sing. lol.
Just wanted to thank u and brag a little on our family’s achievement 🙂 Cheers, mate!
Wow — you all deserve to brag about that one, Danish! Please give your entire family a high-five from me. Hope you’re recovered by now 🙂 Thanks for sharing the kind words and great photo here.
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Does this trail get you around needing to book a hiking pass through the Mohonk Preserve?
Hi, Allie! Yes, the online booking is for the Mohonk Mountain House only, and doesn’t apply to the hike documented above. You can purchase your day pass for the Mohonk Preserve at the visitor center or trailhead. The parking lots have been filling up very early on weekends – you’d have the best shot at some solitude if you can visit on a weekday, and good luck whenever you go!
Thanks for this enthusiastic step by step walking tour. I’m a local and have been sticking to the Gatehouse Trailhead because I’m a brat about the parking at West Trapps but you’ve inspired me to go back.
Walked this with our new rescue dog today and she loved it. Thank you!
That’s so nice to hear, Whitney! My rescue dog has always loved it there, too. Sounds like they’re kindred spirits 🙂
Thank you for this. I go up every year to hike trapps trail but im dying to see the escarpment at skytop. 9 miles is a bit much for my taped up right knee but i can do 5 or 6. Gloria
Hi, Gloria! Sounds like starting right at Mohonk Mountain House might be a better option for you — enjoy if you get a chance to check it out, and good luck with your knee!
I just parked at the Undercliff/Overcliff lot mentioned in this post and headed over to the Mohonk Labyrinth from there and the price for the Undercliff/Overcliff lot has increased to $15 for a day hiking pass! It is no longer $12 as mentioned above so I recommend updating it above! Thank you always for the awesome guide!
Lauren, thank you so much for the heads-up! My apologies for not getting a response here sooner. The Cheapskate Alert above is now updated to $15. Much appreciated!
I recommend that anyone visiting the Mohonk Preserve for the first time to stop at the Visitor Center and get oriented. Maps, a video, interactive exhibits, and helpful folks will make your hikes more enjoyable
My daughter and I did this hike a few weekends ago and had a great time. I would suggest doing the loop in the opposite direction (Overcliff then Undercliff) if you arrive early as we did; we saw lots of rock climbers putting on their gear and staking out their spots, but none were yet actually climbing at about 9:30 on a cool April Sunday morning. If we had walked the loop in the reverse direction we likely would have found more action on the rocks! In fact, we started from the parking lot at the same time as a Mohonk Preserve guided group and passed them at the intersection of Undercliff and Overcliff going the opposite way. Thanks, as always, for your great guides!
Forgot to mention, it was $12 at the gate, that came with a wristband that identifies you as a hiker/cyclist/etc. and a free map, and it was totally worth the money.
Great information. Went out today on a warmish day in February. When the leaves are gone you have spectacular mountain views nearly the entire Undercliff/Overcliff loop. Was not disappointed by either the views or the by the gravity defying rock climbers along the Undercliff trail. I parked at a secondary lot a short distance from the beginning of the loop and logged 5.26 miles.
Perfect trail for beginners, runners, bikers, cross country skiiers and snowshoeing. Trail is either flat or at a very, very gentle rise- you could easily take a stroller or wheelchair.
I would recommend for someone who wants to get out and see great views, but perhaps isn’t ready for ‘moderate’ trails yet. A winner.
Thanks for the nice info and review, Megh!
I’d like to be on your email list. Thanks
Hi Diana! I don’t maintain an email list, but you can keep up with the latest news on the site from the Hike the Hudson Valley Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HikeTheHudsonValley
Hope that does the trick – thanks for your interest!
Mike,
Great post/pictures/hike summary! Excellent information. I just have a quick question. If I take the cheap way up to Mohonk Mountain House and to the Labyrinth rock scramble and up through the Lemon Squeeze from parking lot you mentioned in step 1……..is that a 8-9 mile round trip or just one way? I have 2 weeks off in July and will like to hike this trail.
Thanks in advance for any additional information.
Mario.
Hi Mario — 8-9 miles is the total roundtrip distance. Enjoy your time off, and good luck if you give it a whirl!
Thanks Mike for the quick response. 8-9 miles round trip is doable.
Cheers,
Mario.
Hey great description! I am going to give the “cheap” way a go because im going to be with 4-5 people all of which are experienced hikers in great shape but also poor college kids haha. I was wondering if you had any advice for us? Thinking of hitting the trail next weekend weather permitting. Also is there somewhere to pick up a map or better to print one out or search my archive of maps of the area?
Sean — In-shape, poor college kids are the target audience for the cheaper, longer loop to the Labyrinth and Lemon Squeeze. Good luck to you all! You can usually get a map at the Trapps parking area, if there’s an attendant to give you one. I also found this map, which looks like a modified version of the map they give you at the Mountain House — you can see the Undercliff Road coming in from the left, which is the way you’ll be coming in: http://nyskiblog.com/directory/#nabble-td4649805. (If you have time to wait for the printed maps to arrive, the definitive map set for this area, including a ton of other great hikes, are the Shawangunk maps from the NY-NJ Trail Conference: http://www.nynjtc.org/product/shawangunk-trails)
Just snake your way over toward the lake and you’ll find the entrance to the Labyrinth near the Mountain House itself. I hope this is all helpful, and have a great adventure out there! (Bring plenty of snacks and water – you’ll need ’em!)
Thanks very much Mike! really appreciate the help!
If it was $25 for both my boyfriend and I, I would have considered it. But it’s crazy spending $50 on a hike. Need to get in better shape, and then Im deffenitily taking the long way. Not worth the money no matter how beautiful the views are, or how short the trail is.
This post was really helpful. I went along with some friends to check out this place and had no difficulty in navigating my way after reading this post. The GPS address provided was quite helpful too!
Samit,
Thanks so much. I’m glad to hear that this site was useful, and that you had a good day out there with your friends!
Mike