Shawangunk Ridge Trail

The Shawangunk Ridge Trail traverses the dramatic spine of the 'Gunks,' a world-famous rock climbing destination where horizontal beds of Silurian-age white quartzite conglomerate form sweeping cliff faces and overhanging ledges that have attracted climbers since Fritz Wiessner established routes here in the 1930s. The 6-mile out-and-back route from Minnewaska State Park Preserve follows the ridge crest southward across open rock slabs polished smooth by continental glaciers, passing through pitch pine barrens and heath shrubland communities found nowhere else at this latitude. The quartzite itself is extraordinarily erosion-resistant, explaining why the ridge stands 500 feet above the surrounding valleys while softer Devonian shales eroded away during glaciation. Rock climbers can be spotted on the vertical faces below the trail at crags including Near Trapps and Far Trapps, where over 1,000 established routes concentrate some of the most technically demanding climbing in the East. The ridge trail offers sustained views west across the Rondout Valley and the Catskill Escarpment throughout its length. Blueberry and huckleberry shrubs line the trail edge, fruiting in late July and August. The route ends at a prominent viewpoint above the Hudson Valley before returning via the same ridge path.