Hiking Project Logo

90% rock scramble and 100% fun, this trail takes you up to Sky Tower via cracks and crevices in the side of the cliffs.


Your Rating: Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List
Zoom in to see details
Map Key

0.5

Miles

0.9

KM

Point to Point

1,463' 446 m

High

1,257' 383 m

Low

276' 84 m

Up

71' 22 m

Down

12%

Avg Grade (7°)

71%

Max Grade (36°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Fall Colors · Views · Wildflowers

I would not recommend this in the rain; it is just too dangerous due to slippery rocks. There is a $22 fee per person ($27 weekend/holiday) to enter the Mohonk House grounds, and while this seems absurd, it is actually worth it.

Unless you are a guest at the hotel, you must hike over a mile to Mohonk Lake via Hugenot Drive, a gravel road. There is nice scenery, but it's a stroll in the woods, not a hike.

Description

This one of a kind "trail" is really a scramble through a myriad of huge rock piles followed by a battle with claustrophobia, as you squeeze your way up one final crevice to emerge near Sky Top.

This trail is certainly doable for almost all hikers, but fair warning that there are plenty of places to fall and injure yourself. Excellent shoes are a must, and some even prefer barefoot over the Labyrinth sections towards the beginning. Here one must crawl over, under, and between several ton rocks that is very much like a maze. This section is incredibly rewarding. There are several points where one must pause to think of the safest way to navigate crevices, though, the truly impossible sections wooden ladders are in place to make the route passable.

After the Labyrinth, continue south through a short singletrack trail and then over more rock, though now exposed to the open skies.

Finally, tackle the Lemon Squeeze where you must shimmy your way to a ledge from a crack underneath, with the last section using your arms mores than your legs. When you finally pop out there is a large cliff that overlooks some hills of the Catskill Mountains. Pause here for amazing views before heading to Sky Top via an unpaved road.

Sky Top itself affords a wonderful 360-degree view of the hills and Mohonk Lake.

Contacts

Land Manager: Mohonk Preserve

Shared By:

Lou Poulas

Trail Ratings

  5.0 from 22 votes

#75

Overall
  5.0 from 22 votes
5 Star
100%
4 Star
0%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#1

in New York

#75

Overall
52 Views Last Month
41,003 Since Apr 6, 2017
Difficult Difficult

0%
0%
15%
15%
70%
0%

Photos

Emerge from the Lemon Squeeze for this rewarding view of the surrounding Catskill Mountains.
Apr 6, 2017 near New Paltz, NY
Trust your feet and make your way out of the slot!
Apr 26, 2017 near New Paltz, NY
You'll have to climb this ladder between a narrow slot in the rocks along the Labyrinth and Lemon Squeeze.
Apr 26, 2017 near New Paltz, NY
One of the first sights after managing the crevice climb through the Lemon Squeeze in New Paltz, NY
Feb 28, 2018 near New Paltz, NY
Well, you really can't go back, so finish by climbing up through the crevice to the open air above.
Apr 6, 2017 near New Paltz, NY
Living up to its name, the Labyrinth and Lemon Squeeze can be tight at times!
Apr 26, 2017 near New Paltz, NY

0 Comments

Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.