Sam's Point and Verkeerderkill Falls Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Cave · Fall Colors · Lake · Views · Waterfall · Wildlife

An 8 to 9-mile loop (depending if you take the Ice Caves trails too) that is an intermediate/moderate hike with a waterfall, lake, scrambling, and wildlife! This is not a small jaunt, but a dedicated 5-7 hour affair.

$10 a day to park at the Visitors Center.

This hike will take you through the Sam's Point preserve, owned by the Nature Conservancy. The preserve is part of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail extending into Minnewaska State Park. You'll hike through a rare and endangered ecosystem, consisting of a Rare Dwarf Pitch Pine barren -- one of the few remaining in the world.

You'll also have the chance to hike the Ice Caves Trail, which brings you to caves that were formed from the talus or boulders from the cliffs, creating huge rock crevices The air in the caves gets trapped, keeping the inside cold enough for snow to stay through July.

Along the way, you'll also hike up and on top of the many cliffs in the area as you take the High Point Trail. You'll get views of High Point Monument in New Jersey, the Hudson Valley, as well as the Catskills and Roundout Valley. You'll also pass the Verkeerderkill Falls and the old berry picker shacks from the days when the area was picked for its wild blueberries. Return to the start of the trail along High Point Carriage Road.