June 23, 2024 – Rosendale, NY

Difficulty: Easy – Moderate

Length: approximately 2.2 miles

Max elevation: 482 ft. – total elevation gain: 471 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Map: Joppenbergh Mountain Map 2021

Trailhead parking: Willow Kiln Park – 5 Hardenburgh Lane, Rosendale, NY 12472

Joppenbergh Mountain is free of charge and open daily from dawn until dusk for use by the public.

Portable toilet located near the start of the trail.

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Overview:

Joppenbergh Mountain is a nearly 500-foot tall mountain in Rosendale, NY (Ulster County). The mountain dominates the natural landscape of the Town of Rosendale. It is located at the very northern end of the Shawangunk Ridge and, north of the Rondout Creek. Newly marked trails lead to the top of the mountain from Willow Kiln Park, with a view of the Rosendale Trestle and the rolling hills beyond.

Willow Kiln Park is located behind the municipal parking lot off Main Street, behind the Rosendale Theatre. Trails to Joppenburgh Mountain are accessed from the park. The park is the site of the former cement kilns, which give the park its name and also hosts a Farmer’s Market on weekends.

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History:

Joppenbergh, or Jacob’s Mountain, is named after Colonel Jacob Rutsen, a merchant and the son of a Dutch immigrant from Albany. He founded the first settlement in what is now the town of Rosendale in the late 17th century. The spelling of the mountain’s name has been disputed, and has been rendered as Joppenberg and Joppenburgh. It has also been called Jacob’s Nose, Jacob’s Mount, and, in an early 18th-century deed, Jobsenbright.

In September of 2011, the Open Space Institute’s land acquisition affiliate, the Open Space Conservancy, purchased Joppenbergh Mountain, a 117-acre parcel that towers over Rosendale, NY. Friends of the Shawangunks, through its land-trust affiliate, The Shawangunk Conservancy, agreed to raise $85,000 (46%) of the sale price in order to secure the mountain’s preservation.

Joppenbergh is laced with a network of old roads, paths and trails. The mountain’s rich history is reflected in this network. Farming, logging, mining, recreational sports and communication technology have all had a place at different times, and each of these has left its traces.

Over one hundred years ago, Willow Kiln Park was a very busy spot. The kilns that form the parks backdrop burned all the rock mined under Joppenberg Mountain. It is this cement company’s claim that its product built the Brooklyn Bridge, in fact calling its cement “Brooklyn Bridge Brand.” America’s first railroad steam engine, the Sturbridge Lion, passed through today’s park on a canal boat on the Delaware & Hudson canal located on the south side of the park.

Today the Wallkill Valley Land Trust (WVLT) owns and manages the property.

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Trails Overview:

When I hiked Joppenburgh in 2018, the trails were unmarked.

In 2019, the WVLT and its volunteers, added yellow blazes to the Lookout Trail and built the Pink Trail. In 2021, they began cutting more trails, and in 2022 began installing bog bridges along the Multi-Use Purple Trail.

Today, the trails are mostly well marked with plenty of signage and are well maintained.

A leg of the Purple Trail was closed off on the day of my visit. Not sure if it is permanent or just a temporary closure.

The trails are marked with WVLT round plastic discs of various colors.

Trails used on this hike:

• Access Trail/Link Trail (green) is the first trail encountered upon leaving the Willow Kiln parking lot. It serves as a connector trail to access the other trails at Joppenbergh Mountain. I did not see any green markers, but it’s the only trail until you reach the junction with the yellow-blazed Lookout Trail.

• Lookout Trail (yellow) is the crown jewel of Joppenbergh mountain, offering trail users amazing views of the Wallkill River, Rosendale Trestle, and the Shawangunk Ridge. It is 1.02 miles long and only accessible on foot, not MTB. Heading up the Link Trail from the Parking lot, the Lookout Trail will be on your left and features a quick climb up to the look-out before continuing to the summit of Joppenbergh Mountain at 482 feet.

• The Outcrop Trail (purple) is moderately easy to traverse. The outcrop trail is named for it’s unique geological features, with glacial erratics from the last ice age and bedrock ridges visible from the trail. It is a multi-use trail, available to both pedestrians and bicyclists. Bog bridges help hikers and bikers traverse the wet areas of the trail.

• Buteo Trail (pink/red?) is a multi-use trail that is suitable for Hiking, Trail Running, and Mountain Biking. It is a nice, wide trail for most of its length. Some of the markers on the trail may appear more red than pink.

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Hike Overview:

Not long after I did this hike in October 2018, I read that they were cutting new trails and adding blazes to the existing trails. I finally got around to hiking Joppenbergh again, and I am glad that I did.

Aside from the birds-eye view of the Rosendale Trestle and beyond, this is a relatively quiet spot to hike. I only encountered two separate hikers during my time there. The canopied forest provides ample shade from the hot sun, making it a good hike in any season.

This clockwise loop begins and ends in Willow Kiln Park.

As you can see from the graph below, after the initial steep ascent, the grade moderates substantially.

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The Hike:

There is plenty of parking in the Rosendale Municipal Parking Lot, which is adjacent to Willow Kiln Park. The Farmer’s Market was setting up when I arrived at just before 9am on a Sunday morning in June.

As you walk along the rear of the park, you may want to take a minute to check out the cement kilns before you embark on your hike.

The kiln wall which runs 100 feet along the park, is 35-foot-high wall (at its tallest section) and is constructed of stone rubble and grout core, with a stone and mortar face.

The hike begins at the eastern end of the park, to the far right of the kilns. There is a kiosk with a map. If you don’t have a printed map, then you may want to take a picture of the map on the kiosk. This is the Green Trail as shown on the map. I did not see any green markers, but the signs indicate the way.

Follow this gravel trail as it bends to the left and crosses the hillside above the kilns.

In a short distance, the trail comes to a junction. On the left is the yellow-blazed Lookout Trail. This is the shortest distance to the viewpoint. Follow the Yellow Trail as it begins to climb gradually.

The trail climbs steadily along the southern slope of Joppenbergh Mountain, with the Town of Rosendale is visible through the trees below.

After about 0.6 mile from the start, the trail reaches a small rock outcrop with views to the south and west. You may want to take a few minutes to enjoy the view.

The view point is small, and you have to stand on a slanted rock to get the full view, but what a view it is. Use caution when trying to get a look. Especially if it is wet or icy.

The Northern Shawangunks, including Giant’s Ledges Pocket Park.

Rosendale Trestle is a 940-foot long former railroad trestle rising 150 feet above Rondout Creek. When it was built in 1872 it was the highest span bridge in the United States. Since 2013 it has been a pedestrian walkway on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, a 22-mile path through Ulster County.

Just after leaving the viewpoint, a large branch came crashing down, taking other branches with it, just off the trail.

The trail continues to climb, soon reaching the height of land, just west of the summit. It then levels off somewhat, before beginning a steady descent on an eroded woods road.

We arrived at a detour. I believe that this is the southern leg of the Purple Trail, but I didn’t see any markers. I wasn’t planning on going that way. I turned left and took the northern leg of the Purple Trail.

The Purple Trail meanders through the northern end of the property, passing some interesting looking rock formations along the way.

Stay alert for mountain bikes. I didn’t see any, but you never know.

Bog bridges pave the way along wet sections of the trail.

The Purple Trail climbs a little as it curves to the south.

The Purple Trail then ends at a T-intersection with the Pink Trail. Turn right on the Pink Trail (some of the blazes may look red), and follow it in a southerly direction.

When you come to a junction where the Pink Trail goes both left and right, TURN RIGHT, now heading southwest.

The Pink Trail passes some rock formations with trees growing out of them.

On the trail map, the Pink Trail ends at a junction with the southern leg of the Purple Trail, but continues ahead on the woods road as the Green Trail. It passes a short blue blazed bike trail on the left. Continue descending on the woods road passing through a powerlines cut.

A short distance later, the trail reaches the junction with the Yellow Trail. Bear left at this junction and retrace your steps back to Willow Kiln Park, where the hike began.

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Review:

Although the mountain now has marked trails, it can still be a little confusing. There is enough signage for hikers to find their way around, but you need to pay attention. This was a lovely hike through a particularly scenic area. The viewpoint overlooking the Rosendale Trestle, is the highlight of the hike. The lush, green forest and interesting rock formations make exploring the other trails worthwhile. I would definitely recommend this hike to beginners and seasoned hikers alike.

Pros:

Scenic landscape, nice view, not heavily used, better marked trails.

Cons:

Trail map needs updating.

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Take a hike!

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Sources:

• Joppenbergh Mountain – WVLT
• Joppenbergh Collapse
• A Quarry Caves In – Century House Historical Society (PDF)
• Ski jumping over downtown Rosendale: a history
• Community Preserves Joppenbergh Mountain

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