October 18, 2026 – Gardiner, NY

Difficulty: Easy – Moderate

Length: Approximately 2.7 miles

Max elevation: 1,776 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 340 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Buy Map: Shawangunk Trails #105

Free Map: Minnewaska State Park Preserve Trail Map

Fee: $10.00 per vehicle – Empire Pass Accepted

Trailhead parking: Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center

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Overview:

Beacon Hill is a scenic destination on the eastern side of Minnewaska State Park Preserve, offering expansive views of the surrounding Shawangunk Mountains, the Rondout Valley, and the distant Catskills. It’s an excellent choice for hikers looking for rewarding scenery without committing to one of the preserve’s longer, more strenuous routes.

The Beacon Hill Loop is a great introduction to hiking at Minnewaska, showcasing the beauty of the Shawangunk Ridge with sweeping views, exposed rock, and scenic woodland trails, all without venturing too far into the backcountry. It’s also generally quieter than some of the preserve’s more popular destinations, making it a pleasant alternative for those seeking a little solitude. For hikers looking for more mileage, the loop connects with other trails, making it easy to extend the outing.

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History:

Beacon Hill is part of the Shawangunk Mountain Ridge, which became a popular destination for outdoor recreation in the late 19th century. In the 1870s, Alfred Smiley developed Minnewaska as a mountaintop resort, complete with hotels and an extensive network of carriage roads for exploring the surrounding forests, cliffs, and lakes. The Beacon Hill Carriage Road, approximately two-thirds of a mile long, is a remnant of this era, providing visitors with relatively easy access to the area’s scenic overlooks.

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Trails Overview:

• Beacon Hill Carriage Road (0.7 mile one way) ~ A broad, relatively easy carriage road leading to the rocky overlook. It’s a good option if you want the views without a lengthy hike.
  

  Beacon Hill Carriage Road

• Beacon Hill Footpath (About 0.9 mile) ~ A more natural trail with rocky footing, elevation changes, wooded stretches, and views along the escarpment. It’s more demanding than the carriage road, but offers a more varied hiking experience.
  

  Beacon Hill Footpath

  In addition to the two trails described above, this hike follows sections of the Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road and includes a little off-trail exploration to reach several scenic overlooks and interesting rock formations.

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Hike Overview:

I’ve hiked this area numerous times over the last 10 years, and it’s one of my favorite hikes in the park. Beacon Hill is especially appealing if you want a short, scenic outing or would like to add another destination to a visit to Lake Minnewaska. The views toward the Catskills and Rondout Valley are a highlight, and the footpath adds enough variety to make the outing feel like more than a simple walk along a gravel road.

Beacon Hill also provides a quieter alternative to some of Minnewaska’s more heavily visited destinations. Its combination of historic routes, exposed bedrock, and far-reaching views makes it a worthwhile stop for anyone exploring the preserve.

This clockwise loop begins and ends at the Upper Awosting parking lot near the Visitor center, and requires a short road walk from the parking lot down the entrance road to the Beacon Hill Carriage Road.

The elevation profile shows a relatively moderate hike, with approximately 340 feet of total elevation gain. A few ups and downs along the route add variety without making this a particularly strenuous outing.

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The Hike:

From the Upper Parking Area, begin by retracing your drive down the access road for approximately 0.1 mile, passing the park maintenance center. On the right, you’ll find the start of the Beacon Hill Carriage Road. This easy, gently graded route passes through a scenic woodland, particularly beautiful during the fall foliage season. After approximately 0.7 mile, the carriage road ends at a rocky outcrop overlooking the surrounding landscape.

Beacon Hill Vista opens to magnificent views across the Rondout Valley toward the distant Catskill Mountains, showcasing the natural beauty of the Shawangunk Ridge. Look closely, and you’ll spot the historic Skytop Tower rising above the surrounding landscape at Mohonk Mountain House. The vista is particularly beautiful during the fall foliage season, when the valley below becomes a colorful patchwork of autumn hues.

After taking in the views, continue onto the yellow-blazed Beacon Hill Footpath. The trail descends gently to cross a seasonal stream before beginning a steady climb through the woods. A steeper ascent eventually brings you onto an exposed rock ledge, where partially obstructed views peek through the surrounding trees. This is a particularly beautiful and peaceful stretch of trail, and you may find yourself enjoying much of it without encountering another hiker.

The trail continues along the cliff edge for a stretch, offering intermittent views of the surrounding hills and countryside through openings in the trees. Eventually, the Beacon Hill Footpath turns away from the escarpment and descends through a narrow passage between split rock formations before passing a prominent cliff face on the right.

After just under a mile, the Beacon Hill Footpath reaches a picnic area furnished with tables. Just to the left, a rocky outcrop opens to expansive views across the valley and the surrounding countryside, making this a lovely spot to pause and take in the scenery.

To the right of the main outcrop, a faint footpath follows the cliff edge to several smaller, more secluded overlooks with fantastic views. The first outcrop we came to was occupied, so we continued a little farther to the next one, which turned out to be just perfect. It offered a wonderful vantage point and a little solitude to sit back and enjoy the scenery.

This rocky ledge holds a couple of intriguing surprises. One section of exposed rock appears to have been hand-chiseled into a couch-like seat, possibly dating back to the Lake Minnewaska Mountain House era, when guests explored the surrounding landscape and enjoyed its scenic retreats. Immediately beside it is a small rock shelter, adding another touch of history and character to this unusual spot.

Continue along the faint footpath where it will come out to a larger rock ledge that is right next to the Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, and is usually crowded on a nice day.

After taking in the views from these ledges, turn right onto the red-diamond-blazed Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road and continue uphill along the wide, well-maintained carriage road.

In a short distance, the carriage road opens into a clearing that marks the former site of the Cliff House, a mountaintop hotel built in 1879. The resort was abandoned in 1972, and the building was destroyed by fire in January 1978.

Leave the carriage road and make your way toward the cliff edge, where sweeping views open up over Lake Minnewaska, with the distant Catskill Mountains forming a beautiful backdrop.

After enjoying the views, you can either continue along the cliff edge or return to the Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road. Along the way, you’ll pass Dry Bridge and a historic Summer House before following the carriage road back to the parking lot, completing the loop where your hike began.

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Review: 

The Beacon Hill Loop is one of those hikes that keeps drawing me back. I’ve explored this area numerous times over the past decade, and it never seems to lose its appeal. At just under 3 miles with approximately 340 feet of elevation gain, it’s a relatively easy outing that delivers an impressive variety of scenery. The historic carriage roads, quiet woodland footpaths, dramatic rock formations, and spectacular overlooks make every section enjoyable. I especially love the contrast between the peaceful stretches of forest, where you can wander along without seeing another soul, and the grand views opening up over Lake Minnewaska, the Rondout Valley, and the distant Catskill Mountains. Discovering the old Cliff House site and other remnants of Minnewaska’s resort era adds a fascinating sense of history to the experience. The overlooks closest to the carriage road can attract quite a crowd on a beautiful day, but it’s easy to find quieter spots along the cliffs where you can pause, take in the scenery, and simply enjoy being there. For me, this loop captures so much of what makes Minnewaska special, and it remains one of my favorite hikes in the preserve.

Pros: 

Spectacular views of Lake Minnewaska and the Catskill Mountains, historic carriage roads, fascinating rock formations, peaceful woodland trails, several scenic overlooks, manageable distance and elevation gain, excellent introduction to the Shawangunk Ridge.

Cons:

Crowded overlooks on nice days, popular carriage road sections can see considerable foot traffic.

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Take a hike!

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Sources:

• Minnewaska State Park Preserve