Shaft 2A Hike

One of the coolest (and shortest) hikes that I've found in the Ulster County area is the Shaft 2A hike. Located on the northwestern edge of the Minnewaska Preserve, the trail takes you to an 87-foot waterfall. To make the hike longer, you can also climb up the rock cliffs to take a trail that runs along the stream feeding the waterfall. Alternatively, at the top of the falls you can take a trail that runs toward the main part of Minnewaska. The optional trail will take you through the area of Minnewaska that suffered from a forest fire in April 2008. One of the best times to visit Shaft 2A and the falls is during the winter when the falls freeze. The picture above shows some relative scale for the height of the waterfall. Below is a shot from behind the frozen waterfall.

The video below (hope it works - it's not quite optimized for the blog video player - sorry about any problems viewing it) was taken at the top of the waterfall in Spring 2010 and shows the stream that feeds the falls as well as the drop off over the falls. You can see how beautiful the area is.

If the video doesn't work, it is also on YouTube. You should be able to view it here. You can view another video I shot from down below the falls here. Also, you can view one of my hikes (with pictures) to Shaft 2A and into Minnewaska. It is viewable at EveryTrail here.

Information about how to get to the trail can be found on the Shaft 2A page at WikiPaltz. There is no formal parking area - just a dead-end road. From the road, the hike to the falls takes about 20 minutes. Some parts of the hike are alongside a fairly steep incline and can be quite slippery in the winter. There are great views of the falls from several vantage points along the trail. To get to the top of the falls, you will have to cross the stream and head up the cliff area to the left of the falls.

The Beach at Awosting

I've talked to a lot of people that have visited Lake Minnewaska. They love the trails around the lake and have jumped in at the public swimming area. Many of these people, however, have never made the trek out to Lake Awosting to check out the granite beach there. It's definitely worth making the trip.



I wrote about riding around Lake Awosting from Minnewaska, and so my earlier post provides some info about Awosting. However, I wanted to write some more about the beach specifically.

Awosting Beach is at the blue dot on the map above. The red trail illustrates a loop that runs from the Minnewaska parking lot around Awosting to the beach and back. If you take the most direct route from the parking lot (the north half of the loop - you can go directly to the beach along the east side of the lake), it is a distance of about 3.5 miles. You can also come up from the Awosting parking lot, which brings you up to the north side of the lake. The distance is about the same (maybe a little less), but you take some significant uphill terrain to get there.

The beach at Awosting is made of a huge granite slab that extends out about 50 feet (the water is about 8-to-9 feet deep at the back of the roped-in area). The water is crystal clear - be sure to bring your goggles! - and it remains quite cool throughout the summer - despite being out in the open. The "beach" area is the continuation of the rock slab, and you'll find a number of people lying out in the sun.

Because of the distance, many people opt to ride bikes out there, although if you're up for a hike, it's definitely do-able. The beach area has bike racks and a comfort station with changing rooms and bathrooms. Please note that there are no trash facilities inside the park - you have to carry out everything that you bring in. Additionally, the bathrooms - though very clean and relatively pleasant to use - have composting toilets. There are no water fountains or other plumbing inside the park - so make sure you carry in enough water for your entire hike/bike.

To get information about the park - including park office contact info, etc., check out this site. There is a panoramic view of Lake Awosting at this site.

Great Dining in Krumville - The Country Inn

After reading a recent Bluestone Press review of The Country Inn, we decided to check it out. I'm happy to report that it lived up to the great review - wonderful food in a great setting. The Country Inn is in Krumville on Route 2 (1380 County Road 2 - not far from the junction with 2A). The menu includes a great mix of dishes with a huge beer selection (hundreds of beer - I recommend the Abita Strawberry Harvest).

Although the food and beer selection is great, my favorite part of the experience was the setting. The Country Inn sits alongside a beautiful pond surrounded by forest. There is a back deck so that you can enjoy the surroundings, but the interior dining space is also nice. The back deck has three or four tables, but it looks like they may be expanding the outdoor space soon.

For more info about The Country Inn, check out this site. It provides hours, contact info, and information about the history of the restaurant. And if you want verification that the restaurant is good, you can check out the reviews page. Also, keep in mind that the restaurant only takes cash (they have an ATM on location).

Lake Awosting - Great Bike Riding from Minnewaska

Lake Awosting is part of Minnewaska State Park in Ulster County. Many people in the area are familiar with Lake Minnewaska - primarily because there is a swimming area open to the public, and it has a nearby parking lot (making for easy access). A lake that fewer people visit is Lake Awosting. Awosting is located about three miles from the Lake Minnewaska parking lot (there is another lot that is slightly closer to Awosting, but it's still more than 2.5 miles). To get there, you either have to hike, bike, snowshoe, or cross-country ski (or take a horse if you happen to have one handy).

Despite the distance, it is definitely worth the trip. There is a trail around the lake with several breathtaking vistas. Additionally, there is a granite swimming area open to the public. The most interesting thing about Awosting is that the water is crystal clear (and tends to stay pretty cool all year long). You can see the rock shelf drop off at various points around the lake, and you can see many feet down.

Biking from Minnewaska to Awosting is definitely a fun adventure. I uploaded a past bike ride to Everytrail.com that maps out the route and includes some pictures along the way. For more information about Minnewaska State Park, you can go to Wikipedia.

Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale

The Widow Jane Mine is part of the Snyder Estate in Rosendale, NY. We explored the area on our bikes and found not only this cool grotto-like mine, but we found some great hiking trails. The Snyder Estate has several historic buildings on the grounds. You can find out more at the official Century House Historical Society site.





The town of Rosendale was a major cement-production area "back in the day", with the cement produced there used in building the Brooklyn Bridge (because it had an additive that allowed it to solidify under water). There are a number of left-over mines and cement ovens all over the Rosendale area, with some of the mines now being used by Iron Mountain for records storage.



More information about the Snyder Estate and the cement boom in Rosendale is available on Wikipedia. A little more info about the mine (thought not a lot) can be accessed here.

Ulster County Adventures

Welcome to the Ulster County (NY) Adventures Blog!

My name is Mike, and I am a part-time resident of Accord, NY. Accord and the rest of Ulster County offer an incredible range of outdoor activities, great dining, fun shopping, and other places of interest.




The purpose of this blog is to share recommendations for activities, businesses, events, and anything else that goes on in Ulster County and surrounding areas. There are always new places to visit, and even if you have already discovered one of the great points of interest in Ulster, you may not know about additional activities that you can do.

For example, did you know you can take your own boat on Lake Minnewaska? You can get boating rights for your non-motorized (government-approved) kayak, canoe, or row boat by registering it with the park service. It only costs $30 for a year-long license, and it gives you the opportunity to view Minnewaska from a truly unique vantage point.

Also, did you know that you can visit the Mohonk House Garden Store even if you aren't staying as a guest at the hotel? You can get a temporary pass to go to the garden shop to purchase the same plants and accessories that make the grounds of Mohonk so amazing.

I'll keep updating this blog with posts about the various cool things that you can do in and around Ulster County with specific directions on how to get there and an overview of what's involved in the case of registration, etc.

I'm also happy to answer any questions about things to do in Ulster, so don't be shy about asking!

Mike