Meeting place on Sat.: 890 Hoagerburgh Road Town Of Shawangunk Wallkill, NY 12589
Experience a combination of grasslands wildlife and mountain hiking on a weekend trip to the Shawangunks Grassland National Wildlife Refuge and the Catskill Mountains. We’ll meet Sat. morning at the parking lot for the Shawangunks Grasslands NWR on Hoagerburgh Road, on the western side of the refuge. There are flat paths through the grass, and you may see a variety of wildlife and flowers. Glimpses of raptors are common, especially of the Harrier (the bird, not the jet). After viewing the grassland in the morning, we’ll drive to the Catskills and park at Little Pond State Campground N. of Hwy. 152/54 Beaver Kill Road in the Middle Mountain Wild Forest. Here we’ll make a loop hike of Touchmenot Mt. and Cabot Mt. (3-4 miles round-trip), then drive E. on Beaver Kill Road to the parking lot at the end of this road, and hike N. to do a 3-4-mile r/t hike of Balsam Lake Mt. We’ll then drive N. to Arkville and Fleischmanns, have dinner, then drive to free (FCFS) tenting sites along Hwy. 28 and 47 near Shandaken and Allaben. Sunday morning, we’ll pack up the campsite after campside breakfast, then drive to the Woodland Valley State Campground, park, and hike the Wittenberg-Slide Mt. loop trail clockwise, up Wittenberg and down Slide, then return through Neversink Notch past Winnisook Lake to the parking lot, then drive home. This is a 12.2-mile round trip. The weekend should be less hot and buggy than ones in June and later, but no promises. If the weather is bad that weekend, rain check for two weekends later, in the first weekend of June.
Free campsites in Catskills link: https://freecampsites.net/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0ELTt1SltZacKWtIpn_3GvitvEv5-ltvzFXWz4kwVMjvbkvRSg6O4b_ZI_aem_AV-uAAQXwRMsL_ij9WTkZViQnPWoKYSXiyQYNJkeM63l9n5cK4CAlDc3Xo35I71UQ5LcRfIhKcoIsLxhGHbLojwE#!Catskill,%20New%20York,%20US&research=1
Shandaken Forest camping area map: https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/recmapswf.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1CmU7fcXj07h5WAkFipNofdOQnrWQmnBmpXcpG0I7M3Z0YexyOYjmAeu8_aem_AV9hAsRjZBZBr08rKQ12jq0kaOoDugfabXIogMRBr2sc5PgZr3wBiJLHBIMLhD6-SZBTOx3s9lKcy9RFLfnnQb_Q
Shawangunk Grasslands NWR area map: https://cdn-assets.alltrails.com/static-map/production/area/10188732/parks-us-new-york-shawangunk-grassland-national-wildlife-refuge-10188732-20240213193001000000-763x240-1.png?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1CmU7fcXj07h5WAkFipNofdOQnrWQmnBmpXcpG0I7M3Z0YexyOYjmAeu8_aem_AV9hAsRjZBZBr08rKQ12jq0kaOoDugfabXIogMRBr2sc5PgZr3wBiJLHBIMLhD6-SZBTOx3s9lKcy9RFLfnnQb_Q
Shawangunk Grasslands trail map photo: https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/gcdn/-mm-/d761ea05704bef1553051dbbf04dad02abf75277/c=0-477-5177-3402/local/-/media/2017/02/13/Poughkeepsie/Poughkeepsie/636225955799489557-fb020817gunks02.jpg?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1iprx4jZT0rT3pK9DxDH_O0LYNQbwLlmNtqKW7sVX17gfSHEzixvqD8AY_aem_AV9cJpPtkhcnjp2gJf_W3ZOEIITQFIl34mvZl6mR-ywZ6_lDK9CCvO_Z2j3soO95_TTyJO6pewaoAlbbsUGPM-lw
Wittenberg-Slide Loop map: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5078313ae4b0e7addb844764/1382043638075-2L8SJC49Z5FC10TXO2AX/IMG_0037.jpg?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3o4IU5UWFl98ml7c5zE1WR6252cD87PQxHn17HtjdeQLbOmTJMaQ8ZXeQ_aem_AV-qijoiHwTj-gIOZqr6z2kL-KAa0EOuy_wl4Pw6vv8VAcrlM9qRnSjRS9IOIBuYxfPfiqepQ1faLW_sg75TJcaa
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If you join us for hiking (or any other event), understand that you are responsible for your own preparedness and well-being and will hold no one else liable in case of injury or mishap. You agree not to hold the Organizer, Assistant Organizers, or any other members responsible for any injuries, mishaps, or any other situation that may happen at a planned event. It is your responsibility to research the event, know the area, and bring the proper gear.
Your attendance on this trip signifies that you have read and accept the terms of this liability waiver