Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Green Lakes Loop Hike

Green Lakes State Park
Fayetteville,
Onondaga Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Round Lake Overlook Trail: Red blaze
Brookside Trail: Brown blaze
Round Lake Trail: Unblazed
Green Lake Trail: Unblazed
Staircliff Path: Red Blaze

Total Time: 1:25 hours
Estimated Distance: 3.6 Miles

Pros: Scenic lakes
Cons: Busy area especially at Green Lakes
Hike Type: Loop
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Google Maps of Parking:
https://goo.gl/maps/Xxw3suuTYZhS2nfL6

I went camping on a family camping trip to Green Lakes State Park. Green Lakes is in the central part of the New York State, near Syracuse, and it consists of two very unusual and highly scenic lakes (Green Lake and Round Lake.) The lakes are very deep, with the lower parts of the lake not mixing with the upper parts (called meromictic.) The lakes also have an unusual teal color and have calcium carbonate mound reefs along parts of their shoreline.

We camped our tent at the Rolling Hills Camping area of the campground, and I started the hike from our campsite. I climbed down the hill behind my campsite to the Round Lake Overlook Trail, which I took to the Brookside Trail which took me down to Round Lake. I walked along the eastern side of the Round Lake Trail, and then to eastern side of Green Lake along the Green Lake Trail. I went around the beach area and then to the western side of Green Lake, and then took the Round Lake Trail along the western side of Round Lake. I then went back to the Brookside Trail to the Round Lake Overlook Trail and then back to my campsite.

Map of the Route

Steep Descent from the Campsite

Brookside Trail Descending to Round Lake

Round Lake











Natural Reef in GreenLake

Deadmans Point in Green Lake with the Reef






Near the Beach Area of Green Lake



Western Shore of Green Lake









Sunday, August 21, 2022

Mohonk Preserve Overcliff and Crevice

Mohonk Mountain House & Preserve
Ulster Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Lenape Lane (Carriage Road)
Forest Drive (Carriage Road)
Birchen Trail: Red blaze
Staircliff Path: Red Blaze
Labyrinth Trail: Red Blaze
Sky Top Road (Carriage Road)
Sky Top Path
Spring Path
Duck Pond Trail: Red blaze

Total Time: 3:45 hours
Estimated Distance: 5.6 Miles

Pros: Scenic area, great scrambles and views
Cons: Busy area at skytop and scrambles
Hike Type: Eight Loop
Level of Difficulty: Very Moderate

Hiking Partners:
Elisha Friedman
Joseph Friedman

Google Maps of Parking:
https://goo.gl/maps/Mq1gfxDKDkkWoZk47

Map of the Route

Spring Farm

Crevice on the Undercliff Trail

View Ascending the Undercliff Trail

Undercliff Trail







Ascending the Labyrinth Trail Towards the Crevice

Entering the Crevice





View from Sky Top Above the Crevice, Facing South





Standing Above the Crevice


View from Sky Top Tower, Facing Northeast

Mohonk Mountain House and Mohonk Lake from Sky Top


View East Towards New Paltz from Sky Top

Eagle Cliff from Cliff


Sky Top Tower

Gazebo Overlooking Mohonk Lake

Mohonk Mountain House

Duck Pond