Yu Z.
Yelp
Mohonk Preserve was AMAZING! I've had Mohonk bookmarked for about 10months..and finally, last Saturday, I went hiking with an Asian hiking group! I was so excited, I couldn't sleep properly the previous night..Loll
Our group arrived at the Preserve parking lot around 9:45am.. Plenty of parking. Once the main parking lot was full, if you drive down maybe 2 minutes, there's additional parking available! In total, we had a fairly large group of hikers, in total, 39, ranging from first timers to hardcore hikers! Day pass for hikers that MUST be purchased to ensure entry into the trails were $12/person and could be purchased at the visitor center adjacent to the main parking lot.
-------------------
FIRST PART:
-------------------
At first we started off on the easy trails: Overcliff carriage road and Laurel Ledge Road. At the Giants Path, we did a moderately difficult rock scrambling. It was pretty fun! We did the Labyrinth, Lemon Squeeze, Skytop Tower and for lunch and on the way back, we stopped at the Mohonk Mountain House.
The beginning of the hike along the flat carriage roads and Laurel Ledge road were very easy. The roads passed certain spots where there were adventurous rock climbers setting up and paths where you can ride horses through the park. Not much to see here, except for the pretty Fall colors in the trees and bushes.
--------------------------------------------
LUNCH - Mountain House Resort:
--------------------------------------------
We stopped for lunch around 2pm at the Mohonk Mountain House which was a historic luxury resort near the foot of the Catskills. A room with a balcony overlooking the lake/mountain can easily go for $900/night in the Fall. (Random Fun Fact, the resort was rated by Travel & Leisure to be the #6 Hotel Spa in the World in 2013). Our group had lunch on a cliff looking over Lake Mohonk. It was a very relaxing lunch. There was a light, cool breeze in the air and surrounded by the colors of Fall. I could imagine in the summer, it would be quite the opposite with the resort and lake bustling with families and small children..Loll
----------------------
SECOND PART:
----------------------
The Lemon Squeeze was probably the highlight of the entire hike! There were lots of rock scrambling, and some members of our hiking group weren't ready for the strenuous activity, and had to turn back unfortunately. Those who did finish, it was an extremely rewarding experience, with panoramic views of the surrounding woods and mountains with Fall colors abound.
For us who did complete Lemon Squeeze, at first, it was a test of patience and will..loll Our group arrived at the entrance to the Lemon Squeeze at around 4:30pm. I'm not even kidding..THERE WAS A LINE TO GET INTO THE TRAIL!! That line stretched at least 30 long and was moving at an extremely slow pace. It wasn't until we actually set foot in the trail, that we found out what was the problem. The cause of the traffic jam at the entrance was because of some idiotic Asian hikers with huge, bulky backpacks, and were stopping to take pictures and selfies while inside the Lemon Squeeze trail and as a result, slowing down the process for everyone behind them! A fellow hiker told me that normally, the trail from the entrance to the top takes no more than 10 minutes. Our group didn't get to the top until 5:45pm..1 hour and 15 minutes later!! WTF.. -_-
Afterwards, a short hike to Skytop Tower and then a few flights of stairs up to the top of the tower revealed gorgeous panoramic views of the surrounding landscape with all the Fall colors and nearby mountains! The walk back down the Lemon Squeeze trail was much easier! Relatively flat trails leading down to the Mountain House Resort.
-----------------
WAY BACK:
-----------------
By the time we were all ready to hike back to the parking lot, it was close to sunset. There wasn't much natural light left and most of our group were unprepared with the proper night hiking equipment (flashlights, headlamps, etc). I was lucky enough to remember to pack my handy 800 lumen tactical flashlight just in case! Loll Those of us who had lights, paired up with a group of 6 or 7 and altogether made our way back down the trails. By 8:15pm, it was pitch black out, and the tall trees blocked out most of the moonlight..so the 5 of us who had headlamps or flashlights were the only lights in the darkness.. O_O
All in all, it was a very fun hike! I took almost 200 pictures..LOL Everyone in the group had a blast! And although by the end of the hike, we were all exhausted, it was so worth it! I wouldn't mind making this an annual event..come here every year in the Fall or Winter.