Lost City Loop – Mohonk Preserve

August 31, 2025 – Gardiner, NY

Problem: Reasonable

Size: Roughly 3 miles

Max elevation: 1,224 ft.– whole elevation achieve roughly 610 ft.

Route sort: Lollipop-Loop

Map: Shawangunk Trails Map #105

Charge: $15.00 day climbing payment (Non-Member) – Buy Membership

Trailhead parking: Mohonk Protect Coxing Trailhead – Gardiner, NY 12525

Please notice: The Coxing Trailhead is Mohonk Protect’s smallest parking zone and fills VERY early on peak weekends. On summer time and fall weekends, arrive early to make sure a parking house.

Overview:

Mohonk Protect is the biggest personal nature protect in New York State, encompassing over 8,000 acres of protected land within the scenic Shawangunk Ridge close to New Paltz, about 90 miles north of New York Metropolis. Mohonk Protect affords greater than 70 miles of trails and carriage roads used for climbing, path operating, biking, horseback driving, and cross-country snowboarding.

It’s also a world-renowned vacation spot for mountaineering. “The Gunks” (Shawangunk Mountains), is without doubt one of the oldest climbing areas within the U.S.

Shawangunk Conglomerate is a troublesome, silica-cemented rock manufactured from quartz pebbles and sand, shaped over 400 million years in the past. Its sturdiness shapes the dramatic cliffs of the Shawangunk Ridge and supplies a singular panorama for hikers, nature lovers, and climbers alike. Visually, the rock seems as a light-weight grey or white matrix embedded with rounded quartz pebbles.

The “Gunks,” as they’re affectionately identified, are a part of a 245 mile lengthy ridge that runs from New York to Pennsylvania, forming a spectacular and uncommon panorama. Miles of Victorian-era carriageways and backwoods trails enable almost limitless exploration of locations of extraordinary scenic magnificence.

The Misplaced Metropolis Escarpment Path is the spotlight of this hike. It’s a comparatively newly blazed path which was constructed someday between 2018 and 2020. It travels by various terrain alongside the Dickie Barre cliffs, with virtually fixed views of each the Misplaced Metropolis beneath and the encircling countryside.

Historical past:

The realm’s human historical past traces again to early Nineteenth-century settlers just like the Enderly household. They homesteaded alongside Coxing Kill, working a water-powered sawmill starting in 1801, abandoning stone partitions and a household graveyard close to the Coxing Trailhead.

Established in 1869 by the Smiley brothers, the Mohonk Mountain Home resort laid the inspiration for a legacy of conservation within the area. To guard the encircling pure panorama, the Mohonk Belief was created in 1963, finally evolving into Mohonk Protect Inc. in 1978. In recognition of their historic and environmental significance, each the Mohonk Protect and the Mohonk Mountain Home had been designated a Nationwide Historic Landmark in 1986.

Trails Overview:

This blue-blazed footpath connects Mohonk Protect (through Coxing Trailhead) with Minnewaska State Park. The path options a mixture of terrain: forested sections, rocky ledges, slender cliffside paths, water crossings, and ridgeline traverses. The Excessive Peters Kill Path serves as a connector throughout the broader community of trails spanning Mohonk Protect and Minnewaska State Park Protect. Whether or not you’re searching for a brief loop or an prolonged hike throughout the Gunks, this path affords a strong start line.

This yellow blazed path is a historic and scenic climbing route that gives a glimpse into the area’s previous. Initially an outdated woods highway used for transporting supplies like conglomerate to be made into grindstones, the path now serves as a path for hikers and rock climbers. It begins at a junction with the Excessive Peterskill Path and continues uphill by a forested space. The path results in the Misplaced Metropolis, a notable mountaineering space that includes dramatic cliffs and panoramic views.

Misplaced Metropolis Escarpment Path ~

The Misplaced Metropolis Escarpment Path is a comparatively newly marked footpath identified for its dramatic cliffs, lush forests, and panoramic views. It options distinctive rock formations and affords a mixture of average to difficult terrain. The spectacular glacially-formed cliffs and crevices resemble a “Misplaced Metropolis” skyline, providing a singular and visually putting panorama. Hikers can navigate by boulder-strewn areas, ascending to panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson Valley, particularly breathtaking throughout the fall foliage season.

These three trails make up the Misplaced Metropolis Loop. All three trails are properly marked and simple to observe. 

Hike Overview:

This scenic hike by the Misplaced Metropolis and Dickie Barre space options well-marked, rocky trails that wind by rugged terrain. The route affords wide-ranging views of the valley beneath and the encircling hills, making it a rewarding journey for hikers. The path by the Misplaced Metropolis, with its distinctive rock formations, add a way of journey and discovery to the expertise.

The Coxing Trailhead is Mohonk Protect’s smallest parking zone and fills to capability VERY early on peak weekends. On summer time and fall weekends, arrive early to make sure a parking house. 

To entry the land you’ll want to have a present membership or pay a day use payment.

The final time that I hiked this space was in 2018. On the time, the Misplaced Metropolis Escarpment Path was not marked. I made a decision to pay it a return go to to test it out. We explored the crevices on our final go to, however this time we simply hiked the paths so as to doc the Misplaced Metropolis Escarpment Path as a loop. If you happen to want to discover the crevices of the Misplaced Metropolis, you might achieve this at your personal threat.

This average loop on properly marked trails was performed counterclockwise, beginning on the Coxing Trailhead.

Though it is a average hike, it does have quite a few ups and downs, and there’s one spot the place you’ll have to crawl by.

Bear in mind to put on sturdy footwear, because the terrain could be uneven and difficult in spots.

The Hike:

This hike begins on the southern finish of the Coxing parking space by a kiosk, the place three blue blazes mark the beginning of the Excessive Peters Kill Path. You’ll be following the Excessive Peters Kill Path for about .35 mile (this path can be the route of the Shawangunk Ridge Path, with its emblem markers showing at junctions and different places alongside the way in which).

The Excessive Peters Kill Path follows a woods highway, passing the Enderly Burial Floor on the appropriate. It then crosses a moist space on a boardwalk and continues by a Hemlock forest. After crossing a stream on a wood bridge, the path begins a mild climb, paralleling the stream for a brief distance. It then crosses the stream on rocks and bears proper, away from the stream.

Quickly, you’ll come to a junction with the yellow-blazed King’s Lane Path, which continues straight forward. Depart the blue blazed path and observe the yellow blazes. That is the beginning of the loop. You’ll return to this spot on the blue path.

If you happen to plan to discover the crevices, search for facet trails on the left that result in the bottom of the cliffs. In any other case, proceed following the outdated highway because it climbs the hillside, first considerably steeply, then the grade moderates because it passes a powerful line of cliffs utilized by rock climbers. That is the “Misplaced Metropolis,” a faulted part of Coxing Clove, which has canyon like fissures within the towering rock outcrops.

Initially, this highway was used to haul conglomerate stone to create grindstones. Immediately, it’s been repurposed as a climbing path that passes by the cliffs of the Misplaced Metropolis.

The towering cliffs of the Misplaced Metropolis could be seen by the timber.

Quickly, King’s Lane ends the place the Misplaced Metropolis Escarpment Path begins. You’ll have to navigate by a boulder-strewn space to realize the ridge. Observe the yellow blazes as they climb the hill and turns left to succeed in the ridge.

As soon as on the ridge, the path follows the sting of the Dickie Barre cliffs and views open up of the encircling space.

Because the path heads in a westerly route, it comes extraordinarily near the sting of the cliffs. Excessive warning ought to be excercised. You’ll have a very good vantage level of the Misplaced Metropolis beneath as you stroll the path.

The path alternately veers away from and returns to the cliff line, providing almost steady views.

Trying south, to the left of the slender notch is The Trapps and Millbrook Mountain is on the appropriate. Via the notch, throughout the Walkill Valley, the Catskill Mountains are seen on a transparent day.

To the east, Skytop Tower sits at 1,253 toes above sea degree, atop Mohonk Mountain.

Proceed heading west on the Misplaced Metropolis Escarpment Path, having fun with the scenic ridge stroll. At occasions you’ll encounter quick spur paths that result in views. 

Right here, you’ll have to crawl by. It’s bigger than it seems.

After about 3/4 of a mile of ridge strolling, the Misplaced Metropolis Escarpment Path enters Minnewaska State Park. Proceed following the yellow blazes alongside the sting of the cliffs. A brief distance later, the path involves a large ranging viewpoint which makes a pleasant spot to take a break. You might have now traveled about 1.4 miles.

The steep, vertical rock face of the Dickie Barre cliffs.

Trying east. The highpoint, good of middle, is Mohonk Mountain with Skytop Tower at its summit.

The Misplaced Metropolis Escarpment Path ends at a T-intersection with the blue-blazed Excessive Peters Kill Path.

Flip left on the junction and observe the blue blazes because the path descends steeply, passing giant rock formations alongside the way in which.

Quickly, the Excessive Peters Kill Path re-enters Mohonk Protect. Proceed following the blue blazes because the path continues to descend.

After virtually a 1/2 mile from the place you started on the blue path, you’ll move the junction with King’s Lane. Bear proper to proceed on blue, now retracing your steps from the start of the hike, and returning again to the parking zone, the place the hike started.

Overview:

This can be a actually nice hike in The Gunks. It’s one of many shorter loop hikes that may be performed at Mohonk Protect, however for those who’re feeling formidable, you may take anybody of the connesting trails to elongate the hike. On most good weekends, Mohonk is swarming with individuals, however we solely noticed a number of hikers throughout our go to.

Professionals:

Misplaced Metropolis, Dickie Barre cliffs, properly marked trails, scenic panorama, scenic views.

Cons:

Parking zone fills up early.

Take a hike!

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