Hudson Valley Hiking | Warwick, NY
Cascade Lake and the trails are one of our favorite areas to hike. Mostly because it’s close to home and has beautiful views at all times of the year. And it is THE BEST for sunrise hikes.
3.4 Mile Loop
We like to do the 3.4-mile loop that starts from the parking lot. Start on the trail to the left of the lot and the left of the lake. Follow the blue markers. At different points there will be other colors along with the blue, just pay attention to the blue. You’ll be on a wide path and then eventually you’ll get to a spot in the trail about 10-15 minutes in, if you’re going at a moderate pace, where you’ll follow the blue to the left that puts you on a more typical hiking path and the elevation gets a little steeper. Follow that to the top (you’ll know what I mean when you’re there, you have to turn either right or left at this point) and turn right, at this point following the white markers. This takes you to a ridge overlooking Greenwood Lake (2 minutes up the trail from where you turned). Pause and take in the view. On a clear day, you can see the NYC skyline. This is THE spot for watching the sunrise. It usually takes 25-30 minutes to get to this point.
After taking in the view you can either turn around and head back the way you came (follow the blue markers back) or continue to do the loop. Follow the white markers and cross over the state line from NY to NJ. Take a picture because why not? Then continue following the white markers. Eventually, you’ll have to take a right turn but it’s pretty obvious at that point. Again, just follow the white markers. Towards the end of the hike, there will be a fork in the road and a tree to the right will have a yellow and red marker on it, go left here. Left will take you straight back to the parking lot. It sounds intense but it’s really not. Blue to white. That’s the gist. Sometimes the colors are mixed but as long as you follow your main color, you’ll be fine.
There are a couple of spots that require a little rock scramble so if you’re bringing your doggies just be prepared for that. If the weather has been rainy there are also some spots where you wade through some water…there are usually rocks you can step on so you don’t actually get wet but waterproof hiking boots are excellent. And this trail can be pretty muddy in areas if it’s been raining. In total, the loop takes about an hour and a half to complete. And the lake at the beginning and the end is so pretty along with the views along the ridge at the top.
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