Home ⎜Hikes & Wanderings ⎜New York ⎜Hudson Valley ⎜Eastern Pinnacles

Distance: 4.8 miles

Time: 3 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation Gain: 200 feet

Dog Friendly: Yes.

Trailhead Directions: Take the NYS Thruway to exit 15A, stay in the left two lanes at the end of the exit ramp and turn left onto Route 17 North for 7.3 miles, then take the exit ramp on your left for Route 17A. Turn left at the top of the ramp and follow Route 17A West for 9.4 miles to Kain Road at the top of Mount Peter in Warwick, NY. Turn right at Kain Road and take the first road on the right (Pysners Park Road). Veer immediately right (again) onto the dirt road leading uphill, and you’ll find the trailhead parking area at the end of the short road.

Hike Directions: From the parking area, climb the stone steps to Warwick’s Hawk watch, keeping an eye out for the blue blazes of the spur trail. From the hawk watch, follow the trail right as it first send you deeper into the woods and downhill. Once you are walking parallel to the road (Route 17A), you’ll see the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail come into view. Continue straight to the left on the white blazes as you ascend the mountain and depart from the road. The ascent is gentle and forgiving, the forest, open and mysterious as you walk for about a mile before reaching the top of a rise. From here you’ll descend into a col between two ridges, the eastern one being the Eastern Pinnacles. You’ll notice that blue blazes come in from the left here (a connector trail that allows you to skip the Eastern Pinnacles if heights are an issue). If you want to skip the pinnacles or save knees, turn left onto the blue blazes for a short walk to the other side of the ridge on flat ground through the forest. If you’d like to enjoy Pinnacles, continue on the white blazes as the trail takes you up and across the Eastern Pinnacles, a distinctive rock formation as broad as the ridge itself. You’ll descend off the ridge and back into the forest on the Appalachian Trail, and continue a half mile to the Cat Rocks, another interesting rock formation, with quite limited views, but an enjoyable break spot. Retrace your steps back to the hawk watch and parking area.

Scenery: 5/10