Hike to Vernooy Kill Falls from Trails End Road |
 |
| |
| |
|
OVERVIEW |
| | Type of Trail: | 100% DEC Trails |
| | Parking Area : | Trails End Road DEC Parking Area - 20 cars |
| | Parking Area : | The beginning of Trails End Road has several water drainage across the road - You need an AWD (Subaru Outback) or better for this section. |
| | Camp sites: | (1) by Parking Area & (1) near Vernooy Kill Falls |
| | Winter Access: | Trails End Road and Spencer Road is NOT Plowed. |
| | Winter Access: | When snow is present, skis, snowshoes, snowmobile |
| | | |
| | | Trail : | 1.07 miles (one-way) or 2.14 miles (round-trip) - Spur Trail to Flat Hill Trail - BLUE Trail Markers |
| | Access Methods: | Foot, ski, snowmobile and Snowshoe |
| | Best Time to Hike: | When snow is not on the ground (unless snowmobiling) |
| | Difficulty: | Easy |
| | | |
| | | USGS Map: | USGS Peekamoose Quad Maps |
| | | |
| | | USGS Map: | USGS West Shokan Quad Maps |
| | | |
| | | USGS Map: | USGS Rondout Reservoir Maps |
| | | |
| | | USGS Map: | USGS Kerhonkson Quad Maps |
| | | |
| | | DEC Trail Map: | DEC Sundown Wild Forest Map (free) |
| | | |
| | | Digital Mapper: |
Topo
Terrain
Satellite |
|
|
Maps for Sundown Wild Forest in Vernooy Kill Falls Region |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Notes About Hiking the FLAT HILL TRAIL to VERNOOY KILL FALLS |
NOTICE: The Sundown Wild Forest and Sundown State Forest both have a significant population of Timber Rattlesnakes. Most of the roads and trails are wide, and most hikers never encounter them. If you plan on hiking off the trail, do so in the Spring, Winter, or Fall when the temperature is below 50F. Most rattlesnakes will go into their den once temperatures are below 50F. Getting bit by a Timber Rattlesnake is a serious medical event.
The beginning of Trails End Road (first 1/2 mile) has drainage ditches dug across the road. Most AWD and 4WD vehicles can get across the drainage ditches. A Subaru Outback is the minimum needed to clear the drainage ditches. Regular cars will scrap the road. Once you reach the top of the hill, by the DEC parking area, the road is fairly easy to travel on. You can also enter from the west side of the loop via Spencer Road and drive in to the parking area. You just cannot drive down Trails End Road past the major Parking Area.
PARKING AREAS AVAILABLE:
Trails End Road DEC Parking Area requires a AWD and 4WD vehicles. Holds 20 cars. Not plowed in Winter.
Upper Cherrytown DEC Road Parking Area can handle any type of vehicle. Holds 40 cars. plowed in Winter.
Dymond Road Parking Area (in Greenville) can handle any type of vehicle. Holds 10 cars. plowed in Winter.
(18) Individual Parking spots on the side of Spencer & Trails Road. Holds 1-4 cars. Not plowed in the Winter.
|
|
|
| | DIRECTIONS TO TRAIL HEAD from Exit 19 (Kingston) |
| | Trails End Road Parking Area WGS84 (DEC): 41.88405,-74.360567 - Elevation is approximately 1,805 feet |
| | Trails End Road Parking Area Deg/Min/Sec: N41 53 02, W74 21 38 - Elevation is approximately 1,805 feet |
| | Trails End Road Parking Area GPS: N 41 53.043, W 74 21.634 - Elevation is approximately 1,805 feet |
| | Trails End Road Parking Area UTM: 18N 553052 4637100 - Elevation is approximately 1,805 feet |
| |
|
| | Take New York State Thruway to Exit 19 (Kingston). |
| | Take a RIGHT out of the NYS Thruway to Route 28 West. |
| | Go approximately 0.4 miles on Rt 28 West |
| | Take a RIGHT off the ramp for Rt 209 South |
| | Go approximately 11.6 miles on Rt 209 South |
| | Take a RIGHT onto Rt 2 (Krumville) |
| | Go approximately 8.2 miles on Rt 2 |
| | At the End of Rt 2 - Continue onto Rt 3 |
| | Go approximately 1.7 miles on Rt 3 |
| | Take a RIGHT onto Sundown Road (which turns into Trails End Road) |
| | Go approximately 2.5 miles |
| | The two-lane road turns into a one-lane road when you reach DEC land |
| | Go approximately 0.55 miles up the one-lane dirt road. |
| | DEC Parking Area is on the RIGHT after making a 90 degree turn to the right. |
|
|
MILEAGE CHART from DEC PA to VERNOOY KILL FALLS |
| | Mile Point | Altitude | Notes |
| | 0.00 | 1,805' | DEC Parking Area - Trails End Road |
| | 0.05 | 1,804' | DEC Registration Box on Spur Trail to Flat Hill Trail and Pople Hill Trail. |
| | 0.06 | 1,805 | Campsite |
| | 0.14 | 1,809' | Trail Junction to Pople Hill Trail. |
| | 1.07 | 1,702' | Vernooy Kill Falls (49' tall) |
|
|
Hike to Vernooy Kill Falls from Trails End Road in the Sundown Wild Forest |
 |
This is the DEC Parking Area on Trails End Road. It is 0.55 miles up the hill. It can hold approximately 20 vehicles. The road from Sundown Road to Trails End Road goes up a fairly steep road with water drainage cut into the road. The water drainage spots are cut into the road fairly deep. Generally, only AWD and 4WD vehicles can get up the hill. If you really want to park here, you can come in from Spencer Road instead of from Sundown Road. The road from Spencer Road to the Parking Area can be done with a regular vehicle. You can easily park at the Upper Cherrytown Parking Area with any type of car.
|
|
 |
When you walk across the road, you will see this DEC gate. This is the Trail Head or Flat Hill Trail. This trail will take you down Flat Hill Trail to Vernooy Kill Falls. This trail has a nice easy grade, and is an old logging road.
|
|
 |
This bridge is less then 100' after the DEC gate. It goes over the Sapbush Creek on the Flat Hill Trail |
|
 |
This is the DEC Registration Box for Flat Hill Trail, as well as, for Pople Hill Trail. Registering helps Rangers find you if you get lost or hurt. And, it help allocate money for work done in this forest. It is located 250' from the Trail Head.
|
|
 |
This is the sign at the junction on Flat Hill Trail and a side trail for Pople Hill Trail. You want to continue STRAIGHT if you are going to Vernooy Kill Falls. Right would take you further up the Trails End Road. Pople Hill Trail is also part of the Long Path. It is located 0.13 miles from the Trail Head.
|
|
 |
The Flat Hill Trail has a little bit of Mountain Laurel on it. Mountain Laurel is fairly common in this part of the Sundown Wild Forest. It is very difficult to bushwhack through.
|
|
 |
After a little over a mile of hiking on the slightly downhill grade of the Flat Hill Trail, you will come to Vernooy Kill Falls. This bridge crosses in the middle of the 49' waterfall. The picture was taken from the lower part of the waterfalls.
If you continued over the rest of the bridge and continued on the trail, it would take you to the Greenville Parking Area. It is 1.86 miles away. This trail (past the bridge) is call the Vernooy Kill Falls Trail (West Branch).
|
|
|
This picture was taken from the bridge over the Vernooy Kill Waterfalls. The picture shows the upper part of the Vernooy Kill Waterfalls.
If you decide to walk around the waterfall, beware that Timber Rattlesnakes like to be near water, so watch where you are walking.
The forest below the waterfalls is highly populated with Timber Rattlesnakes. So, if you decide to start exploring the forest and creek below the waterfall, you are likely to encounter Timber Rattlesnakes. There is also a good population of Timber Rattlesnakes around the Balsam Swamp.
|
|
 |
As you return back to the Trails End Road Parking Area (holds 20 cars), you want to take the Trail on the LEFT. That is the Flat Hill Trail you came down.
The trail on the RIGHT will take you to the Upper Cherrytown DEC Parking Area (holds 40 cars). The Upper Cherrytown Parking Area is 1.78 miles away. Make sure you know which Parking Area your car is parked at. This trail is called the Vernooy Kill Trail - East Branch.
The Camping Area is located approximately 250' down the Vernooy Kill Trail (EAST) on the RIGHT side of the trail.
|
|
 |
This is the campsite that is near Vernooy Kill Falls. Make sure you sleep in a tent. Do NOT sleep in just a sleeping bag, because snakes like to crawl into warm spaces (like sleeping bags).
|
|
|
S E C T I O N S
|
W E A T H E R
|
O T H E R
|
