Basic Information
All Trails link to Mohonk Mountain House and Labyrinth and Lemon Squeeze Hike
Date of hike: 09/26/2020
Difficulty level: strenuous
Distance: 7 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1,410 feet
Location: New Paltz, NY, Mohonk Preserve
Fee to enter per person
Our rating: 5+
History
Please see history of Mohonk Mountain House and Mohonk Preserve in our blog post about Millbrook Ridge Trail hike.
The Sky Top Tower, which is the final destination at the summit of this hike, was erected in 1923 in honor of Albert Smiley to serve as the signature stone landmark of the Mohonk Mountain House. From the top of the Tower, one can see six nearby states – New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
Our Impressions
This hike was recommended to us by our friends. We looked it up and were thrilled to be coming back to our new favorite hiking area.
This was a true test of strength, a challenge to take on, but totally fun and beautiful, totally worth the torture. Please beware, this is not a hike for the unfit or overweight. You will literally have to squeeze through tiny crevices, crawl under rocks, and navigate your way through a myriad of high cliffs. Only the very gifted can do all that and carry a camera in their hands at the same time (wink, wink, props to my Superman partner in crime).
We officially graduated from the blue to the black diamond slopes of hiking.
The hike starts at the beautiful Mohonk Mountain House where we observed turtles in the lake. It ends at the top of the Sky Top Tower from which we saw a marriage proposal.
The quantity of photos and videos that I posted on this blog will show you how unforgettable an experience it was being squeezed like a lemon.
A note to keep in mind – there are several parking lots in different parts of the Mohonk Preserve from which you can access this labyrinth and hike. We got a bit lost at the end and almost walked in a completely opposite direction. Please mark your maps! Hope you enjoy!
