SCHUNEMUNK MOUNTAIN PRESERVE
Cornwall, Orange County, NY
163 acres

Directions:

I-87 north to exit 16 (Harriman); go west on Route 17 to exit 130 (State Highway 208); travel about 3 miles north on Highway 208 and turn right at the north end of Blooming Grove Plaza onto County Route 27 (Clove Road); drive 3.8 miles and turn right into the parking area (marked by signs and Long Path logos on two white-painted poles) just before you reach the sign for the Hil Mar Lodge. Follow the green blazes east to the preserve entrance sign.

History:

In 1991 Mrs. Mabel Ingalls donated the land to TNC.

Trails:

Green trail (Long Path) heads east to the top of the ridge where it meets the red circle on white background Trestle Trail; you can make a counter-clockwise loop walk by following southwest on the green trail to where it intersects with the blue and then the red trail; follow the red trail northeast to where it hooks up with the white trail; continue on the red trail until you return to the intersection with the green trail and return from when you came to the parking area.

4/28/04.  Parked on the green lawn and headed east following the blue green/green trail blazes.  The mountain looked imposing from the bottom looking upwards to the top.  Fortunately the path was a ziz-zag trail that had a moderate grade, so the hike was not too hard.   Starting out, crossed a stream(s) four times.  It was interesting watching the vegetation change as I continued hiking upwards: chestnut oak came in; mountain laurel; pitch pine; and then shrub oak and a predominance of ericaceous shrubs.

From the top there are great views of the northwest, north, and northeast.    From the northwest to east I noticed: the Catskills far in the background, the Shawangunks, town of Washingtonville, Beaver Dam Lake, Stewart International Airport, Cronomer Hill, Newburgh, Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, Fishkill-Beacon Range, Storm King Sculpture Garden, and Storm King Mountain.

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
4/28/04  = plant found in bloom

Trees:
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)  4/28/04
Acer rubrum (red maple) 4/28/04
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Amelanchier arborea (shadbush) 4/28/04
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)
Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood) 4/28/04
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Ostrya virginiana (American hop hornbeam)
Pinus rigida (pitch pine)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) planted
Pyrus sp. (crab apple)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)

Shrubs:
Aronia sp. (chokeberry)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry) lots of it 4/28/04
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen)
Gaylussacia baccata (black huckleberry)
Hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel)
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Mitchella repens (partridgeberry)
Quercus ilicifolia (bear oak)
Ribes sp. (gooseberry)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Salix sp. (willow)
Vaccinium sp. (low bush blueberry) 4/28/04
Viburnum prunifolium (blackhaw viburnum)

Vines:
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis sp. (grape)

Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Allium vineale (field garlic)
Anemonella thalictroides (rue anemone) 4/28/04
Antennaria plataginifolia (plantain-leaved pussytoes) 4/28/04
Aralia nudicaulus (wild sarsaparilla)
Arctium sp. (burdock)
Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman's breeches)
Erythronium americanum (trout lily)
Galium mollugo (wild madder)
Hedyotis caerulea (bluets) 4/28/04
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed)
Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)
Narcissus sp. (daffodil)
Polygonatum biflorum (true Solomon's seal)
Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil)
Prenanthes altissima (tall white lettuce)
Ranunculus abortivus (kidney-leaf crowfoot) 4/28/04
Senecio obovatus (round-leaved ragwort)? 4/28/04 soon
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion) 4/28/04
Veronica officinalis (common speedwell)
Viola sororia (common blue violet) 4/28/04

Rushes:
Luzula multiflora (wood rush)

Sedges:
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge) 4/28/04
Carex sp. (sedge)

Grasses:
Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem grass)