Mohonk Lake Preserve: Spring Farm Trailhead

Directions:

From Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center to Spring Farm Trailhead.

Leave Visitor Center parking lot land make a left onto Route 44/55.  Go 0.5 of a mile and turn left onto Route 299; drive 3.7 miles to crossroads sign and turn left onto Butterville Road; drive 1.5 miles to stop sign and turn left onto Mountain Rest Road; drive 2.3 miles to Mohonk Mountain House entrance.  Continue on county road (going under the overpass bridge) another 1.2 miles to first right (Upper 27 Knolls Road).  There is a sign for the Spring Farm Entry at this junction.  Turn right on Upper 27 Knolls Road and continue 0.25 of a mile to trailhead entrance and parking area on the right.

Trails:

I.  Northwest Trail -- Cedar Drive Loop. 

Easy, 1.5 miles.  From the Spring Farm Parking Area, cross the entrance road and proceed right onto the Northwedt Trail (red blazes).  Follow the trail as it goes along the field edge, then begins an uphill ascent through the woods to Cedar Drive.  Turn left on Cedar Drive 1/4 mile to Spring Farm Road and take another left as Spring Farm Road proceeds downhill a short distance to the Table Rocks Trail (red).  Go left on Table Rocks Trail 1/4 mile to the parking area.

II.  Bonticou Crag.

Moderate to strenuous with optional rock scramble 1.5 miles (one way).  From the parking area, cross the entrance road and proceed left onto the Table Rocks Trail (blue).  Follow this trail a short distance uphill to the intersection with the Bonticou Crag Trail (red).  Go right 1/2 mile crossing both Cedar Drive and Spring Farm Road to the junction of Bonticou Road and Cedar Drive (the other end).  Follow Bonticou Road 1/4 mile to the Bonticou Crag Path (yellow).  Take the Crag Path a short distance to the junction with the Northeast Trail (blue). Option 1. Scramble up the Crag Path one-tenth of a mile to the top of the crag, which requires the use of your hands, arms and legs to negotiate the path.  Option 2.  Make a left onto the Northeast Trail and follow it 1/4 mile to where it ascends the side of the ridge and meets the other end of the Bonticou Crag Path (yellow).  Follow the Crag Path 1/4 mile to the summit.

Return via Cedar Trail.  Moderate 1.5 miles.  From the Bonticou Crag summit, take the Bonticou Crag Path (yellow) north to the Northeast Trail (blue).  Go straight onto the Northeast Trail (not right which will lead you in the wrong direction) and down the side of the ridge to where the Cedar Trail (red ) intersects.  Follow Cedar Trail (red ) for 1/2 mile, part of which is shared with the Cedar Drive Carriage Road, to the junction with the Table Rocks Trail (blue). Go left on Table Rocks Trail 1/2 mile back to the parking area. 

III.  Table Rocks. 

Moderate to strenuous, 3 miles roundtrip.  From the parking area, cross the entrance road and proceed left onto the Table Rocks Trail (blue).  Follow Table Rocks Trail across the meadows and through the woods for one mile to the intersection with Clearwater Road (blue).  Take a left on the combined Table Rocks Trail/Clearwater Road and proceed steeply downhill for 1/2 mile to the sign on the left pointing to Table Rocks.  If you go as far as a bar gate, turn around and go back 100 feet and look again for the trail to Table Rocks.  Take care on the open rock as it is crisscrossed by deep crevices.  Return by reversing this route.