Hiking Minnewaska State Park! Route Sharing(1) 🌟

This park is absolutely stunning, but you must plan your route in advance! It's more challenging than I imagined, with some potentially dangerous spots. 🎢🍃 Before heading up, I asked the staff for directions, as I really wanted to see Gertrude's Nose. They recommended starting from the lake and following the MC route, then walking all the way to Gertrude's Nose and returning the same way. Avoid doing the entire loop, or it will take way too long. 🎢🍃 Our group decided to head to Gertrude's Nose and assess our energy levels before deciding how to return. But once we got there, we got so caught up in taking photos that we forgot our plan and ended up doing the whole loop. 🎢🍃We almost didn't make it out before dark, having hiked for 9 hours! Luckily, some of the faster hikers went ahead to the parking lot, got the car, and drove to the visitor center's parking lot to pick us up. Otherwise, we would have been stuck in the dark. #NewYork 🌟