#sam's point

[j-s-photography-blog]

[j-s-photography-blog]

[megannnne]

[megannnne]

[megannnne]

[mattschiels]

velvia 100 & sam’s point preserve

[adventureroundeverybend-blog]

Sam’s Point Preserve ~ Ellenville, NY 

What a day...if you plan on completing this hike definitely go early! It’s a pretty easy ascent up at the beginning but from there it’s all calf muscles. This is more of a “choose your own adventure” hike in that you have a lot of options and different sequences of completing the hike. We started off by going straight to the ice caves because my curiosity got the best of me here. However, it was the best decision of the day. As you crawl through the caves you’ll definitely feel the chill needed for the ice to form in the winter there. I’d advise bringing a flashlight although there are lights in some of the darkest parts of the cave. If you follow the trail all the way through it’ll bring you through a loop back to the road you came from. Follow this road back to embark on your journey to Verkeerder Kill Falls - probably the grandest falls I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. It’s a long and rocky hike across the top of the mountain through the burning bush and dwarf tree cluttered trail. As you cross the mountain, you will be able to view Lake Maratanza - the highest elevated lake in NY - and the Shawangunk Ridge. Once you finally reach the falls, take a breather and whatever you do, don’t look down. They’re slippery cliffs with a rocky basin as the padding to your fall. These daunting cliffs didn’t stop a girl from climbing out INTO the falls for the sake of a selfie though (I really wish I was joking). There is apparently no way down to the base of the falls (bummer, I know) so you simply retrace your steps back the way you came and it’s long, treacherous, and uphill on the way back so brace yourself. Finally, we left Sam’s Point for the last stop on our journey to save the gratification of a panoramic view for last. Definitely stop up here before heading back down to your car! 

Happy hiking!