Do you know if the parking lots are accessible before the park opens? It's about an hour from where ill be staying so don't want to make the trek if I'm going to come to a gate and have turn around. Generally I've found around here, places like Watkins Glen, Taughannock, and others have no gate and I just pull in and park.
I was thinking of doing the short loop hike on Peters Kill as well, taking in Awosting, Sheldon and Peters Kill falls. Have you done that? Parking accessible?
Thanks
Stony Kill Falls
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hobkyl
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L_G_D
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I'm pretty sure the parking lots are not accessible until the park opens, though I've never been there that early. There is the main entrance with the ticket booth, but I don't recall if there's any type of gate that can be closed to block it off. I know the lower ones on the Peterskill do have gates that are most likely closed. There are a couple of lots on Mohonk Preserve land that might be accessible, but those are further away. The parking for Stony Kill should be open, as it's just the roadside anyway, and you walk around the gate no matter what time of day it is, since the entrance is on NYC DEP land, but you cross into park land just below the falls, I think.
I've done the loop on the Peterskil many times, a very nice hike. Though the floods washed out many areas and most crossings are get-your-feet-wet types now, any bridges that were there are gone. Unless they've been repaired recently. But we usually park in the lower Peterskill lot, then hike up along the stream. Last time we did it, there was some bushwhacking involved because of the washouts, but nothing terrible, it was actually a bit more fun. But, you are restricted to the side of the stream that you start on, unless you don't mind wading. There might be some places you can cross without getting wet, but we didn't bother. Once we get done at Awosting, we usually head back one of the carriage trails down to the parking lot, but you can always walk the road back, or bring two cars and leave one at the lot above Awosting.
I've done the loop on the Peterskil many times, a very nice hike. Though the floods washed out many areas and most crossings are get-your-feet-wet types now, any bridges that were there are gone. Unless they've been repaired recently. But we usually park in the lower Peterskill lot, then hike up along the stream. Last time we did it, there was some bushwhacking involved because of the washouts, but nothing terrible, it was actually a bit more fun. But, you are restricted to the side of the stream that you start on, unless you don't mind wading. There might be some places you can cross without getting wet, but we didn't bother. Once we get done at Awosting, we usually head back one of the carriage trails down to the parking lot, but you can always walk the road back, or bring two cars and leave one at the lot above Awosting.
LGD
