Shawangunk Ridge Trail/Long Path

This 5.5-mile trail is the rail-trail section of two much longer trails, the Long Path and the Shawangunk Ridge Trail, that converge and share the same path for part of their respective routes. Built on a former O & W railroad corridor, you can access the rail-trail in Wurtsboro where Pennsylvania Ave meets Walker Ln. In Westbrookville, access to the trail is by Basher Kill (or Basha Kill) stream in the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The trail surface is mostly grass and can get soggy when it rains.

From the intersection of Pennsylvania Ave & Walker Ln in Wurtsboro, this 5.5-mile shared section of trail heads south along the western edge of the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area (WMA) towards Westbrookville. One of the largest wetlands in southern New York, the WMA includes the Basha Kill Lake, public open green spaces, boat launches, parking, and the Bashakill Fishing Platform. There are opportunities for hiking, bird watching, canoeing/kayaking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fishing. Although the trail continues, the rail-trail section ends by the Basher Kill stream at the south end of the WMA.

The Long Path and the Shawangunk Ridge Trail actually overlap for about 34 miles, including the 5.5 miles of rail-trail described here. The Long Path is a 358-mile trail system that stretches from the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City to John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany in New York and connects many of New York's parks, preserves, and state forest land. From the Appalachian Trail in the New Jersey High Point State Park, the Shawangunk Ridge Trail runs 71 miles north along the southern Shawangunks before heading northeast through Sam's Point Preserve, Minnewaska State Park and the Mohonk Preserve in New York.

Parking and Trail Access

Parking is available in a parking lot near the dead-end of Walker Ln (Wurtsboro), at 125 Haven Rd (Wurtsboro), at 10 Indian Orchard Rd (Westbrookville), and at a number of additional lotions in and around Bashakill Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Please view the map for directions.