Gertrude's Nose

It would be impossible to see all of Minnewaska’s beautiful spots in one day. Gertrude's Nose is, in my opinion, the best view in the entire park. Round trip, the hike is approximately 5 hours, and is a 7.5 mile trip.

To get to the trailhead: Drive to the Minnewaska State Park entrance, pass the main entrance, and drive up the hill until you reach the highest lot. From there, walk over to the spot that overlooks Lake Minnewaska.

From there, take the carriage road right and follow the red blazes for a ways. This part of the hike is easy and relaxing.

Keep walking on the carriage road until you reach Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road with yellow blazes. Take that and bear left when the path splits. We stopped for a little to take photos of the views, which are AMAZING. Definitely take time to stretch, sit down, chat... make a day of it. Try and pick a day to do this with a clear forecast, because it's not easy to get back once you're off the trail, and you'll be disappointed if you have to turn around before reaching the end.

When you reach the point marked with triple red blazes, take the road less traveled. (See what I did there?)

The path off the carriage road can get a little tricky. There’s some crevasses you’ll have to hop over, a steep rocky drop you’ll have to climb down, and then up the way back. It’s tough, but totally worth it.

The trip there is around 3.5 miles. Minnewaska is beautiful and should be savored. These views are priceless.