Gertrude's Nose and Millbrook Mountain Loop Hiking Guide
Gertrude's Nose is a long prow of white Shawangunk conglomerate at Minnewaska State Park Preserve, and the footpath along it is one of the best cliff walks in the region: bare rock ledges with sheer drops of several hundred feet, deep cracks to step over and views across the Palmaghatt Ravine and down the Wallkill Valley. The usual loop links it with Millbrook Mountain and returns to Lake Minnewaska.
Permit: Minnewaska State Park Preserve vehicle fee: $10 per vehicle (under 15-person capacity); lots close when full
The Loop
From the Lake Minnewaska parking area, follow the red-blazed Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road around the lake. At 0.8 mile turn right on the yellow-blazed Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road, then pick up the red Gertrude's Nose Trail. It runs along exposed ledges above the Palmaghatt Ravine, drops to cross a power line, and climbs again onto the nose itself. Continue to Millbrook Mountain, then descend the red Millbrook Mountain Trail past the Coxing Kill and walk north back to the lake. The Trail Conference gives 7 miles, moderate to strenuous; mapping apps list about 7 miles and 1,170 feet of gain, and other logs run to 7.3 miles.
The Edges
The Trail Conference says plainly that this hike is not for anyone fearful of heights. The cliff edges have no railings, kids need to be kept back from them, and the crevices in the conglomerate are deep enough to swallow a leg. Look for glacial erratics, pitch pines and the glacial scratches on the rock, and for Sky Top Tower on the Mohonk ridge to the north. The section south of the Coxing Kill is wet and slippery.
Fee and Parking
Minnewaska charges $10 per vehicle for cars under 15-person capacity. Gates open at 9 a.m.; closing shifts with the season, as early as 5 p.m. in winter and as late as 9 p.m. in high summer. On good-weather days it closes once the lots are full, and the park posts a parking-full alert telling visitors to find another destination. Roadside parking is prohibited and cars are ticketed and towed. Arrive at opening on fall weekends.
Preserve Rules
There are no trash cans, so carry everything out. Smoking, vaping and cannabis are banned throughout the preserve. Swimming in streams and waterfalls is not allowed, and the swimming areas are closed until the 2027 season. Cell service is unreliable, so load a map before you go.
Dogs
The preserve permits dogs only, held on a six-foot maximum leash, and bars them from buildings, camping, picnic and bathing areas and walkways. The bare ledges get hot in summer and the crevices are a real hazard for paws, so keep the leash short along the nose.
Hiking tips for Gertrude's Nose and Millbrook Mountain Loop
- Be at the gate when it opens at 9 a.m. on weekends; the preserve closes when the lots fill.
- Hike the loop clockwise, the direction the Trail Conference describes, so the cliff walk comes before Millbrook Mountain.
- Keep children well back from the unfenced edges on Gertrude's Nose.
- Expect wet, slippery rock south of the Coxing Kill.
- Carry out all trash; the preserve has no bins.
Nearby trails to explore
- Castle Point Carriage Road Loop
- Overlook Mountain Fire Tower Trail
- Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road Loop
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Gertrude's Nose is a cliff walk worth sharing with someone who doesn't mind heights. Use TrailMates to find Hudson Valley hikers heading to Gertrude's Nose. Download the TrailMates app to connect.