Middletown Reservoir Trails Sunset Hike
In eight years being upstate I had no idea that Middletown Reservoir trails existed. We went on a late sunset hike here and we can’t wait to go back. The parking lot was large so it must get busy in the summer. The area only has about eight and half miles of hiking trails and you can choose from easy, intermediate and advance. You will be able to see three different reservoirs here. Monhagen Reservoir, Highland Reservoir, and Shawangunk Reservoir provide drinking water to the public.
Sunset Hike in Middletown NY
We put on our shoe traction, for the first time, and followed the white trail. A minute or so into our hike we saw deer and a lot of different tracks. I could have sworn I saw a bear track too but I didn’t take a picture so can’t say for sure. After following the white trail, we took the blue trail straight and then made a right turn. There was a bench donated by the Orange Runners Club. We realized the sunset views were on the other side so we walked back up and took the Black Trail.
The further we went on the Middletown Reservoir trails the darker it got so we decided to head back. Well, I did because I don’t like to be in the woods in the dark during a full moon. Call me a chicken but I’m not there yet plus I was hungry.
I’m glad that we were able to find a new trail and complete the hike with shoe traction instead of snow shoes. The snow here was frozen and broken into with previous snowshoes and boots. Some of the section on the Black Trail was softer, since it gets the sun exposure. Speaking of our overpriced but cheap shoe traction, they did good. We only did a little under 3 miles but they were comfortable and stayed on our boots. Anyway, can’t wait to go back to Middletown Reservoir trails and complete all the loops. Thanks to The Trust for Public Land, city of Middletown has trails the public can easily access and enjoy. Still can’t believe how close it is to the town and how often we came here without knowing about the trails!
Address: 445 Van Duzer Rd, Middletown, NY 10940
