Ellenville Ice Caves & Shingle Gully

Really fun hike with lots to see and do.

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Note: You must have a permit to do this hike. I believe if you're caught you will get fined. I have been on this hike twice and have never seen a sole, so if you do this without a permit it is at your own risk.

Contact for a permit
Victoria Latini, Guest Services Assistant
845-647-7989 Ext. 100 or vlatini@tnc.org
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You can park at a parking lot up the hill (you'll see a sign that says something about hiking trails)

Enter the forest. At the first T intersection, turn right. You'll see a rocky area, climb on top of it and you'll see a trail.

At some point you'll see a "DO NOT ENTER" sign... this is for cars... so ignore it.

Some 800-1000 feet afterwards, the ground will level off from being uphill and the path will bend around like a horseshoe. Shortly afterwards, keep an eye for a path on the left marked red trail.

This is called "the knee breaker", but I call it the "the get the branches out of my face while my calves are burning"

Eventually the path will clear up and you'll be facing a large pit. Remember where you came from (you'll be coming back this way).

Enter the large pit on the left side. You can walk down the valley towards the ice cave. If you look at what appears to be the main entrance on the right, it looks too dangerous to enter... BECAUSE IT IS!!! Look around towards the left (and down) and you can wiggle your body into the cave.

As a side note, keep in mind this is a delicate place. Please try not to destroy the moss in the ice cave.

Inside the cave is a wooden ladder... take caution as it is quite slippery. After this, I wouldn't go any further forwards, but look behind you... it's dry under the ladder. If you have gear, you may try and go deeper into the cave ( away from the ladder).

Leaving the ice caves (if you are facing the large pit as you first approached it) stay to the right side to follow the path.

From here on out, watch where you step!!! Don't step on dark stuff (cause it's probably a pit of darkness). Carefully traverse through the foresty area filled with crevices.

Once you get to the Shingle Gully, keep taking the path keeping sure the gully is to your right. Some of the path is overgrown. Do not step in a place if you cannot see the ground. Use a stick if you are unsure.

There's a great photo op spot here. You'll see a platform overlooking the gully.

At the end of the gully, you can climb down into it and walk along the valley. I believe you can keep going and leave through the gully, but I wasn't sure so we backtracked the trail.

Be careful backtracking... sometimes the trails all look the same and it's easy to go off-trail. Keep an eye on your GPS.