Schunemunk Mountain
Encyclopedia
Schunemunk Mountain is the highest mountain in Orange County, New York
. The 1,664-foot (507 m) summit is located in the town of Blooming Grove
, with other portions in Cornwall
and Woodbury
. The community of Mountain Lodge Park
is built up its western slope.
The mountain is a popular recreational resource in the area. While only the northeastern quadrant and summit are part of the recently-created Schunemunk State Park, some popular hiking trails and access routes have long crossed the privately-owned lands elsewhere on the mountain. Conservationist
s hope that eventually the state will be able to acquire the whole mountain.
Schunemunk is a long ridge running approximately northeast-southwest between Smith's Clove and Salisbury Mills, New York. Along the more northerly of its length, the mountain has a double crest, with Barton Swamp lying between the two ridges. The summit lies on the more southeasterly ridge. Barton Swamp is drained by Perry Creek on the south and Baby Brook on the north. Much of the eastern side of the mountain is drained by Dark Hollow Brook. These are part of the Moodna Creek
watershed, which encompasses all but the southeastern tip of the mountain. Moodna Creek drains into the Hudson River
. The southeastern part of the mountain drains into the watershed of the Ramapo River
.
About midway along its length, on the southeastern side of the mountain, is a spur known as High Knob or High Point, which overlooks Woodbury, New York
. To the northwest, across a clove, lies Woodcock Mountain or Woodcock Hill, which reaches 1,030 feet (314 m).
The New York State Thruway
runs alongside Schunemunk's eastern side for the length of the mountain just north of its Harriman
exit. In addition to Mountain Lodge Park, New York
, two other hamlets in the area are closely associated with the mountain: Mountainville
to the northeast and Central Valley
to the southeast.
Due to its height and length, Schunemunk can be seen from much of the rest of Orange County and some other nearby areas.
, being formed from sedimentary deposits including puddingstone
. Later faulting created the long cleft that is now Barton Swamp.
, and the Lenni Lenape had a village on the northern tip of the mountain. During the American Revolution
, the mountain was often the site of skirmishing between Tory
and Patriot
irregulars.
The mountain is under increasing development pressure, but the northern part has become Schunemunk State Park, and a small portion of the southern part forms Woodbury Park.
ascends the mountain by way of High Knob, crosses Perry Creek, and runs along the more northwesterly ridge, descending to the clove between Schunemunk and Woodcock Mountains at the north end. The Highlands Trail makes use of several trails on the mountain, ascending the eastern side of the mountain along the Sweet Clover Trail, and following the more southeasterly ridge and crossing the summit by way of the Jessup Trail, which continues along the crest to the southwestern tip of the mountain. The Dark Hollow, Barton Swamp, Trestle, Western Ridge, and Otterkill Trails are also located on the mountain.
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
. The 1,664-foot (507 m) summit is located in the town of Blooming Grove
Blooming Grove, New York
Blooming Grove is a town in Orange County, New York, USA. The population was 17,351 at the 2000 census.The Town of Blooming Grove is in the central part of the county, located southwest of Newburgh.- History :...
, with other portions in Cornwall
Cornwall, New York
Cornwall is a town in Orange County, New York, USA. It is located about 50 miles north of New York City on the western shore of the Hudson River. The estimated population in 2007 was 12,827....
and Woodbury
Woodbury, Orange County, New York
Woodbury is a town and village in Orange County, New York, United States. The town population was 9,460 at the 2000 census. The village was incorporated in 2006 and comprises all of the town that is not part of the village of Harriman. The region was once called Woodbury Clove...
. The community of Mountain Lodge Park
Mountain Lodge Park, New York
Mountain Lodge Park is in the Town of Blooming Grove in Orange County, New York, United States. It is built on the western slope of Schunemunk Mountain, the highest in the county....
is built up its western slope.
The mountain is a popular recreational resource in the area. While only the northeastern quadrant and summit are part of the recently-created Schunemunk State Park, some popular hiking trails and access routes have long crossed the privately-owned lands elsewhere on the mountain. Conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
s hope that eventually the state will be able to acquire the whole mountain.
Geography
Moodna Creek
Moodna Creek is a small tributary of the Hudson River that drains eastern Orange County, New York. At 15.5 miles in length from its source at the confluence of Cromline Creek and Otter Kill west of Washingtonville, it is the longest stream located entirely within the county.Despite its small...
watershed, which encompasses all but the southeastern tip of the mountain. Moodna Creek drains into the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. The southeastern part of the mountain drains into the watershed of the Ramapo River
Ramapo River
The Ramapo River is a tributary of the Pompton River, approximately 30 mi long, in southern New York and northern New Jersey in the United States.-Course:...
.
About midway along its length, on the southeastern side of the mountain, is a spur known as High Knob or High Point, which overlooks Woodbury, New York
Woodbury, Orange County, New York
Woodbury is a town and village in Orange County, New York, United States. The town population was 9,460 at the 2000 census. The village was incorporated in 2006 and comprises all of the town that is not part of the village of Harriman. The region was once called Woodbury Clove...
. To the northwest, across a clove, lies Woodcock Mountain or Woodcock Hill, which reaches 1,030 feet (314 m).
The New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
runs alongside Schunemunk's eastern side for the length of the mountain just north of its Harriman
Harriman, New York
Harriman is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 2,252 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
exit. In addition to Mountain Lodge Park, New York
Mountain Lodge Park, New York
Mountain Lodge Park is in the Town of Blooming Grove in Orange County, New York, United States. It is built on the western slope of Schunemunk Mountain, the highest in the county....
, two other hamlets in the area are closely associated with the mountain: Mountainville
Mountainville, New York
Mountainville is a hamlet in the western section of the town of Cornwall, in Orange County, New York, USA. It is mostly wooded, lightly populated area, located in the narrow valley of Woodbury and Moodna creeks between Schunemunk Mountain and the Hudson Highlands. The New York State Thruway and NY...
to the northeast and Central Valley
Central Valley, New York
Central Valley is a hamlet in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 1,857 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a census-designated place...
to the southeast.
Due to its height and length, Schunemunk can be seen from much of the rest of Orange County and some other nearby areas.
Geology
Schunemunk is geologically dissimilar from nearby mountains in the Hudson HighlandsHudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
, being formed from sedimentary deposits including puddingstone
Puddingstone (rock)
Puddingstone, also known as either Pudding stone or Plum-pudding stone, is a popular name applied to a conglomerate that consists of distinctly rounded pebbles whose colors contrast sharply with the color of the finer-grained, often sandy, matrix or cement surrounding them...
. Later faulting created the long cleft that is now Barton Swamp.
History
The name "Schunemunk" means "excellent fireplace" in LenapeLenape language
The Delaware languages, also known as the Lenape languages, are Munsee and Unami, two closely related languages of the Eastern Algonquian subgroup of the Algonquian language family...
, and the Lenni Lenape had a village on the northern tip of the mountain. During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the mountain was often the site of skirmishing between Tory
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
and Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
irregulars.
The mountain is under increasing development pressure, but the northern part has become Schunemunk State Park, and a small portion of the southern part forms Woodbury Park.
Trails
The Long PathLong Path
The Long Path is a long-distance hiking trail beginning at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey and currently ending at Altamont, New York, in the Albany area...
ascends the mountain by way of High Knob, crosses Perry Creek, and runs along the more northwesterly ridge, descending to the clove between Schunemunk and Woodcock Mountains at the north end. The Highlands Trail makes use of several trails on the mountain, ascending the eastern side of the mountain along the Sweet Clover Trail, and following the more southeasterly ridge and crossing the summit by way of the Jessup Trail, which continues along the crest to the southwestern tip of the mountain. The Dark Hollow, Barton Swamp, Trestle, Western Ridge, and Otterkill Trails are also located on the mountain.