| Schunemunk Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Schunemunk Mountain from across theHudson River | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,664 ft (507 m) |
| Listing | |
| Coordinates | 41°23′30″N74°06′59″W / 41.3917605°N 74.1162557°W /41.3917605; -74.1162557[1] |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | "excellent fireplace" |
| Language of name | Lenape |
| Geography | |
  Schunemunk Mountain Location of Schunemunk Mountain within New York Show map of New York Schunemunk Mountain Schunemunk Mountain (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Orange County, New York, U.S. |
| Topo map | USGS Cornwall-on-Hudson |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hiking trail |
Schunemunk Mountain (also spelledSchunnemunk) is the highest mountain inOrange County,New York. The 1,664-foot (507 m) summit is located in the town ofBlooming Grove, with other portions inCornwall andWoodbury. The community ofMountain Lodge Park is built up its western slope.[2]
The mountain is a popular recreational resource in the area. While only the northeastern quadrant and summit are part of the recently createdSchunnemunk State Park,[3] some popular hiking trails and access routes have long crossed the privately owned lands elsewhere on the mountain.Conservationists hope that eventually the state will be able to acquire the whole mountain.
Schunemunk is a long ridge running approximately northeast–southwest betweenSmith's Clove andSalisbury Mills. 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 theMoodna Creek watershed, which encompasses all but the southeastern tip of the mountain. Moodna Creek drains into theHudson River. The southeastern part of the mountain drains into the watershed of theRamapo River.
About midway along its length, on the southeastern side of the mountain, is a spur known as High Knob or High Point, which overlooksWoodbury, New York. To the northwest, across a clove, lies Woodcock Mountain or Woodcock Hill, which reaches 1,030 feet (310 m).
TheNew York State Thruway runs alongside Schunemunk's eastern side for the length of the mountain just north of itsHarriman exit. In addition toMountain Lodge Park, two other hamlets in the area are closely associated with the mountain:Mountainville to the northeast andCentral 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.
Schunemunk is geologically dissimilar from nearby mountains in theHudson Highlands, being formed fromsedimentary deposits includingconglomerate. Later faulting created the long cleft that is now Barton Swamp.
The name "Schunemunk" means "excellent fireplace" inLenape, and theLenni Lenape had a village on the northern tip of the mountain. During theAmerican Revolution, the mountain was often the site of skirmishing betweenTory andPatriot irregulars.
The mountain is under increasing development pressure, but the northern part has becomeSchunnemunk State Park, and a small portion of the southern part forms Woodbury Park.
On May 22, 2002, a group of hikers wasbushwhacking on a boulder field on the southeastern side of the mountain, above Dark Hollow Brook, when a dislodged boulder killed a 76 year old man.[4]
TheLong Path ascends the mountain by way of High Knob, and crosses Perry Creek. When it reaches the Jessup and Highland trails it joins them to Gonzaga Park. 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, ending in Gonzaga Park. The Dark Hollow, Barton Swamp, Trestle, Western Ridge, and Otterkill trails are also located on the mountain.