How to Hike the Dramatic Gertrudes Nose Trail
Gertrudes Nose is one of the well-known, most popular hikes in Minnewaska State Park in New York. This moderate trail offers dramatic views of the rugged Shawangunk Mountains while leading you through dense hardwood forests, and over massive boulders. You even get to pass a crystalline lake which you might want to take a dip in when hiking this trail in the hotter months.
As locals, we have explored almost all of the trails in this beautiful State Park and couldn’t wait to take on the challenge to hike this park’s favorite. Keep reading to get to know all of the exclusive tips for visiting Minnewaska State Park and hiking Gertrudes Nose.
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Where is Getrudes Nose?
Gertrudes Nose is located in Minnewaska State Park in Ulster County, New York, just off of Route 44-55. It is approximately a 1 hour and 30 minutes drive from New York City.
Minnewaska is one of the 180 New York State Parks spread out throughout the state. The park sits along the striking Shawangunk Mountain ridge at 2,000 feet above sea level and consists of dense hardwood forests, dramatic ledges, and rough and rocky terrain.
Visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities from hiking to stunning waterfalls, biking on the carriageway trails, climbing up epic cliffs, swimming in three sparkling lakes, picnicking with beautiful views of New York’s Hudson Valley, and more.
There are 2 sections to Minnewaska State Park Preserve. The main area, where Gertrudes Nose is located, and the Sam’s Point area. To drive from one section to the other you have to allow at least 30 minutes.
Quick Facts about Minnewaska State Park
Location: 5281 Route 44-55, Kerhonkson, NY 12446
Hours: Opens at 9:00 AM all year round – Closing times are posted when entering the park (changes seasonally)
Cost: $10 entrance fee
Facilities: Restrooms, Picnicking, Visitor Center
How To Get to Gertrudes Nose
To get to Gertrudes Nose, you will need to enter through Minnewaska State Park’s main entrance on Route 44-55. After pulling off the main road, you follow the pathway, which leads you to the ticket booth. Here, you purchase your daily pass for Minnewaska State Park.
Where to Park
The best place to park to hike Gertrudes Nose is in the upper Awosting parking lots near the Visitor Center. Behind the building, you will find the Lake Minnewaska trailhead, which you necessarily have to take to reach Gertrudes Nose.
However, you can technically park in the lower Awosting parking lot as well, but you will have to add some more miles to get to Gertrudes Nose. The quickest way is to take the 0.8-mile Sunset Carriage Road which starts near the Awosting Falls trailhead.
Note: Especially during the busier seasons of the year (from spring to fall), when it can get extremely crowded, you might not get the chance to choose where to park. The person in the ticket booth will let you know if a parking area is already full.
Top 5 Hiking Essentials for Every Hike
Day Hiking Packs
Deuter is one of the top brands for hiking packs and just happens to be our favorite. We currently use the Deuter Speed Lite 22 SL which has a more slimming design to fit a women’s back perfectly.
Insulated Water Bottle or Hydration Pack
We found out very quickly that having a good insulated water bottle makes a world of difference on our hiking trips. Personally, we love the Hydroflask 32 oz. Wide Mouth insulated water bottle which comes in many different designs. Additional accessories we like for our Hydroflask are the 32 oz Straw Lid, packable bottle sling, and Flex Boot. Other top brands we would recommend are Camelback and Yeti.
Durable Hiking Footwear
Hiking up the mountains in the Hudson Valley area requires sturdy hiking boots you can trust. We currently (mostly) use the Columbia Newton Ridge Plus Waterproof Hiking Boot and are totally satisfied with them because they are lighter than many other boots.
Comfortable Hiking Socks
Trust us, a quality hiking sock with a good cushion can make a huge difference in how your feet will feel after any hike. Our absolute favorite hiking sock brand is Darn Tough.
Photography Gear
There is never a hike we go on without having our photography gear with us. Peak Design with its many smart photography accessories makes capturing our adventurous hiking moments so much easier. Our ultimate favorite is their capture clip which simply attaches your camera to your backpack for quick accessibility.
What to Expect Hiking to Gertrudes Nose
General Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 6.75 miles
Type of Hike: Loop
Elevation Gain/Loss: 1,135 ft
Parking: Upper Awosting Parking Area (Favorite) & Lower Awosting Parking Area
After parking your car, in hopefully the upper parking area at Minnewaska State Park, you will want to start out on the Lake Minnewaska Loop Trail behind the Visitor Center.
Once you are on the trail, make sure you are walking counterclockwise with the lake on your left-hand side. This is the easiest section of the hike to Gertrudes Nose, where you can enjoy some nice overlooks with stunning views of the lake.
In a few tenths of a mile, you will reach a restroom across from the swimming area for Lake Minnewaska. If you forgot to use the restroom before starting the hike, do it now.
Then continue up the wide carriage road trail. In a few minutes, you will reach the first trail junction for Castle Point Carriage Road. At this point just continue straight until you reach the next trail junction for Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road, which you will see just over 0.5 miles into your hike.
Turn right onto Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road, following the yellow trail markers. Shortly up the road, you will arrive at the trail junction for Hamilton Point Carriage Road. Here, you want to bear to the left to stay on the Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road. From this point, you follow the cliffs of the gorge below.
Eventually, you will reach Patterson’s Pellet, an opening with a grand view of the gorge and surrounding cliffs.
Once you are about 2 miles into your hike, you will finally be on the Gertrudes Nose Footpath trail. This is when the trail starts to become a little more interesting instead of a walk along the wide carriage road.
Here, the trail becomes a narrow pathway through a short wooded section before it turns into a rocky trek along the cliffs with views for days. Now, you will be following the red trail markers.
For the next 1 mile you walk along the cliffs, and up and over boulders before reaching Gertrudes Nose. This was our favorite section of the trail due to its thrill and the spectacular panoramas of the outstanding Shawangunk Mountains.
Don’t be confused with other rock formations along the way to Gertrudes Nose. There were a few times we thought we had finally arrived but we still had a little way to go. When you actually reach Gertrudes Nose, you will know you are in the right place. It is one of the last points along the cliffs before making a curve, heading back into the woods.
Now that you have seen the famous Gertrudes Nose, we have to disappoint you. You already passed the highlight of the trail, it won’t get any more exciting. Nevertheless, there are other scenic spots remaining.
There is one area on the way back, you might get lost for a second. Don’t worry, it happened to us, but we were back on track in a few seconds. On the large open rock surface with small pine trees on it, the trail markers are difficult to find. Your best bet here is to walk diagonally (instead of straight ahead) to the other side to pick the trail back up.
In just about 2 miles, you will be met with the trail junction for Millbrook Mountain Trail. Make sure to take the right trail because at this point you have many options. You do not want to go down the carriage road. Instead, you want to keep going straight until you see a sign pointing left for Lake Minnewaska.
This 1-mile section of the trail is steep, rocky, narrow, and usually slippery. Be careful as you start making your way back to Lake Minnewaska. Just a short way down, you will have to cross over Coxing Kill stream. After the creek, the trail ascends back up a little. Continue on this path for a while until it leads you to Lake Minnewaska.
Once back on the Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, you will be almost directly on the opposite side of the lake from where you originally started your hike. Here you can choose to go left or right around the lake. Either way will bring you back to the parking area. Even though the trail to the left is a little shorter, our advice would be to go to the right, to walk around the whole lake and admire the other beautiful aerial views of the lake along the cliffs.
All you have to do is follow the carriage road to the parking area. Make sure to stop by at the Visitor Center to get more information about Minnewaska State Park.
Gertrude’s Nose Trail Map
The below Gertrude’s Nose Trail Map is a map from Alltrails that showcases the loop we explained within this post. However, we choose to loop around Lake Minnewaska at the end of our hike instead of retracing our steps back the way we came around the lake.
More Minnewaska State Park Trails
Minnewaska State Park is home to some of the best hiking trails in the Hudson Valley and upstate New York.
Once you are there, you won’t want to leave. That is why we want to share our absolute favorite trails with you. Get a quick overview right now or read our in-depth post about the best trails in Minnewaska State Park.
Park at the Main Entrance for these Trails:
Awosting Falls Trail – Check out Minnewaska State Park’s most popular feature, Awosting Falls. On an easy 1-mile hike, you can see the falls plunging 60 feet into the Peterskill stream.
Rainbow Falls Trail -Take in the view of another stunning Minnewaska waterfall on a moderate 6.5-mile loop trail with a wide range of scenery, from evergreen pine trees to charming wooden bridges, and beautiful river beds.
Located a Few Minutes from the Main Entrance of the Park:
Stony Kill FallsTrail – This is one of the more hidden gems of Minnewaska State Park. Stony Kill Falls is an easy 1.5 mile trail to see a beautiful waterfall backdropped by the stunning Shawangunk cliffs.
Park in the Eastern Side of the Park for:
Peterskill Falls Trail – Experience Minnewaska’s dense forest and the calming sound of Peterskill stream on a quick and easy 1.2-mile hike to the falls.
Park at the Sam’s Point Area of Minnewaska State Park:
Verkeerderkill Falls Trail – Enjoy a beautiful 6-mile hike to one of the most breathtaking waterfalls (and the tallest) in Minnewaska. For an added bonus stop off at Sam’s Point Overlook, the area’s most famous viewpoint.
Sam’s Point Ice Caves – Explore the intriguing Ice Caves of Minnewaska on a thrilling 3.3 miles out and back trail over massive boulders and through narrow passages.
Sams Point Loop Road – Take in the views of Lake Maratanza along the Sams Point Loop Road on this simple 3.1-mile stroll. You can easily combine this loop with the hike to the Verkeerderkill Falls without adding too many more miles.
Shingle Gully Trail – Hike along the steepest and most secluded section of the Shawangunk Mountain ridge on a difficult trail in the Sam’s Point Area of Minnewaska State Park. This area you can’t visit on your own, you will need to make a reservation for a guided hike.
FAQs for Hiking the Gertrudes Nose Trail
1. Is Gertrude’s Nose Open?
The trail does not stay open all year long, so before you go, make sure to check the park’s website for the latest information. Mostly during the colder months, Gertrudes Nose is closed to hikers due to poor weather conditions. Since you will walk on the ridges along the cliffs it is simply too dangerous when it is icy. The opening and closing of the trail will differ based on the weather.
If Getrudes Nose is closed but you still want to explore this park, hike an alternative Minnewaska State Park trail.
2. What is the Best Time to Visit Gertrudes Nose?
Hiking Gertrudes Nose is best from the spring to the fall when the weather is the nicest. The spring and fall bring cooler temperatures, while the summer can get extremely hot.
We chose to explore the Gertrudes Nose Trail in late summer. The weather was enjoyable and the trail was less crowded.
Top Tip: The fall turns New York’s Hudson Valley into a forest of vibrant colors during the iconic fall foliage. The Shawangunk cliffs along the trail provide excellent viewing points to admire these colors. Expect crowds on the trail during this time of the year.
3. How Long is Gertrude’s Nose Hike?
The hike to Gertrudes Nose averages about 7 miles. Hikers can use a variety of connecting trails to reach the famous rock formation. Before heading out on the hike, we would suggest visiting the Minnewaska State Park Visitor Center where you can view 3 different loops to get to Gertrudes Nose.
We hiked the most common loop for Gertrudes Nose which came out to be 6.75 miles. This loop starts out on the Lake Minnewaska Loop Trail, connects to Millbrook Mountain Carriage Road, to Gertrudes Nose Footpath, to Millbrook Mountain Trail, and back to the Lake Minnewaska Loop Trail.
4. How Long Does it Take to Hike Gertrude’s Nose?
It took us about 3.5 hours to hike the 6.75-mile loop described above. We would suggest planning at least 4 hours to complete this trail. We hiked at a pretty steady pace with minimal stops along the way, besides snapping a few photos at the Gertrudes Nose cliff.
5. How Hard is Gertrude’s Nose?
Overall speaking, the hike to Gertrudes Nose is moderate. Most of the trail is relatively easy with sections of steep inclines. This hike can be done by hikers of all skill levels, who are up for a nice challenge.
6. Why is it Called Gertrude’s Nose?
The famous rock formation was named in 1682 after Gertrude Bruyn, a settler of Dutch descent. Gertrude lived in the Shawangunk Mountains and was an important person for the community. The massive rocks resemble her nose.
Tips for Visiting Minnewaska State Park
Arrive Early
Minnewaska State Park is a well-known Hudson Valley gem, so expect crowds from spring to fall when the weather is good. The parking areas fill up quicker than you think, especially in the area of the park where you find Gertrudes Nose, Lake Minnewaska, and the Awosting Falls. We would recommend arriving when the park opens to get a spot in your desired parking lot.
During one of our first visits to this area, we arrived 20 minutes after the park opened. We had to wait around 50 minutes in a long line just to get into the park and then struggled to find parking. Eventually, we were able to snag a spot in the upper parking area.
Know What You Want to Do
Know what trails you want to hike before heading to Minnewaska. This will help you know which area to drive to. Remember the park has 4 different recreation areas with 5 parking lots that lead you to different trails. For example, Sam’s Point Preserve, located in the southern part of the park, is a 30 minutes drive away from Gertrudes Nose.
These are the main parking areas in the parks:
Main Park Entrance – Lower Awosting Falls parking area, Upper Awosting Falls parking area
Eastern Side of the Park – PetersKill parking area
Western Side of the Park – Jenny Lane parking area
Southern Part of the Park – Sam’s Point Preserve parking area
Have a Trail Map
When hiking Getrudes Nose, you will find yourself on a lot of different trails with different trail markers. To avoid confusion and make sure you don’t get lost, do your research beforehand (aka read our posts), and carry a trail map with you.
You can ask for a free map when you pay the entrance fee at the ticket booth, but don’t expect too much. No matter the area you visit, you always get a general, very small map of the whole State Park.
Nowadays, you will most likely bring a phone with you, so why not utilize a hiking app to get a trail map. We always use the Alltrails app to keep us on the hiking trail. Recently, we upgraded to the Alltrails pro version to have the ability to download maps to even see them when service is limited.
Purchase an Empire Pass
If you live in New York or visit frequently, you can save a lot of money on visiting New York State Parks by purchasing an Empire Pass. The pass costs $80 dollars and gives you access to all State Parks and the State Department of Environmental Conservation areas for 1 year. To hike all of the best trails in Minnewaska State Park alone will cost you at least $50.
Not sure if it is worth it? Here is where the Empire Pass is accepted.
Leave No Trace
Please recreate responsibly. Anytime you are exploring and enjoying the outdoors, it is important to remember to follow the Leave No Trace principles. Respect and appreciate nature, so that future generations can enjoy the same beauty. If you aren’t familiar with the Leave No Trace Principles, here they are:
- Plan Ahead & Prepare
- Travel on Durable Surfaces
- Properly Dispose of Waste
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Others
Final Thoughts
To be honest, we expected a little more of Getrudes Nose Trail. Probably because a lot of people highly recommended hiking it and when you already have expectations, it is tough to stand up to it.
Don’t get us wrong, walking along the dramatic cliffs, looking at the beautiful rugged landscape is fascinating and a lot of fun. On top of that, the Lake Minnewaska Loop Trail is already included in this trail, so you are able to explore even 2 trails at the same time. There are just so many other intriguing hikes in Minnewaska State Park that can easily compete with Gertrudes Nose.
Hike the trail and make up your mind and let us know if you think Gertrudes Nose trail is a little overrated or the absolute best hike in Minnewaska State Park.
Do You Love Hiking Gertrudes Nose or Do You Think It Is A Little Overrated?
Let us know in the comments below!
Our Other Resources for Minnewaska State Park:
- 13 Most Scenic Minnewaska State Park Trails
- Explore the Awosting Falls Trail in Minnewaska State Park
- Hike to the Unforgettable Verkeerderkill Falls in Minnewaska State Park
- Stony Kill Falls: Best Kept Secret in Minnewaska State Park
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