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Skytop Tower Loop
New Paltz, NY · ~110 minutes from Hoboken
Weekend forecast — Hoboken
Saturday
65°F
Mostly sunny · wind ~6 mph
Sunday
67°F
Partly sunny · wind 2–7 mph
Source: NWS
The Aha
You walk a wide carriage road along the edge of Lake Mohonk — water so still it mirrors the Victorian turrets of the Mountain House on the far shore — then climb switchbacks of white conglomerate rock to a 1923 stone fire tower perched right on the cliff edge, some 300 feet above the water. Climb the spiral stairs inside and the top platform opens into a true 360°: the bone-white cliffs of the Shawangunk Ridge dropping away below you, the Catskills across the valley, and the Hudson Valley rolling out toward the horizon.
Then it's eight minutes downhill to New Paltz, a college town with more good bakeries per block than it has any right to.
A mirror-flat lake, a cliffside tower, and a town that actually delivers. That's the bar for this newsletter.
Quick stats
- Distance from Hoboken
- ~75 miles / 110 min via NY Thruway (I-87) → Route 299
- Trail length
- 3.6 miles round-trip (gatehouse to Skytop Tower loop)
- Elevation gain
- ~500 ft
- Difficulty
- Moderate. Steady climb on wide carriage roads, no scrambling required.
- Time on trail
- 2 to 2.5 hours with kids
- Best for ages
- ~6 and up. Littler legs can turn around at the Lake Mohonk shoreline (about 1.5 miles round-trip) and still get the money shot.
- Cost
- Skytop sits on Mohonk Mountain House land, not the public Preserve — the Hiking Trail Day Pass runs $35/adult, $30/child (ages 4–12), free under 4. Book online; passes are first-come, first-served up to 72 hours out.
- Dogs?
- No — Mountain House trails are pet-free (service animals only). The adjacent Mohonk Preserve trails do allow leashed dogs if you need a dog-friendly alternative.
Why your kids will actually like this one
- A real stone tower to climb. A spiral staircase inside a century-old fire tower leads to an open-air platform 300 feet above the lake — the "are we actually allowed up here?" thrill without any real risk.
- A lake that looks fake. Lake Mohonk is so still and clear that kids will swear they can see the bottom. It's a built-in "whoa" before the climb even starts.
- A castle in the background. The Mountain House's turrets and shingled towers photobomb half your pictures. Looks more like a storybook than upstate New York.
- A bonus crevice scramble, if they want it. The Labyrinth and Lemon Squeeze — a maze of boulders, ladders, and a crack in the cliff you turn sideways to fit through — sits right off the main loop as an optional side-quest for confident 10-and-ups.
The trail, in plain English
Park at the Mohonk Preserve gatehouse on Mountain Rest Road and pay the day fee there — Skytop is on Mohonk Mountain House's private land, so this is the pricier pass, not the standard Preserve fee. From the lot, a wide crushed-stone carriage road passes through the Testimonial Gateway, a stone arch built in 1907, then follows the shoreline of Lake Mohonk with the Mountain House's towers reflected across the water. This shoreline stretch alone (about 1.5 miles round-trip) is a fine turnaround for younger kids who've had enough.
From the lake, the carriage road climbs steadily — not steep, just steady — gaining the ~500 feet up to Skytop over roughly a mile. Footing turns to stone outcrop near the top as the trees open up. The fire tower itself sits right on the cliff edge; climb the interior staircase for the full 360° payoff.
If anyone's still got energy and is at least 10 and sturdy on their feet, the Labyrinth and Lemon Squeeze — a boulder scramble with ladders and a genuinely tight rock crevice — branches off nearby as a bonus detour. It's not required and easy to skip; just don't wander into it by accident expecting a casual stroll. Descend the same carriage roads back to the gatehouse.
Pro tips
- Book the Hiking Trail Day Pass online in advance. It's first-come, first-served up to 72 hours ahead, and the gatehouse can turn you away if the day's allotment is gone.
- This weekend's forecast is about as good as late October gets — 65°F and mostly sunny Saturday, 67°F and partly sunny Sunday, light wind both days. Take the morning slot either day.
- It's Halloween on Saturday. Start by 10 AM and you'll be back in Hoboken with plenty of daylight left for trick-or-treating.
- Leave the dog home. Mountain House trails don't allow pets; the Preserve's trails next door do.
- Skip the Lemon Squeeze with anyone under 10 or claustrophobic. It's a real scramble with ladders and a tight squeeze — fun for the brave ones, a non-starter for the rest.
The "cute town" payoff: New Paltz, NY
Main Street New Paltz is a genuine college-town jackpot. Some easy hits:
- 🥐 The Bakery (13A N Front St) — the go-to for breakfast pastries, sandwiches, and cookies worth the detour.
- 🥞 Main Street Bistro — full breakfast and lunch menu with an in-house bakery; expect a line on weekends, worth the wait.
- 🍔 P&G's — old-school, no-fuss diner-style spot with a real kids menu.
- 🍫 Lagusta's Luscious — vegan chocolate shop, an excellent bribe for the walk back to the car.
- ☕ Village Grind — solid coffee for the grown-ups while the kids demolish a muffin.
What to pack
Water (1L per person), sturdy sneakers or hiking shoes, layers (it's windy and exposed up on the tower platform), snacks, sunscreen, sunglasses, a small first-aid kit, and cash or a card for the gatehouse fee.
Quick rating
👨👩👧 Kid-friendly factor
4 / 5
🚗 Drive worth it?
Worth it
🍽️ Or skip the trail
Where We're Eating
Not feeling the drive this week? Here's where to take the kids instead — in the city and across the river. (No connection to this week's hike.)
🍕 In the City
- RedFarm (Upper West Side) — the Pac-Man dumplings (sesame-seed eyes, deep-fried Pac-Man on the plate) get the table loud in the best way, and the dim sum underneath the gimmick is genuinely good modern Chinese food. No reservations for small parties most nights, so go early or expect a wait.
🌉 In Jersey
- Elysian Cafe (Hoboken) — kids under 12 eat free Tuesdays 5–8pm with an adult entree, and the regular kids menu (chicken fingers, grilled cheese, spaghetti and meatballs) covers every picky eater while the grown-ups get a real New American menu. source
- La Milpa Taqueria (Jersey City) — a big outdoor patio means nobody has to whisper, and tacos are an easy yes for both the 7-year-old and the 11-year-old who claims to hate "Mexican food" until it's a quesadilla.
👀 New & Worth Knowing
- Farmhouse Fried Chicken (Montclair) — opened this past August on Bellevue Avenue with fried chicken sandwiches and bone-in bites, the kind of straightforward menu where everyone at the table orders something and nobody complains. Haven't been yet ourselves, but it's on the list. source