Bonticou Rising

I have sometimes come up Mohonk Road at night and seen the white rock of Bonticou Crag rising up through the field like a giant glowing moon. Bonticou is a raw piece of Shawangunk Conglomerate schist that is one of the most accessible and exciting rock scrambles in our area. The climb up usually has its hairy moments, as you hoist yourself up through the narrower passages, but the 360 degree view at the top that stretches from the Catskills to the Wallkill Valley is an exhilarating reward.

Bonticou Crag is reached via the Lower 27 Knolls Mohonk Preserve entrance. For those who don't feel up to an intermediate level rock scramble, there is a longer, more gradual climb along the spine to the top. All times of year are spectacular but mountain laurel season in early June is a peak experience.