Sustainable Warwick’s Hiking Club
Sustainable Warwick has embarked upon a hiking adventure! Guided nature walks of moderate difficulty are planned.
Last year we launched our hiking program which proved to be very popular. We were fortunate have local expert Sona Mason lead three hikes, one to see the spring flowers near Bucky Lane, one to Wawayanda Park for the rhododendrons, and one to see the pink lady’s slippers on part of the Appalachian trail. Another hike was led by Sam Walter on the new town trail from Hickory Hill to Cascade Road. Photos from our 2025 treks are below.
We are planning four hikes again for this year and will share these plans soon. If you’d like to be on the Hiking Club mailing list please let us know, click the I Like to Hike button and we will keep you informed of upcoming plans for hikes through the year.
2026 Upcoming SW Hikes
We’ve got a few more hikes in the planning stages. To stay in the loop about dates and locations, click the I Like To Hike! button above. We will send you an email with all the details once we have them set, so you can let us know if you want to participate.
September 12th - Mountain Lake Park: Sam Walter will be leading us on Hidden Hollow Trail at Mountain Lake Park. We’ll be meeting at Mountain Lake Park at 9:00 AM. It’s a somewhat rugged hike around Seymore’s Pond and through the woods. Sam says, “The hike is under a mile long but it is somewhat challenging due to all the roots in the woods. There’s a section at the back of the pond where you have to watch your step with the roots. It should take about 45 minutes.” She will share insights about bears and nature, and we’ll watch for the enchanting little critter houses along the path, made by students at Sandfordville Elementary School. You’ll want to wear hiking boots and have a stick and some water. This hike is moderately difficult due to uneven terrain and many exposed roots. It should take about an hour. There is an additional trail that can be taken by more ambitious hikers, marked with yellow blazes. Be sure to let us know you are interested in the Mountain Lake Park Hike by sending a note to the Hiking Club so we can send you the final details including directions to our meetup place.
October - Fuller Mountain Preserve: (Date TBD) Plans in the works with Sona, who will be leading us on an informative hike at the beautiful Fuller Mountain Preserve. A bit rocky with inclines and a gorgeous hilltop vista as your reward. More details coming, be sure to let us know you are interested in the Fuller Mountain Preserve Hike by sending a note to the Hiking Club so we can send you the final details once they are set! We’ll send you a map with directions to our meetup place.
Other Area Hikes of Interest
Flying Trillium Gardens with Sona Mason - Saturday, August 29th at 1:30pm. Tours are free, graciously led by the property owner and renowned landscape designer Carolyn Summers. flyingtrillium.com If interested contact Sona Mason for details.
Fungi in the Field - Saturday, September 19, 10:30AM and 1PM. Hike through the fields, forests, and sculptures of Storm King in search of mushrooms, guided by experts from the New York Mycological Society, Anna Efanova and Matthew Rozanoff. Then channel your observations in a hands-on creative workshop. Learn more and register
Local Hiking Trails - Check out this list of great trails to explore on your own. hellowarwickvalley.com/hiking
Wawayanda State Park - Early Summer Blooms and Greenery
On June 27th we did a hike with our leader, Gary, an experienced guide from Wawayanda State Park. We saw rhododendrons in bloom and enjoyed beautiful views ranging from lush wetlands to towering trees, we even met a cute little orange elfin newt. It was a 4 mile hike, utilizing a few trails, which took about 3 hours, and was enjoyed by all of our happy hikers. This will likely be the easiest hike to be offered by us this season.
Sterling Lake - Hike Around the Lake
On May 16th we did a hike round Sterling Lake. If you'd like to take a look at the trail, you can find it at AllTrails.com.
We had a choice here, with a 4.2 mile hike around the whole lake or a 2 mile hike ( one mile out and one mile back) around part of the lake. This was a moderate hike with rocky sections, especially on the back of the lake on the longer hike, and hiking boots were recommended.
It was a perfect day with a happy group of hikers, as you can see by the pictures below. We learned a great deal from our hike leader, a retired arborist, who shared fascinating information about trees and nature.
