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Blue Ledges - An Interesting Spot Along the Wild Hudson

The trail to the Blue Ledges ends up at a beautiful spot on the Hudson River on the bank opposite the cliffs called the Blue Ledges. The river makes a right angle bend at this location and is filled with big boulders which depending on water level may be well above the flow or part of a huge white water. There is also a section of sandy bank shore for those who like to wade.

The trailhead is along the North Woods Club Road (west off of Route 28N about 1.7 miles north of Minerva) just before you reach Huntley Pond. The road is a good gravel road, except on days like the one that I traveled it, when they are regrading the surface. It dips down to cross the Boreas River which is an interesting place to stop and explore along the way.

The start of the trail passes around the east end of Huntley Pond on the most root filled trail I can remember. After maybe 0.2 miles it leaves the pond (and the roots) and crosses a shoulder to descend again to cross a small brook. The rest of the trail is mostly a walk in the woods. You climb up to a area several hundred feet above the Hudson River that can be heard below for much of the last part of the walk. Finally the trail descends to river level where the ledges are visible just across the river. The distance from the trailhead is 2.4 miles. While I was there the river was quiet, but I assume that if water had been released into the Indian River from Lake Abanakee to facilitate the Hudson River rafting, then the river might rise fairly suddenly. As I sat out on a boulder in the middle of the river, I was keeping an eye on the river level just in case.

I followed the river down stream to see just how far this rapids and bouldery section lasted, but I never found the end of it.

To me this section of the Hudson was as interesting as the Blue Ledges themselves. The trail to Blue Ledges is one of the few trails that end at the Hudson River gorge. If you like this type of wild river, but can't manage the rafting trips through it, then this may be the hike for you.

NOTE: For a more complete description of the trail, please see ADK's guide to ADIRONDACK TRAILS - Central Region, pp 147-148.