There’s no view like this one: Middleburgh, NY and the Catkills from the top of the Middleburgh Cliffs, access now preserved forever thanks to the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference as part of the 358-mile Long Path.
You can get there from here. New York-New Jersey Trail Conference adds 123 acres of forever-access to the Middleburgh Cliffs. 
Access to the Middleburgh Cliffs, part of the Long Path as it winds through the Schoharie Valley, has not been preserved future generations.
Who knew?
If you’re hiking the Long Path, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference’s premier long-distance trail, 358 miles stretching from the West 175th Street Subway Station at the George Washington Bridge in New York City to Thatcher State Park, just outside Albany, the first place you can resupply on-trail, this side of Phoenicia, (Ulster County, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson Valley)?
Our Middleburgh.
Groceries. Hardware. Books. Coffee, Pizza…
“We love Middleburgh.”
That’s what the Trail Conference’s Ken Posner told a small crowd of hiking enthusiasts in Middleburgh to celebrate a milestone:
The Trail Conference’s Ken Posner and Middleburgh Mayor Tim Knight celebrate the moment.
The acquisition of 123 acres, a purchase that opens up access to the now-forever-protected Middleburgh Cliffs.
Of course, they’re hikers, they hiked first, not from the Big City to the edge of the Adirondacks (this time) but down Main Street to Straub Lane, up the mountainside to the Cliffs, the Schoharie Valley, Vroman’s Nose (also on the Long Path), the Catskills and the Hudson Valley painted the colors of fall, opening up below.
“It’s not just a trail. It’s a way to connect with the past and a reminder of the past,” Posner said outside the Middleburgh Village Hall. ”Some hike, some explore. It all comes together in community.”
A community, that for hikers, begins in Middleburgh.
“When I heard the land was for sale, I was worried it was going to be developed,” said Mayor Tim Knight, who lives at the base of the Cliffs. The previous owners had long allowed hikers access to the mountain (and the Trail), but they were at risk of losing that if the land was developed.
“I’m thrilled with the outcome. When you look at the Cliffs, you see history there. It’s the first thing I see from my house. It strengthens our community to have resources like this here.”
You can see the Cliffs…but how do you get there?
If you don’t know, you’re not alone; Knight said he hears the question all the time–even from neighbors who’ve lived in Middleburgh forever. It can be hard to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for…
Look for the aqua blazes on the telephone poles on Main Street at Railroad Avenue. They’ll take you to Straub Lane and then MT Path, where there’s parking at a cul-de-sac. You can also just drive down Main to Straub Lane from Main; it’s across from the Nourished at Middleburgh Church. Either way, head to the back.
(Both Knight and Posner said they’re planning more signage…just not too much.)
Right off the cul de sac, on the left, is the rugged route straight up the mountain and through the Lemon Squeeze. (The name says it all). Again: look for the aqua blazes. But you can also go a little further, past the No Parking signs, on the newly-acquired land and then just keep bearing left and left and left. You’ll get there too. (It’s not as steep. And you’ll bypass the Lemon Chute.)
Both routes take you to he Cliffs and a commanding view of the Middleburgh Valley, Middleburgh High School, farms, Vroman’s Nose, and the Catskills.
It’s worth the hike no matter how you get there.
The vision for the Long Path began back in 1931, when Vincent Joseph Schaefer imagined a long-distance hiking route from NYC through the Hudson Valley, a vital corridor connecting urban dwellers to the wild landscapes of the Adirondacks.
Planning and construction got underway in the 1960s, and in 1989, work began on another 70 miles, taking the Long Path to Thatcher Park. The Trail Conference is still looking to extend it another 65 miles to the Adirondacks.
The Schoharie Valley Trail includes links to Minekill State Park, the Eminence State Forest, Vroman’s Nose (added in the 1970s) and now, the Middleburgh Cliffs.
You don’t have to hike it all. (But you can…) Some hike it a section at a time over months or even years; some hike the whole 358-miles in one shot.
Some run it. (In 2017, Kim Levinsky, founder of the Sassquad Running Club, set a new women’s record for the fastest known time of 9 days, 10 hours, and 44 minutes.)
Discover the Long Path (maps, guides, ways to volunteer). And when you’re done? We’ve got other Schoharie County treasures (and secrets) to explore too.
Root-Access writer Patsy Nicosia has spent a lifetime covering local stories.
The writer…Root-Access writer Patsy Nicosia brings with her a lifetime of experience in local journalism, covering the stories that matter to Schoharie County and its neighbors through her award-winning reporting and photography for more than 40 years. She’s excited to now be working with SEEC’s Root-Access, sharing the stories of what makes Schoharie County…Schoharie County—from its history, to its neighborhoods, its arts scene and its tech possibilities, and mostly the people that connect us all.
Reach out to her at Patsynicosia@gmail.com.
