Blue Ledge on the Hudson – A Descent into Wildness

By Bill Ingersoll

During the height of the Adirondack fall foliage season, the intuitive notion for most hikers is to climb up – as in to the summit of a mountain, from which to survey a colorful landscape. There is nothing wrong with that way of thinking, but sometimes it’s important to remember that wildness is something you can also descend into.

I’ve been reminded of this the last few years while I’ve indulged an infatuation with the Hudson Gorge Wilderness, the 22,906-acre bulge of state land along the Hudson River’s wildest section. While there are peaks that you could climb in this region – including Starbuck Mountain, which I described a few months ago (Hiking, May 2022) – you inevitably hike down to reach the star feature, the Hudson Gorge itself.

People typically penetrate this rugged stretch of river by foot at only a few places, one of them being the 2.3-mile-long trail to Blue Ledge near Minerva. Blue Ledge is a towering cliff of steel-colored rock that hovers over a bend in the river, where the artist Winslow Homer painted watercolors in the nineteenth century. The sandy banks are a natural gathering place, and on summer weekends they fill up with hikers and whitewater rafting parties.

But if you’re looking to enjoy the fall scenery this year, don’t assume this is any old hole in the ground. Towering hardwoods fill the gorge, and when you are down by the river you feel surrounded by yellows and reds.

Getting There – Finding the trailhead requires patience with long, winding roads, but the results are worth the effort. Follow NY Route 28N for 2.5 miles north of Minerva and turn left (west) onto Northwoods Club Road. This begins as an ordinary residential road in the central Adirondacks, but soon the pavement ends and you enter state land. A narrow descent leads to the Boreas River at 3.8 miles, and after a long climb you descend again toward Huntley Pond. The trailhead for Blue Ledge is found just before the pond, 6.8 miles from the highway. Parking is on the right and the trail is on the left.

The Trail – The trail to Blue Ledge goes through several phases, but it begins as a pond-side path plagued with fits of wetness. It begins with a log bridge that has aged into something of a liability – the first thing you encounter as you step off the gravel road – and then leads into a muddy section with unsatisfactory bog bridging.

But don’t stop reading just yet. After a few enchanting views of Huntley Pond, the trail pulls away from the shore and climbs briefly to a height-of-land at about 1,625 feet – the summit of this trail, already encountered just a few minutes into the trip. Then it cuts between a pair of boulders and descends to a small stream. Depending on water levels you can step across on stones or take advantage of the log bridge.

Next comes a long, level section parallel to the outlet of Huntley Pond. Some people may find this stretch to be frustrating for two reasons. First, you might clearly hear water tumbling loudly over a hidden cascade to the north of the stream – and on the wrong side of a private land boundary, clearly marked by the Northwoods Club. Second, the wide trail is plagued with mud. On what should be a brisk, easy section of trail, you may be spending too much time watching your footing.

The trail cuts a corner through the club’s property but then begins to climb out of the valley. The ascent is insignificant, but it does put the mud behind you. The final third of the trail is quite dry, actually, as it skirts the hills north of the river. Slowly you begin to hear the roar of the mighty Hudson, and tall white pines dot the woods. The trail scoots across some rocky patches and dips through a few draws before beginning its final descent. By the time you reach the brushy area immediately above the river, you have descended about 275 feet.

Upon arrival most people turn right, toward the upstream bend on the river. There is a moderate “beach” of sand nestled between the boulders, and here is the best view of the eponymous cliffs. If you are here to watch the whitewater rafters and kayakers, this is where you’ll get your first peek.

To the left of the trail’s end, you’ll find a larger beach, then a path leading downstream to a choice camping area. This spot is located just above the point where the gorge pinches and the rapids resume.

Visitors to the gorge do need to be aware of swiftly shifting water levels. Although there are no dams within the gorge, two large ones stand on the Indian River, a major tributary of the Hudson. Releases from the Abanakee Dam are what make the whitewater business possible, and the pulses of water raise the water by several feet within a matter of minutes. We are not talking about raging flashfloods, but a rise that you will notice nonetheless.

The one downside to a trail that leads down into a gorge is that the hike back to your car will be mostly uphill. The climb is never steep, but if you were feeling better than expected as you hiked to Blue Ledge, reality might catch up with you on the return to Huntley Pond as you regain all that lost elevation.

Bill Ingersoll is a cofounder and the vice-chair of Adirondack Wilderness Advocates. For more information on this area, please visit: adirondackwilderness.org/hudson-gorge-wilderness.