Rising long before dawn—and donning a headlamp and some extra layers—to navigate mountain trails in the pitch of night may sound like a formidable feat. Yet, ask any seasoned hiker and they’ll tell you that watching the sunrise from a mountaintop is one of the deepest hiking experiences you can have: the intimate connection to Nature’s rhythms and to ancient human traditions, the apprehension of scale, the feeling of rebirth and renewal, the sense that the boundary between self and Nature is melting. It’s a life-affirming adventure of intense connection with our planet’s fundamental daily spectacle.
On a sunrise hike, you’ll find yourself in the company of a select few: hikers who understand the allure of being on the trail long before the world awakens, when parking spots are plentiful and stars watch over your climb. In summer, you’ll conquer the heat, breathing in the crispest air of the day. The pre-dawn show of light is a breathtaking teaser for the main event. As you climb, the valley below bathes in early-morning mist, soon kissed away by the rising sun.
Hiking in the dark may feel daunting and dangerous, but with the right preparation, it’s doable stuff. And what’s more fun than doing a scary new thing with friends? For more information on how to pull it off, read up on How to Plan Your First Sunrise Hike.
Completing a sunrise hike is a personal triumph. You’ll relish the sense of accomplishment. Each of these Hudson Valley hikes offers a distinct sunrise experience, promising moments of tranquility and natural beauty that make the early-early start well worth it.
Hudson Highlands: Storm King Mountain
Trailhead Location: Cornwall
Hike Length: 2.5 miles
Total Ascent: 650 feet
Time: 2 hours
Intensity: Moderately challenging hike
Sharply abutting the western bank of the Hudson River, Storm King Mountain offers a dramatic sunrise experience like no other. As the first rays of dawn break over Bull Hill (Mount Taurus), the valley terrain below bursts with color, creating a breathtaking panorama. While moderately challenging with a few rock scrambles, this quick route to this summit is so worth the effort. The trail from 9W takes you through dense forests and offers some of the vantage points that allow you to watch the world below awaken. There are three excellent viewing spots on Storm King’s summit. The largest and best (see photo) is an open rock ledge on the southeast side of the summit ridge, just 250 feet east of a trail junction; this also happens to be one of the finest views in the Hudson Highlands.
Thacher State Park
Trailhead Location: Voorheesville
Hike Length: 1 mile
Total Ascent: 330 feet
Time: 1 hour
Intensity: Moderately challenging hike
Thacher State Park, nestled in the Helderberg Escarpment in Albany County, is an optimal location for sunrise enthusiasts. The Indian Ladder Trail, renowned for its scenic beauty, offers an exceptional setting from which to witness the daybreak from a truly extraordinary vantage point.
The hike itself is short, which is great if you have a longer drive to the trailhead, and the beauty of the east-facing escarpment becomes apparent as the first rays of the morning sun cast their glow over the Hudson Valley. Ascend a set of stairs at either end of the trail. As you make your way along this path, you'll pass alongside stunning waterfalls. At the trail's zenith, a wooden walkway provides a perfect vantage point for admiring the falls from above. In addition to the natural beauty of the falls and the sunrise, your journey offers sweeping vistas of the limestone cliffs that tower above, adding an extra layer of majesty to your sunrise hike.
Huckleberry Point
Trailhead Location: Elka Park
Hike Length: 4.8 miles
Total Ascent: 975 feet
Time: 3-4 hours
Intensity: Moderately challenging hike
The hike to Huckleberry Point is a true gem of Catskills hiking, and it offers a serene and secluded yet stunning sunrise experience. The hike is relatively short, making it accessible to hikers of various skill levels. While a great hike for families, if you go on or after a rainy day, be aware that one stream crossing may be difficult to pass, so wear your waterproof boots and bring your trekking poles. The reward at the end is a magnificent view of the Hudson Valley bathed in the soft light of dawn, backed by the rolling Devil’s Path mountains.
Tremper Mountain Fire Tower
Trailhead Location: Phoenicia
Hike Length: 6 miles
Total Ascent: 1,900 feet
Time: 3-4 hours
Intensity: Challenging hike
For a sunrise with a touch of adventure, head to Tremper Mountain in Phoenicia. The classic trail to the Tremper Mountain Fire Tower rises steeply through dense woods past an abandoned quarry and two public lean-tos where wilderness campers sometimes sleep overnight. From inside the fire tower’s cabin, you can watch one of my favorite Catskills views transform: morning mist burns away in the valleys below revealing layers of rolling peaks in all directions. Note: this is one of six fire towers you can climb as part of the Catskills Fire Tower Challenge.
Giant Ledge
Trailhead Location: Phoenicia
Hike Length: 2.9 miles
Total Ascent: 990 feet
Time: 3 hours
Intensity: Moderately challenging hike
Giant Ledge has long been one of the top destinations for hikers looking to experience the Catskills Park at its finest. But it’s also perhaps the absolute best spot in the Park for a truly unbeatable Hudson Valley sunrise experience. The trail up from Route 47 is short and rugged, and the long ledge rewards you with multiple viewing spots that provide unobstructed panoramas of the broad mountains-and-valleys landscape below. With the sun rising directly above a sweeping line of peaks, witnessing sunrise from here is nothing short of an extraordinary, wondrous, even primeval experience.
Rise & Shine
As you descend from your mountain aerie, the world has fully woken—and you’ve already lived a morning’s worth of adventure. Your sunrise hike has marked your day with tranquility, challenge, and awe. You’ve felt the solitude of the trail, savored the unmatched purity of early morning air, and reveled in the clear light of sunrise. With any sunrise hike, you’ve accomplished more before 10am than many do all day. So, set that alarm clock. The mountains are calling, and the sunrise is waiting.
Sean O’Dwyer hikes and photographs the Hudson Valley every week. He also produces mountain-hiking.com, a hyper-detailed trail guide resource for Hudson Valley hikers.
