New York · Hiking

Rock River Trail

2.8 mi
one way
459 ft
climb
2,003 ft
high point
Point to point
route

Rock River Trail is an easy hike of about 2.8 miles in the Blue Mountain Wild Forest in New York, managed by the State Department of Conservation. The route starts at roughly 1,976 feet and reaches a high point of about 2,003 feet, with a total elevation gain of 459 feet. It's a point-to-point trail rather than a loop. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 75°F with lows near 54°F. The station sits a few hundred feet lower than the trail, so temperatures up high run a little cooler. Several other trails lie close by. Sawyer Mountain Trail is about 0.2 miles away, Cedar River Trail is about 0.8 miles away and Rock Lake Trail is about 1.4 miles away. For paddling, Indian River is about 4.9 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go

    Best time to visit Rock River Trail

    No month here meets our mild-weather rule. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      25° / 6°

      17 wet

    2. Feb

      28° / 7°

      14 wet

    3. Mar

      36° / 15°

      14 wet

    4. Apr

      49° / 28°

      14 wet

    5. May

      63° / 40°

      16 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 49°

      15 wet

    7. Jul

      75° / 54°

      15 wet

    8. Aug

      73° / 53°

      13 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 45°

      13 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 35°

      16 wet

    11. Nov

      41° / 25°

      16 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / 14°

      17 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Indian Lake 2sw, NY, 4.7 mi away at 1,670 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Paisley Falls ski trailPhoto: Steve Starer, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Paisley Falls ski trail

~4 min drive

2.12-mile out-and-back ski trail in New York with 342 ft elevation gain

Elm Island TrailPhoto: Steve Starer, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Elm Island Trail

~6 min drive

7.38-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 1,410 ft elevation gain.

Sucker Brook TrailPhoto: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sucker Brook Trail

~20 min drive

14.02-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 2,322 ft elevation gain

Dish Rag Pond TrailPhoto: ke9tv, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Dish Rag Pond Trail

~11 min drive

2.18-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 292 ft gain and 2,465 ft max elevation

Tirrell Pond TrailPhoto: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tirrell Pond Trail

~12 min drive

5.78-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 1,007 ft elevation gain.

Castle Rock TrailPhoto: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Castle Rock Trail

~13 min drive

2.45-mile loop in New York with 788 ft gain and 2,394 ft max elevation.

Blue Mountain TrailPhoto: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Blue Mountain Trail

~12 min drive

2.00-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 1,597 ft elevation gain

Watch Hill XC Ski/Foot Loop Trail (Blue)Photo: Coasterlover1994, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Watch Hill XC Ski/Foot Loop Trail (Blue)

~14 min drive

2.92-mile out-and-back XC ski/foot out-and-back in New York with 716 ft gain

Snowy Mountain TrailPhoto: Coasterlover1994, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Snowy Mountain Trail

~13 min drive

7.12-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 2,270 ft elevation gain

Watch Hill Trail (Red)Photo: Coasterlover1994, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Watch Hill Trail (Red)

~14 min drive

2.24-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 768 ft gain and 2,113 ft max elevation.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors