Mongaup Valley Wildlife Management Area Circuit

The Mongaup Valley WMA occupies 12,500 acres of rugged Sullivan County terrain where the old logging industry left a network of challenging tracks. The main circuit follows abandoned haul roads that climb steep grades through mixed hardwood forest, with the notorious “Shale Hill” section testing traction on loose rock slopes. Multiple stream crossings punctuate the route as you wind through valleys that once echoed with the sound of logging trucks but now host only the occasional hunter or wildlife manager. The eastern section threads through mature hemlock stands that somehow escaped the woolly adelgid.

Difficult rating comes from steep grades, loose surfaces, and seasonal stream crossings that can turn treacherous after heavy rain. Requires 4WD with low range and good tires—this isn’t casual high-clearance territory. Best tackled April through June and September through November to avoid hunting season closures and summer trail maintenance. No camping allowed, but the 15-mile loop makes a solid day trip from nearby state forest campgrounds. The reward is genuine backcountry solitude in an area most New Yorkers don’t know exists, plus occasional wildlife sightings including black bear and wild turkey.