Over the past couple of years, my husband and I have become hiking fans. I personally prefer hikes that lead to a waterfall or a scenic view. But when winter comes, I usually become a homebody since I dislike the cold. For several years snowshoeing has been on my winter bucket list. I figured it was like hiking, but in the snow. And it’s a good activity to get me outside in the winter. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much snow this winter. I also didn’t want to invest in a pair of snowshoes to potentially discover that I don’t enjoy it. After the most recent snow storm, my husband and I finally went snowshoeing at Fahnestock Winter Park.
Fahnestock Winter Park is located on part of a New York State Park (Clarence Fahnestock Park) in Carmel, NY. It is open only in the winter and has approximately 12 miles of groomed cross country skiing trails, three snowshoeing trails and a small sledding hill. With a small café onsite as well, it makes a perfect place for a winter weekend visit.
We arrived at 11 AM and had to wait to park. If you have your own skis or snowshoes you pay the trail fee at the parking booth. If you are renting equipment you pay the rental fee and trail fee at the rental office. While the parking lot is large, the park gets a lot of visitors. Especially the day after a decent snowfall! Once we parked we put on our snow pants and hats and headed to the rental lodge.
Although the rental office is busy, they have a process in place that moves the line quickly. There is a rental form that you can complete with the available pens while you wait on the line. Once you make it to the register you pay and get your day pass. Then another employee grabs your rental equipment. There are several benches in the room and most people leave their boots or shoes under the benches while they ski.
The snowshoes easily attach to your own boots or footwear. The heel swivels from the snowshoe frame, making it easy to walk. This was our first time using snowshoes and we found them fairly easy to walk in.
Fahnestock Winter Park has three snowshoe trails: an easy, moderate (Ojugwan Path – orange) and more difficult (Appalachian Way -blue). We opted to try Ojuwan Path, since it was close to the rental office.
This snowshoe trail is marked for easy navigating. It only got a little confusing when we discovered we had to climb the stairs adjacent to the sledding hill to continue the trail. This section of the trail was the most challenging, since it was uphill. Overall, there were no “wow” sights to be seen on this snowshoe trail, but everything looked beautiful covered in snow.
Although the Ojuwan Path crosses Route 301 and then proceeds around the campground, we opted to end our hike early. We stopped at Route 301 and walked through the park entrance back to the rental lodge.
If you are hungry, there is a cafe onsite that sells a few lunch items, plus muffins and baked goods, chips and beverages. There are tables outside the cafe where you can sit and eat.
Snowshoeing takes a little getting used to but has a quick learning curve. If you’ve never been snowshoeing, Fahnestock Winter Park is a great place to go since they offer rentals at a reasonable price. Our next adventure will be trying cross country skiing at the park, since they have rentals and several trails.
The Details:
Fahnestock Winter Park
1570 Route 301
Carmel, NY 1050
website
Open: Operating schedule is weather dependent.
When there is snow the park is open daily 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Rates: **The Empire Pass and Golden Park Pass are not accepted at this park
Trail Pass for skiing and snowshoeing: $12/adults, $10/seniors (62+ and kids under 17)
Sledding Pass: $3/person
Ski Rentals: $18/adult, $15/junior (under 17)
Snowshoe Rentals: adults – $15/day or $7/hour, juniors (under 17) $14/day or $7/hour
Sledding Tube Rentals: $4/hour
Baby Sled Rental: $20/day or $7/hour
Tips:
*Arrive early! The park gets busy, especially after fresh snow fall.
*There are bathrooms and changing areas.
*There is a café onsite that sells snacks, hot cocoa and chili.
