Quick Look - Hodge Pond and Mongaup Mountain
Difficulty	Round trip	Total climb	Location	Internet Maps
	8.6 mi.	1650 ft.	N41.98087 W74.73154	Google Maps

Where are the maps?

This route combines the Hodge Pond peak and Mongaup Mountain. Each could be done separately. The best way would be to hike as described to the Hodge Pond peak and then retrace your steps to the car. To hike only Mongaup Mountain reverse the hike as described and return directly after climbing Mongaup. The hike up Mongaup stays on road for as long as possible. It is NOT the shortest way but MAY BE the easiest.

Take Exit 96 Westbound (Livingston Manor) off State Route 17 (Interstate 86) and turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto DeBruce Road. Drive about 6 miles watch for Mongaup Road on your left. There is a yellow on brown sign labeled DeBruce Environmental Vamp on your right. This is the road to the Mongaup Pond state campsites. Drive a little less than 3 miles on this road until the it splits. The paved road to the right goes to the campsite. The dirt road to the left goes to the parking area for Frick Pond. Bear left and park in the parking area. Stay on the side of the road where you parked the car and find the red blazed Quick Lake trail. Follow this trail to Frick Pond bearing left where the trail splits just before the pond. Cross the bridge on the outlet of Frick Pond and again bear left where the trail splits to stay on the Quick Lake Trail. Continue for a total of about 1.4 miles to Iron Wheel Junction and bear left to continue on the Quick Lake Trail. The trail will continue to ascend and then start to level off. You will notice higher ground on the left so jump into the woods and head UP in a northwest north sort of way. At the top of the summit plateau wander around to "claim the high ground". Return the way you came or continue over the top to the northeast. The jeep trail marked on most maps is very prominent and hard to miss. Turn right on this trail and it will take you to Junkyard Junction and the beginning of the Flynn Trail.

Less than half a mile on the Flynn Trail will get you to the gate and the area where the trail turns right to go to Hodge Pond. Continue straight ahead to start your bushwhack toward Mongaup Mountain. CAUTION: The Mongaup Mountain marked on most maps and GPS units is NOT the highest Mongaup. You may run across a wide and well-maintained jeep road as you bushwhack. You can walk across this road and continue to bushwhack or turn right and follow the road. After a short distance, there are some old building on the right. This is what remains of the Beech Mountain Boy Scout camp. This area is part of the Beech Mountain Preserve which is "private" land. The general consensus is that hiking is allowed. The POSTED signs have no telephone numbers or address to contact for access. Just passed the buildings the road forks. The right fork will return you to Hodge Pond. Turn left as the road ascends with the area of the Sullivan County High Point on your right. The road winds up and then begins to level off and descend. Turn left or north and begin to bushwhack again. As on all bushwhacks, head for the high ground. Stay a little to the west of the "finger" or ridge line as the east approach is much steeper. Wander around at the top and be sure to get to the north part of the plateau as this seems to be the highest area.

After bagging and tagging the mountain retrace your path to the road and back to where it split near the boy scout camp. Continue straight ahead until the road meets the Flynn Trail in about .3 miles. Turn left on the blue Flynn Trail and walk .25 miles to the junction with the Big Rock Trail on the right. Continue straight ahead on the Flynn Trail for about 1.6 miles until you are back at the car.

Quick Look - Mongaup Mountain and Hodge Pond Lookout
Difficulty	Round trip	Total climb	Location	Internet Maps
	8.0 mi.	1325 ft.	N41.98087 W74.73154	Alltrails

This route combines a hike to Mongaup Mountain with a stop at the Hodge Pond lookout. You could easily walk up to the Sullivan County highest point on Beech Mountain.

Take Exit 96 Westbound (Livingston Manor) off State Route 17 (Interstate 86) and turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto DeBruce Road. Drive about 6 miles watch for Mongaup Road on your left. There is a yellow on brown sign labeled DeBruce Environmental Vamp on your right. This is the road to the Mongaup Pond state campsites. Drive a little less than 3 miles on this road until the it splits. The paved road to the right goes to the campsite. The dirt road to the left goes to the parking area for Frick Pond. Bear left and park in the parking area. Walk across the road to get on the blue-blazed Flynn Trail. Walk uphill for 1.7 miles to the junction with the Big Rock Trail. Continue through this junction and pass by the gate which separates state land from land owned by the Open Space Institute. When the trail splits and the Flynn Trail heads left, turn right and walk along the woods road. The road will pass by a trail that goes down to the shores of Hodge Pond and a road on the left that passes by the ruins of the Beech Mountain Boy Scout Camp. Continue up the hill passing an old gravel quarry on the right and a spring house also on the right. When the road turns sharply to the right, there is a nice lookout on the left. Continue up the hill passing a trail on the right. Continue over the top of the hill. As you start down the other side, there is a trail on the right. Continue down the road until the bottom of the hill where the road turns right. Turn left and walk north along the edge of a set of ledges. Continue along the ridge heading north. There may be a well-defined path to follow. After a little more than .6 miles from the turn off the road, the path turns left along base on Mongaup Mountain. Continue on a bushwhack through the woods heading due north. Look for the highest point you can find which may be marked with a stone ring or cairn. After tagging the highest point, turn around and follow your route back to the road. Turn left and follow the road through a clearing passing a nice lookout on the left. Continue to follow the road up a short hill to the trail that runs around Beech Mountain. Turn left on the trail to start around the mountain to the Hodge Pond Lookout on the left. Continue on the trail to the woods road and turn left. Descend the hill, walk out the woods road to the Flynn Trail. Turn left on the Flynn Trail and walk 2 miles back to the trailhead.

Quick Look - Mongaup Mountain (from Shin Creek Road)
Difficulty	Round trip	Total climb	Location	Internet Maps
	3.5 mi.	820 ft.	41.9936 W74.7	Google Maps

Where are the maps?

Take Exit 96 Westbound (Livingston Manor) off State Route 17 (Interstate 86) and turn right at the bottom of the ramp onto DeBruce Road. At the T turn right on Old Route 17 and drive north and west toward Roscoe for about 1.3 miles. Turn right on Beaverkill Road and drive north toward the hamlet of Lew Beach. Turn right on Shin Creek Road just passed the firehouse and drive about 4.75 miles until you see the DEC signs on your right. Park in a large pulloff to the right. Start your hike by walking back down the road and up into the woods. Do NOT go too far as much of the land is privately owned by hunting clubs. Head southeast and UP trying to stay on the ridge. The woods are mostly open with only a few rocky areas to negotiate. You will run across several woods roads but most run perpendicular to your route and should be avoided. Keep looking for the highest ground around. On the summit this is not easy to do since it is so flat. You may retrace your route to get back to the car. If you did not run across an open field on the way up, drift a little farther north. The woods suddenly give way to a completely open field with several woods roads running into it. There is a nice view to the north and east. You may follow the road that leads north and west to help speed your way back to the car. As always, a direct route to the car may result in a loss of elevation that must be regained. The choice is yours!