Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
Nature preserve
17,368 acres16.2 mi of trail
Devil's PathSherrill and North Dome Herd PathDiamond Notch TrailHerd Path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Lexington House · Photo: RobertDrake2015 · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Lexington
More than half of Lexington’s land is conserved: 56%
56% of Lexington’s land is conserved, about 28,617 acres. The biggest trail networks: Hunter-West Kill Wilderness (16.2 mi), Halcott Mountain Wild Forest (3.4 mi), Rusk Mountain Wild Forest (2.4 mi). 8,789 acres are parks and preserves, 11,518 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
56%
28,617 acres · of 80.2 sq mi of land
Trails
44 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
8,789 ac
11,518 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
42%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,898 ft
West Kill Mountain
Lakes & rivers
2
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Hunter-West Kill Wilderness, with 16.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Halcott Mountain Wild Forest
Nature preserve
4,225 acres3.4 mi of trail
Halcott Mountain Herd Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Rusk Mountain Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
2,730 acres2.4 mi of trail
Rusk Herd PathSpruceton Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bearpen Mountain State Forest
Nature preserve
400 acres2.3 mi of trail
Snowmobile Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Beech Ridge Unit
Managed by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
721 acres1.7 mi of trail
Bonnie's Trails
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Vinegar Hill Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
401 acres1.7 mi of trail
Vinegar Hill Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Little Westkill Unit
Managed by New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
312 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Diamond Notch Primitive Bicycle Corridor
Nature preserve
27 acres1.1 mi of trail
Diamond Notch Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 22 parks & preserves
Hunter-West Kill Wilderness17,368 acres · 16.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHalcott Mountain Wild Forest4,225 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRusk Mountain Wild Forest2,730 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsBearpen Mountain State Forest400 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
Beech Ridge Unit721 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsVinegar Hill Wildlife Management Area401 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsLittle Westkill Unit312 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsDiamond Notch Primitive Bicycle Corridor27 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Lexington Unit197 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Balsam Mountain Unit844 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Maben Hill Unit328 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsShandaken Wild Forest1,301 acres
Pine Island Mountain Unit585 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Westkill Unit344 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsJohn Chase Brook Unit61 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Roarback Brook Unit47 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Tumbleweed Unit28 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsAirport Road Unit22 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Lanes Brook Unit17 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Park Road Unit10 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Mosquito Point Unit8 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
DirectionsSpruceton Unit8 acres · New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply
Who protects it
28,617 conserved acres
56% of Lexington’s land. Who manages Lexington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation29,351 ac
Town or city181 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits79 ac
County8 ac
Other state land5 ac
State Wilderness · 17,373 acState Conservation Area · 8,669 acRecreation or Education Easement · 1,386 acState Resource Management Area · 858 acOther Easement · 711 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,947 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter-West Kill Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 17,373 | Open |
| Halcott Mountain Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 4,232 | Open |
| Rusk Mountain Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 2,728 | Open |
| Shandaken Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,308 | Open |
| Border Hunter / West Kill State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 446 | Open |
| Bearpen Mountain State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 406 | Open |
| Vinegar Hill Wma State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 404 | Open |
| New York City Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Town or city | 116 | Closed |
| Catskill Mountains Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 79 | Closed |
| New York City Dept. of Environmental Protection 1 Watershed Protection Area | Town or city | 36 | Closed |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Lexington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Waterfalls in Lexington
Diamond Notch FallsIn Diamond Notch Primitive Bicycle Corridor
DirectionsScenic views in Lexington
Buck Ridge LookoutIn Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
Directionsview eastIn Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
Directionsview southIn Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsPlus 7 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Lexington
West Kill Mountain3,898 ft elevation · In Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsNorth Dome3,605 ft elevation · In Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsMount Sherrill3,558 ft elevation · In Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsNorth Bearpen Mountain3,530 ft elevation
DirectionsHalcott Mountain3,509 ft elevation · In Halcott Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsSaint Anne's Peak3,422 ft elevation · In Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsSleeping Lion3,409 ft elevation · In Halcott Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsSouth Vly3,360 ft elevation · In Beech Ridge Unit
Directions8 more peaks
Balsam Mountain3,353 ft elevation · In Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsPine Island Mountain3,140 ft elevation · In Pine Island Mountain Unit
DirectionsPacksaddle3,100 ft elevation · In Rusk Mountain Wild Forest
DirectionsSouth Sherrill2,884 ft elevation · In Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsSouth Broadstreet Hollow2,802 ft elevation · In Hunter-West Kill Wilderness
DirectionsVinegar Hill2,051 ft elevation
DirectionsKipp Hill2,001 ft elevation
DirectionsMaben Hill1,827 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
10 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.6 miHorses · 2.1 miUnpaved · 31.3 mi
Devil's Path7.3 mi
Sherrill and North Dome Herd Path3.9 mi
Diamond Notch Trail2.6 mi
Spruceton Trail2.0 mi
Snowmobile Trail2.0 mi
Bonnie's Trails1.6 mi
Halcott Mountain Herd Path1.6 mi
Rusk Herd Path1.4 mi
Vinegar Hill Trail1.2 mi
Herd Path1.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
15Tennis
6Basketball
4Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Lexington: May and July
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 34 | 42 | 55 | 67 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 58 | 46 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Lexington →
Next door
Lexington and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Jewett | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ashland | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hunter | 56% | 1.7 | 3,121 | 78% | A+ |
| Halcott | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Shandaken | 70% | 1.0 | 3,550 | 78% | A+ |
| Prattsville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lexington
Where can I hike in Lexington?
The longest trail networks: Hunter-West Kill Wilderness, 16.2 miles; Halcott Mountain Wild Forest, 3.4 miles; Rusk Mountain Wild Forest, 2.4 miles; Bearpen Mountain State Forest, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Lexington’s trails?
Hunter-West Kill Wilderness and Halcott Mountain Wild Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Lexington?
160,347 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lexington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 26,758 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Lexington neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →