Phoenicia Park
Directions
Take the New York State Thruway to Exit 19 (Kingston) and proceed west on N.Y. Route 28 for 22 miles. Take the exit for Phoenicia and continue on Bridge Street across the bridge over the Esopus Creek. After crossing Main Street, the road becomes Mt. Ava Maria Road. Continue for one block and turn right onto St. Ursula Place (there is no street sign at this intersection). Park along the shoulder of this street and continue ahead to the large grassy field at the end of the street.
Bus Directions
Trailways provides bus service from New York City to Phoenicia.
Park Overview
Located in the Town of Shandaken, this park encompasses lands that were used in the nineteenth century to gather hemlock bark for tanning hides, and for quarrying bluestone.
Trail Overview
The blue-blazed "lollipop-loop" Tanbark Trail loops around the park. It has a short but very steep "tail" section, and a 1.8-mile loop, which passes two panoramic overlooks -- the Phoenicia Overlook and the Grandview Ledge. Some sections of the trail are very steep, and caution should be exercised.
Park Description
This park includes a field adjacent to the center of Phoenicia, as well as the adjoining mountainside. It features imposing cliffs and historic woods roads used for extracting these products during the nineteenth century.