A Peaceful Moodna Creek Trailhead, Along the Schunnemunk Meadows Trail

By Edie Johnson

Executive Editor

Orange County Courier Journal

At the Moodna Creek Trailhead

The Trail goes through Cornwall, New Windsor, adjacent to and under the Moodna Trestle, and is in the process of being developed through Blooming Grove and the Village of Washingtonville, and ending at the new County Park being developed in Chester. This young lady is taking her dog on a peaceful Fall walk.

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Orange County and other hiking trail enthusiasts and environmental explorers have been thrilled to walk, jog, and run the new Schunnemunk Meadows Trail loops by the Moodna Trestle. But there is another new trailhead right around the corner from it that you may not know about yet. The Moodna Creek piece of the Schunnemunk Meadows Rail Trail is another link in the system that is expected to follow the Moodna all the way from this piece (just beyond the famous Moodna Viaduct), down through Blooming Grove and Washingtonville and to its connection with the Heritage Trail where the two now meet at the new Orange County Park Site in Chester. The latest timeline to completion is expected to be during the next 2 years, and at each end these trails connect to many of the region's other trail branches. The first sections that were recently finished are close to perfection, with welcoming parking areas, a wide variety of trail loops, and large map kiosks. Everyone loves the iconic views of the Trestle, but some days, when you want to be sure of a little more total peace and quiet, try the new Moodna Creek Trailhead link. The Moodna Creek has a storied history (originally called "Murderer's Creek"). Yet it brought plentiful water resources through our Valley. Taking this branch you can feel ther joy that what you are looking at is actually the connection route that will come to Blooming Grove along the Moodna.... the connection that the early Lenni Lenape settled and named "Schunnemunk". It has its own Parking Lot, right at the end of Otterkill Road (just before the Taylor and Jackson intersections) and it has plentiful parking, including several Handicapped spaces. Then there are 3 alternatives 1) A short walk down to the Creek itself, 2) a second loop going Southeast toward the Trestle, and 3) a third loop going a little Westward before heading back South. These two long loops head down through the peaceful meadows of the West loop with the Trestle in the far distance.

A short walk at the Trailhead down to the Moodna Creek

The Southeast Loop toward the Moodna Trestle

Taking this slightly lesser used section of the trail can help publicize the coming parts of the Washingtonville and Blooming Grove soon-to-become Schunnemunk Rail Trail sections and the sights and tourists spots along it. In addition to the years of hard work and support from the Orange County Land Trust, the Open Space Institute, and local officials, this incredible trail system is also being built and maintained thanks to the people and businesses who live and work along it. The plan is to create a few very special stops along the way... places that encourage and ADD components of our joint history, natural beauty and representative environmental artwork, as well as several awesome places to congregate with other explorers, health advocates and environmental artists.

FIRST Image of the Blooming Grove section of the

Schunnemunk Rail Trail, being cleared earlier this year.

March 26, 2025

As this stretch of the New York Trails System develops, we plan to connect with fellow explorers, and provide some fun and exciting benefits that encourage them to continue and bring some memories home. Like what, you say? A new website in-the-making that shares our history, with the first indigenous settlers, the links and the links with other Hiking Groups (all the way to the Highlands, Long Path and Appalachian Trail). AND, How about hikers,and other trail enthusiasts sharing their special treks... and the best 3 stories of hiking experiences of each month receive something like a beautiful Schunnemunk Rail Trail Environmental Tee Shirt or Framed Print with an image of a Baby Fox or one of celebrated Avian Photographer Ed Frampton's Great Blue Herons as a prize for the best SRT hiking story of the month. Or maybe a beautiful small necklace, a hand-carved wood pendant. Hold on, they're not quite ready yet, but most of the print designs are ready for production , and we will have the first SRT Exlplorers Prize ready for the best story of January 2026.

Meanwhile, take a ride up Otterkill Road, make a left, and enjoy one of these last warm and sunny Fall days with the beautiful foliage along the Moodna Creek site of Schunnemunk Meadows Trail.

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