Two-mile trail through historic Olive quarry now open to the public

Officials from DEP, the Catskill Mountain Club and the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program gathered at the head of the Ashokan Quarry Trail last week.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was joined on July 17 by its partners from the Catskill Mountain Club and the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program to officially open the new hiking trail in the Town of Olive that runs two miles through the former Yale Quarry, which provided stone for the construction of Ashokan Reservoir in the early 1900s.

Visitors can access the trail through a dedicated parking lot on Route 28A, a short distance west of the Olivebridge dam. The trail features an easy hike that passes through the former quarry, including remnants of a rail-car loading zone and machinery used to load the stone. It also traverses forested lands, vernal pools and an open ledge with sweeping mountain views to the north and west. The trail is located on lands preserved by DEP. It was constructed, and will be maintained, by volunteers from the Catskill Mountain Club.

The Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program provided funding for signs that educate visitors about the history of the site and the natural features along the trail. Information about the trail can be found at https://catskillmountainclub.org/events/where-to-go/ashokan-quarry-trail/.