Schunemunk Mountain: High Point of Orange County, New York - Geographic High Points on Waymarking.com

Schunemunk mountain is a popular recreational resource in the area. While only the northeastern quadrant and summit are part of the recently-created Schunemunk State Park, some popular hiking trails and access routes have long crossed the privately-owned lands elsewhere on the mountain. Conservationists hope that eventually the state will be able to acquire the whole mountain.

Schunemunk is geologically dissimilar from nearby mountains in the Hudson Highlands, being formed from sedimentary deposits including puddingstone. Later faulting created the long cleft that is now Barton Swamp.

The name "Schunemunk" means "excellent fireplace" in Lenape, and the Lenni Lenape had a village on the northern tip of the mountain. During the American Revolution, the mountain was often the site of skirmishing between Tory and Patriot irregulars.

The Long Path ascends the mountain by way of High Knob, crosses Perry Creek, and runs along the more northwesterly ridge, descending to the clove between Schunemunk and Woodcock Mountains at the north end. The Highlands Trail makes use of several trails on the mountain, ascending the eastern side of the mountain along the Sweet Clover Trail, and following the more southeasterly ridge and crossing the summit by way of the Jessup Trail, which continues along the crest to the southwestern tip of the mountain. The Dark Hollow, Barton Swamp, Trestle, Western Ridge, and Otterkill Trails are also located on the mountain.