Located in New Paltz, you’ll find the most insane hike in New York. Commonly referred to as the Lemon Squeeze, the hike has rightfully earned its name. Squeezing explorers through small crevices and rock formations, testing your ultimate claustrophobic fears, the trail to the Sky Top Tower at Mohonk Mountain House comes with some serious bragging rights.

Accessible from the famed Mohonk Mountain House, the Sky Top Tower is a jaw-dropping landmark.
rvc845/Flickr
Residing on top of the Mohonk Preserve, the Albert K. Smiley Memorial Tower (AKA the Sky Top Tower) was built back in 1921 and can be seen from several different points in New York.
While the majority of our mind-blowing hikes come free of charge, to explore the area and climb to the Sky Top Tower, visitors must pay a fee in order to receive a hiking pass.
Samwoo E/Flickr
For an adult, during the week it'll cost you $21 for a hiking pass and if you decide to visit on the weekend it'll cost you a total $26.
To buy passes and to see further pricing, click here.
Over 5-miles long round-trip, the hike generally takes visitors around 4 hours to complete.
E Chu/Flickr
While the most difficult part of this hike takes only about 45-minutes to complete, the over 2-mile hike you have from the parking lot to the Labyrinth tacks on a bit of time!
Two options are given to you when you're hiking up to the Sky Top Tower. Visitors can choose to take the Sky Top Path or challenge themselves by taking The Labyrinth.
Bruce Faling/Flickr
The Sky Top Path takes only about 30 minutes to complete and is the much easier route, while The Labyrinth usually takes explorers roughly 45 minutes to complete.
If you decide to explore the Labyrinth and the Crevice, you'll find yourself transforming into a human lemon!
Bruce Faling/Flickr
This hike is for those who are in top physical condition and have experience with hiking. Not only will visitors have to endure some serious rock scrambling, they'll also have to squeeze themselves through small and tight spaces as well. The Labyrinth is a one way trail, one of the positive sides to this strenuous hike! Visitors can travel back down via the Sky Top Path or Sky Top Road.
To take a look at a detailed layout of this hike, click here.
A challenging hike no doubt, the rewarding views of New York are always worth every inch of effort!
Julie P./Yelp
Closed during the winter, this unique hike surrounds you with warm blue skies while you explore.
The majority of the hike leads up to the most challenging and fear-provoking part you have to take on, making your way through The Crevice.
Cathleen S./Yelp
After rock scrambling and fitting yourself through small crevices, you'll realize everything up until this point was a piece of cake. A series of ladders will bring you up through The Crevice, testing your fears of small spaces to the absolute fullest.
There's plenty of reasons why The Crevice is the most challenging part of this hike. For example, you have to climb a ladder that brings you underneath a considerable size boulder that's wedged between the large crack in the mountain.
Julie S./Yelp
Pictured above, you can see a visitor looking back down at the ladder they just climbed, which brought them up underneath the large boulder! Excuse me while my claustrophobic fear turns my entire body into Jell-O.

Related Stories

This One Easy Hike In New York Will Lead You Someplace Unforgettable

This One Easy Hike In New York Will Lead You Someplace Unforgettable

 These 13 Gorgeous Waterfront Trails In New York Are Perfect For A Summer Day

These 13 Gorgeous Waterfront Trails In New York Are Perfect For A Summer Day

 Where This Gorge Trail In New York Leads Is Truly Enchanting... And You'll Want To Take It

Where This Gorge Trail In New York Leads Is Truly Enchanting... And You'll Want To Take It
When you're looking at The Crevice, the idea of fitting people through this thing seems nearly impossible.
Cttraveler66/TripAdvisor
Below you can see a video taken from inside The Crevice. Truly insane!
Like we said, spending the day turning yourself into a human lemon is total worth it with views like these.
WhatsAllThisThen/Flickr
Charlie S/TripAdvisor
Views of the Shawankgunk Ridge and our Catskill Mountains will leave you absolutely breathless.
After pushing yourself to the limit, you'll be greeted by the beautiful Sky Top Tower.
Cathleen S./Yelp
WhatsAllThisThen/Flickr
One of the many sights you'll see at the Sky Top Tower is the beautiful Sky Top Reservoir.
John Kratz/Flickr
Don't think you were done climbing just yet! Several flights of stairs will bring you to the very top of Sky Top Tower, where you'll soak in unforgettable views of New York.
From the top of Sky Top Tower you'll have a picturesque view of the Mohonk Mountain House and the rest of the surrounding area.
Paul K./Yelp
WhatsAllThisThen/Flickr
Where you would imagine you'd find Rapunzel, the tower is like something out of a perfect fairy tale.

To watch a couple of explorers rapidly complete New York’s Lemon Squeeze, check out the video below:

Incredible! Have you ever been brave enough to make the trip to Sky Top Tower? What part of this insane hike in New York was your favorite?!

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Articles

Explore New York