
Quick Guide to Trail Marker Colors in the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley hikers aren't going to stay home just because there's snow on the ground. Luckily, there are trail markers systems in place to help keep adventure-seekers oriented and out of trouble.
While trail markers (and trailblazes) can be helpful to stay on track no matter the season, the winter months add a few extra wrinkles into the equation... as well as some extra markers that only apply when there's snow on the ground.
How to Tell North-South and East-West Roads in New York
One of the only things I still remember from taking Driver's Ed in high school was that generally, odd-numbered roads (like Interstate 87) run north-south, while even-numbered roads (like Interstate 84) run east-west. Turns out the same can be true with hiking trails.
What Trail Marker Colors Mean in the Catskills
Recently, the Catskills Visitors Center took to Facebook to help spread some general trail marker education (below). East-west trails, they shared, are generally marked with red, while north-south trails are normally blue... and that's not all.
Regional vs. Statewide Trail Markers in New York
While not every region follows the rules of east-west and north-south trail colors, nearly every public space in New York State follows the guideline that snowmobile trails are marked with orange. There's also an easy way to tell if the trail will turn.
Trail Marker Placement in New York
Guidelines from New York State Parks Department include placing markers between five and six feet from the ground, and placing them close enough that the next marker is visible from the previous one. Two markers stacked vertically can also display a turn, with the top marker slightly left denoting a left turn and the top marker to the right showing a right turn (above).
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