A registered national historic site, this unique and natural rock formation is the centerpiece of a small, local preserve.
Parking: Four Brothers Pizza 3189 NY-22, Dover Plains, NY; Dover Elementary School 9 School Street, Dover Plains, NY
The trailhead is actually up a private driveway where parking is prohibited, hence the parking lots at the pizza place and school. The school is just across the street pretty much.
There are 3 trails in this small preserve, all very easy to navigate with well marked blazes. The terrain on these trails is nothing to worry about. The trail that heads to the church is just past the junction of the others across a small bridge. From parking to the Stone Church is about half a mile.
I wanted to see what the trails were like. I had read that the yellow trail was the steepest of the 3. It was a 1 mile loop that would lead back to this junction. There was no part of this trail I would consider steep. Sure there were some rises and rocks, but nothing that required the use of your hands. There is one spot that would have a nice view in the fall and winter with bare trees.
After a quick 20 minute trek I returned to the intersection of all the trails and proceeded towards the church. Walking along the creek I couldn't help but take stock of my surroundings. The earth alongside the stream began to rise steeper and steeper and as I reached the Stone Church, it seemed like I was at the bottom of a canyon. The rocky slopes to my right and left looked like they would be a lot of fun to climb. I left that for another day.
Upon reaching the jewel of this preserve I stopped and stared for a minute. It was quite a spectacular little place. Those who know me know that I am not about religion, but this Stone Church could easily be a place I could come to for meditation (which I now consider my form of prayer). The sound of the rushing water dropping from the top of the falls increases in its deafening pitch the closer you get.
When my marveling at the site came to an end, I decided to perform my push up challenge inside the church spanning the water utilizing several rocks.
Our military veterans put their lives on the line so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we do. They sacrifice their physical and mental health along with their family life to defend the ideals that make America a free and unique land. Upon their return home from conflict they have physical and mental injuries that can cause further damage if not cared for. One specific and scary issue is suicide. Post traumatic stress syndrome is a very real and debilitating condition. The traumas of war cannot be escaped, they must be managed and controlled so that each soldier can return home and live the life they fought for, the life we are all living because of them. Damage to your mental health affects the rest of your body, affects your brain function and the way you think. Twenty two soldiers commit suicide each day because the pain of their mentality is too much to control. I have been doing 22 push-ups a day for 22 days to raise awareness for this serious issue. As of this post, I am on day 19. Each set is recorded and posted to FB. I hope that bringing attention to these warriors' plights helps end the stigma of mental illness and lights a fire under those in positions of power to fight for more health care for our veterans.
Parking: Four Brothers Pizza 3189 NY-22, Dover Plains, NY; Dover Elementary School 9 School Street, Dover Plains, NY
The trailhead is actually up a private driveway where parking is prohibited, hence the parking lots at the pizza place and school. The school is just across the street pretty much.
There are 3 trails in this small preserve, all very easy to navigate with well marked blazes. The terrain on these trails is nothing to worry about. The trail that heads to the church is just past the junction of the others across a small bridge. From parking to the Stone Church is about half a mile.
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| Just beyond the trees at the end of this path are the trails |
I wanted to see what the trails were like. I had read that the yellow trail was the steepest of the 3. It was a 1 mile loop that would lead back to this junction. There was no part of this trail I would consider steep. Sure there were some rises and rocks, but nothing that required the use of your hands. There is one spot that would have a nice view in the fall and winter with bare trees.
After a quick 20 minute trek I returned to the intersection of all the trails and proceeded towards the church. Walking along the creek I couldn't help but take stock of my surroundings. The earth alongside the stream began to rise steeper and steeper and as I reached the Stone Church, it seemed like I was at the bottom of a canyon. The rocky slopes to my right and left looked like they would be a lot of fun to climb. I left that for another day.
Upon reaching the jewel of this preserve I stopped and stared for a minute. It was quite a spectacular little place. Those who know me know that I am not about religion, but this Stone Church could easily be a place I could come to for meditation (which I now consider my form of prayer). The sound of the rushing water dropping from the top of the falls increases in its deafening pitch the closer you get.
When my marveling at the site came to an end, I decided to perform my push up challenge inside the church spanning the water utilizing several rocks.
Our military veterans put their lives on the line so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we do. They sacrifice their physical and mental health along with their family life to defend the ideals that make America a free and unique land. Upon their return home from conflict they have physical and mental injuries that can cause further damage if not cared for. One specific and scary issue is suicide. Post traumatic stress syndrome is a very real and debilitating condition. The traumas of war cannot be escaped, they must be managed and controlled so that each soldier can return home and live the life they fought for, the life we are all living because of them. Damage to your mental health affects the rest of your body, affects your brain function and the way you think. Twenty two soldiers commit suicide each day because the pain of their mentality is too much to control. I have been doing 22 push-ups a day for 22 days to raise awareness for this serious issue. As of this post, I am on day 19. Each set is recorded and posted to FB. I hope that bringing attention to these warriors' plights helps end the stigma of mental illness and lights a fire under those in positions of power to fight for more health care for our veterans.
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