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New York trails · Duck Hole Via Preston Ponds

Duck Hole Via Preston Ponds

A 4.5-mile out-and-back in New York, with 609 ft of climbing. Reaches Hunter Pond and other lake destinations. Managed by the state.

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Length
4.5 mi
Elevation gain
609 ft
Difficulty
Moderate
Max grade
42%
Steepest mile
+378 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
1.1 mi
Shape
out-and-back
Bikes
no
Horses
no
Managed by
State

Elevation profile

1,827 – 2,436 ft1234

Most of the climbing sits in the middle third — 57% of the ascent, between mile 1.5 and mile 3.0. It gives back about 501 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

3-D terrain view of Duck Hole Via Preston Ponds

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.
Terrain graded T2 (SAC scale).

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:40 a.m., the sun rises at 7:09 a.m. and sets at 6:14 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:43 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 05 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 9.0-mile round trip takes roughly 3 h 57 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:05 a.m. — 7 h 09 min before sunset.

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