Thurston Rock
Thurston Rock sits at 1,433 feet along the Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway, facing 120 degrees with land dropping 528 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. The view southeast and east-southeast takes in several features well below the overlook's elevation: the Ulster County Fair grounds 3.3 miles away at 228 feet, Hasbrouck Park at 3.9 miles and 282 feet, Peace Park at 4.0 miles and 306 feet, and the SUNY New Paltz Student Garden at 4.1 miles and 323 feet. The overlook faces toward sunrise, roughly 30 degrees off square, so morning light comes in close to the direction of view; sunrise times range from about 5:23 in June to 7:21 in December. Yorktown lies 37.1 miles south-southeast, Cortlandt 37.8 miles south-southeast, and Danbury 44.4 miles southeast, though these towns are not among the named features visible from this point. Artist's Rock is the previous lookout on the byway, and Hayes Lookout is next.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Ulster County Fair228 ftsoutheast · 3.3 mi
- Hasbrouck Park282 fteast-southeast · 3.9 mi
- Peace Park306 fteast-southeast · 4.0 mi
- SUNY New Paltz Student Garden323 fteast-southeast · 4.1 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunrise — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:01 | 19:09 | 18:32 |
| June solstice | 05:23 | 20:36 | 19:53 |
| September equinox | 06:45 | 18:56 | 18:19 |
| December solstice | 07:21 | 16:30 | 15:45 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Yorktown37.1 mi south-southeast
- Cortlandt37.8 mi south-southeast
- Danbury44.4 mi southeast
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How high is Thurston Rock?
Thurston Rock sits at about 1,433 feet (437 m).
What can you see from Thurston Rock?
From Thurston Rock: Ulster County Fair (SE, 3.3 mi); Hasbrouck Park (ESE, 3.9 mi); Peace Park (ESE, 4.0 mi); SUNY New Paltz Student Garden (ESE, 4.1 mi).
Is Thurston Rock better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise. The land falls away from Thurston Rock toward the sunrise, so at sunset the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.
What is the nearest town to Thurston Rock?
Yorktown, 37 miles SSE of Thurston Rock.
What is the next lookout after Thurston Rock?
Hayes Lookout is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Thurston Rock.
Drive to Thurston Rock with Byway
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Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Cold Spring · 26 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Thurston Rock — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
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Field notes
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More lookouts on Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway
Named places near this lookout
- Albert K. Smiley Memorial Tower Historic site · 0.06 mi
- Eagle Cliff Cliff · 0.29 mi
- Guyot Hill Peak · 2.12 mi
- Bonticou Crag Peak · 2.62 mi
- Huguenot Street Historic District Attraction · 3.7 mi
- Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art Museum · 4.11 mi
- SUNY New Paltz Student Garden Garden · 4.12 mi
- Large Hybrid, 1971 Artwork · 4.2 mi