squatchy hooky: lake to summit

June 6, 2026

Two distances. Lake views below. Mountain views above. One unforgettable trail party!

QUICK STATS

RACE FORMAT: 5K on a flat paved loop and 10K on a rugged mountain trail

CUTOFFS: 3.5 hour cutoff for all events (10Kers need to maintain a 33 min 45 sec per mile pace to finish by 12:30pm)

ELEVATION/TERRAIN: The 5K is a flat, paved loop around Rockland Lake. The 10K traverses rocky terrain with steep climbs. The ridgeline getting up to the Hook Mountain Summit includes dangerous drop-offs beyond the trail. The 10K has 1,300 ft of elevation gain.

CAPACITY: Capped at 200 participants across both events; this is a first-year event, so we do not have historical data to know if it will sell out or not

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:

Bus: Rockland Coaches runs buses from Port Authority Bus Terminal to Lake Rd & Route 9W near the park, with a ride of about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Train + local connection: Metro‑North Hudson Line from Grand Central or Harlem–125th Street to Ossining, then a local cab/ride to the park (commonly cited as about 1 hour 15–30 minutes total, depending on transfer).

This trail party starts and finishes at Parking Field #4 inside Rockland Lake State Park, giving runners two completely different adventures in one beautiful corner of the Hudson Valley... The 5K is a smooth and scenic paved loop around Rockland Lake. The paved path circles the water with wide-open views and gentle terrain, making it perfect for runners, walkers, and families. This course is fully accessible and includes a wheelchair division, welcoming athletes of all abilities to be part of the trail party. The 10K is where things get a little more Squatchy: this trail run/hike heads up the rocky and rugged Long Path, climbing through forest and stone ledges to the spectacular summit of Hook Mountain. At the top, runners are rewarded with sweeping 360-degree views of the Hudson River and the surrounding Hudson Valley before turning around and descending back to the lake. (The capitalized "TC" in SquaTCh stands for "Trail Conference"!!) We are proud to be co-hosting this trail party with our friends at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference! Please consider donating by using the add-on feature during registration. The NYNJTC maintains and protects over 2,000 miles of trails in New York and New Jersey. Please consider donating to the Trail Conference so they can continue to maintain the trails that we will be enjoying!

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR REGISTRATION?

Bib & safety pins
Swag item
Handcrafted Finishers' Medal
Aid Station on the 10K course with water, Skratch and snacks
Awards for top 3 male, female and non-binary for the 5K, 5K Wheelchair Division, and 10K

The 10K course highlights the technical trails, beautiful views, and steep climbs of Hook Mountain. This is NOT a flat course; this is a MOUNTAIN race. The 10K packs in 1,300 ft of elevation gain on rugged, rocky terrain and has steep climbs/descents, cliffs, and scrambling. The 10K course includes dangerous dropoffs beyond the edge of the trail as you approach the Hook Mountain Summit.

The 5K is a fully accessible paved loop around Rockland Lake, perfect for runners, walkers, families, and athletes using wheelchairs. This scenic course winds along the lake’s shoreline, offering wide-open views of the water, lush parkland, and gentle terrain throughout. The loop is mostly flat, making it a fast, fun, and inclusive trail party experience!

The course will be marked with ribbons, and we have large directional arrows at each of the turns. The 5K course is marked with yellow/black striped ribbons. The 10K course is marked in pink ribbons. To learn more about how we mark the course and what the ribbons and signs look like, squatch on over to the Sassquad Trail School to watch the information video about our course markings!

Like many other race organizations, we do not offer refunds for our events. Please take the time to double-check your calendar before registering for a Trail Party. Please understand that we do not offer refunds under any circumstances.

If you notify us via email (not through social media, text, or phone call) more than 21 days from the date of the Trail Party, we will extend a deferral to any of our events that fall within one calendar year of the Trail Party that you were registered for, minus 15% of the registration fee that you originally paid.
If you sustain an injury less than 21 days from the race date, we will extend a 100% deferral if you come to that race to volunteer. For distances less than 50K, you'll need to volunteer for at least 4 hours and for 50M+ distances, you'll need to volunteer for at least 8 hours to get a 100% deferral.
If the race that you want to drop from is sold-out with an active wait-list and are able to fill your spot: if you notify us via email (not through social media, text or phone call) at least 3 days before the race, we will extend a deferral to any of our events that fall within one calendar year of the Trail Party that you were registered for, minus 15% of the registration fee that you originally paid.
The race credit is the amount that you paid for the race, minus 15% (total credit does not including UltraSignUp fees) so you will need to cover any difference in fees; refunds will not be issued if the deferred event costs less than your race credit. You can only defer one time, so please double-check that you can make the race you're deferring to.

PREGNANCY, ADOPTION, & POSTPARTUM POLICY

Whether planned or unplanned, the beginning or end of a pregnancy requires healing and recovery time. We are committed to supporting you in this regard. If you are experiencing a pregnancy or postpartum healing and recovery, or have adopted a child, we are pleased to offer a deferral of up to three years from the current event. Simply send us an email and we will arrange the deferral for you. This deferral policy includes partners and spouses and is also extended to folks who are going through the IVF process.

COMMUNITY CARE DEFERRAL POLICY

We recognize that the current climate around immigration enforcement, including ICE activity, is creating real fear and barriers to training, travel, and participation. Any registered participant who feels unsafe may request a deferral of their race entry for up to three years from the original race date, no questions asked. For anyone who still wants to participate but is feeling hesitant, our Squatch Together Program offers the option to be paired with another runner or hiker for support before, during, and after race day. Your safety, dignity, and sense of belonging come first.

BANDITS

Any individuals caught banditing a race will be banned from Sassquad events. Banditing means that you are on our race course without registering. Please do not bandit our Trail Parties or any other event!

AID STATION:

There are no aid stations for the 5K.

The 10K has one on-course aid station, called "9W" at mile 4.25. We will have snacks, water, and Skratch at the 9W Aid Station. Please note: this aid station is NOT crew-accessible! The 9W is only accessible via a very small gravel pull-off on the very busy 9W. Breaking this rule will jeopardize our permit and standing in the good-local community, so please be respectful of this rule.

PACERS:

As with all of our events, Squatchers over the age of 60 and AWD (athletes with disabilities) can have a pacer/guide at any time. Please pre-register your pacer with us before the start of the Trail Party. Pacers are not allowed for folks under the age of 60 and who are not an AWD.

CREW:

All runners/hikers can have a Crew join them at Squatch HQ (the start/finish) for the duration of the event. Crew access is only available at Squatch HQ. Crew cannot aid their runner/hiker at any other spot on the course. Crews are encouraged to bring ice if they anticipate their runner/hiker needing ice during the event. The parking lot at Rockland Lake is MASSIVE; plenty of room to hang out.

Nyack, NY is home to a variety of critters. So this is your "nature disclaimer". Yes, there are Black Bears. Here is what ya need to do if you see a bear during the race (this is from the Dept of Environmental Protection): If you see a bear, make it aware of your presence and use common sense. Never approach the animal; observe it only from a distance. Clapping, talking, singing, or making other noises lets the bear know you are nearby. Remain standing, avoid direct eye contact, back up slowly, and speak in a calm, assertive voice if you encounter a bear at close range. Do not run.... More information on Bear Encounters. Snakes are also common in the Palisades as they like to warm themselves on the exposed cliffs. Remember, snakes are typically a rather shy, reclusive species that prefer to stay camouflaged and away from people. If you do encounter a snake on the trails, take a few steps back, watch it from afar, and wait until it clears the trail - do not attempt to cross over it.

The 5K Wheelchair Division follows the same fully accessible paved loop around Rockland Lake as the main 5K. Designed to welcome athletes of all abilities, this course provides smooth, even terrain with wide paths and gentle curves, allowing participants to enjoy the beautiful lakeside scenery and the energy of the Sassquad trail party. Whether racing or rolling at your own pace, this division ensures a safe, fun, and fully supported experience from start to finish.

community partners

We are so stoked to partner with Long Path Outfitters for this event! Long Path Outfitters is a woman‑owned, locally rooted outdoor gear and apparel shop in Nyack that serves hikers, trail runners, and all adventurers exploring the Hudson Valley trails. They curate high‑quality packs, trailwear, camping essentials, and goodies for men, women, and kids, with a focus on helping people feel confident and prepared on any journey, whether it’s a first hike or a long day on the trail... LPO will be on-site on June 6th! Whether you need last-minute trail advice, gear tips, or just want to say hi, be sure to stop by their table on race-day.

We are stoked to be supporting Catskill Mountain Search and Rescue with this event, as they will be on-site to provide support! CMSAR offers ground search and rescue services and continues to provide highly trained volunteer search personnel throughout New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and beyond, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

FAQ'S

Q: I could get lost in a brown paper bag. Will the course be marked?

A: We will have bright colored ribbons along the course and plenty at all of the turns.

Q: Can I bring my dog?

A: Sorry, but your pup has to stay at home for this race. Our liability insurance does not cover dogs at our events; thank you for understanding!

Q: Are there restrooms at the start/finish area?

A: Yes there are portajohns at the start/finish. The 5K will pass several restrooms on the lake loop. The 10K will not pass any restrooms on the trail.

Q: Can I have a pacer?

A: As with all of our events, Squatchers over the age of 60 and AWD (athletes with disabilities) can have a pacer/guide at any time. Please fill out the pacer registration form ahead of time and be sure to pick-up a pacer bib during check-in! Pacers are not allowed for other runners and hikers without prior approval from the Trail Party Director.

Q: Me and my friend aren't registered for the race, but we're still planning on coming to run. We won't eat from the aid station or take a medal or swag. This is okay, right?

A: NO THIS IS NOT OKAY. This is called being a "race bandit" and it is stealing. Not paying for a race and running the race is stealing from the race organization (even if you're not taking food or swag). Don't do this at a Sassquad trail party or ANY other race. It's not okay. If you bandit a race, you will be banned from registering for any of our Sassquad events.