December 14, 2024 – Kent, NY

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: Approximately 3.6 miles

Max elevation: 1020 ft. – total elevation gain approximately 600 ft.

Buy Maps (Paper & Avenza): East Hudson Trails Map 2023

Parking: Waywayanda Lake Boat Launch – 170 Waywayanda Ct, Carmel Hamlet, NY 10512

Dirt road (somewhat rough) – No toilets on site

Hours: Open Daily, 8:00am – Sunset

There are no admission or parking fees at this park.

Please Note: This hike is done using old unmarked woods roads and/or trails which are not maintained. The area itself contains a maze of old roads that go off in different directions, some of which are not on any maps that I viewed. Those who are not confident of their route-finding ability might wish to choose another hike.

---

Overview:

Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park, also known as Fahnestock State Park, is a 16,171-acre state park located in north central Putnam County with portions in the towns of Carmel, Kent, Philipstown and Putnam Valley. The park is traversed by the Taconic State Parkway, US Route 9, NYS Route 301 and several local roads. Rail stations operated by Metro North Railroad are within ten miles of the park at Garrison, Cold Spring and Beacon. The park does not have a single, formal entrance. The park is managed and maintained by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Fahnestock is characterized by parallel ridges and hills that trend in a southwest to northeast direction. Steep slopes are often found on the southeast and northwest aspects of some of these ridges. Elevations range from approximately 400 feet in the lowest area of the park along Clove Creek in the vicinity of U.S. Route 9, to a maximum of over 1300 feet on a ridge west of Canopus Lake. The majority of the park is at elevations greater than 600 feet.

As the peaks of Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park are more hills than mountains, the hiking is generally less strenuous than others in the region. This makes the park a popular destination for casual hikers.

---

History:

King’s Chamber: The King’s Chamber is as grand as its name suggests. It is the largest stone chamber in Putnam County, boasting a standing ceremonial stone in front of it. Its dimensions are roughly 30 ft. deep, 6 ft. high, and 10 ft. wide. Speculation on their origins, age, and purpose are as numerous as they are varied. Folklore surrounds them. The King’s Chamber aligns with the winter solstice sunrise and it is also a lunar standstill chamber. That alignment happened in 2023.

Camp Collins: The King’s Chamber sits on a tract of land that was once an old Boy Scouts camp. Camp Collins was a 99-acre Scout Camp located in the Moose Hill area, and owned by the Yonkers Council. It opened prior to 1935 and continued in operation until 1952. In April 1953 it was announced that Camp Collins would close and the Yonkers Council would begin sharing space at Camp Bullowa in Stony Point across the Hudson River.

The entire area around Moose Hill is now part of Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park and is accessible from various entry points.

---

Hike Overview:

This is a really nice hike with lots to discover. The historical aspects of the points of interests, make for a worthwhile day hike. Currently, there are no blazed trails and there are numerous woods roads that go off in different directions. Some of the woods roads are on the trail map, but others are not, and it could get confusing. My advice is to use the Avenza Maps app and the NY-NJ Trail Conference East Hudson Trails Map 2023 (for Avenza).

I have pretty good navigational skills, but I had to refer to the Avenza app numerous times to insure that I was on the right track. This area doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic and makes for a quiet area to hike. 

This Lollipop Loop hike was done countercounterclockwise from the Waywayanda Lake boat launch area.

 

It’s mostly downhill on the way to King’s Chamber and a lot of ups and downs on the way back.

---

The Hike:

For the purpose of this guide, I named the trails/woods roads so that they can be more easily followed. 

From the Waywayanda Lake Boat Launch (aka Pudding Street Pond or Cranberry Swamp on some maps), look for a wide trail just to the right of a private driveway. Head south along this road which I call the Connector Trail.

 

The Connector Trail rises gradually alongside private property. Stay on the wide woods road as it passes large rock formations.

In about 0.3 mile, when you reach the power lines corridor, bear left to begin walking on the Power Lines Trail.

In about another 475 feet, turn right, leaving the Power Lines Trail and begin walking on a woods road. This turn can be easy to miss if you are not paying attention.

You’ll see a lot of Orange signs along the way letting you know that you are in Fahnestock State Park.

This road which I will call the King’s Chamber Trail, Climbs gradually and soon reaches the high point of the hike, 1020 ft.

Continue heading southwest on the King’s Chamber Trail, passing stone walls along the way.

The old road dips down into the valley very gradually. You may notice other woods roads that branch off from the main road, but you should continue on the King’s Chamber Trail Consult your map (or Avenza Maps app) for verification.

 

 

Soon, Roaring Brook (a tributary of the Peekskill Hollow Creek Watershed) will appear on your right. Follow the road as it parallels the brook. In about 3/4 mile from the junction with the Power Lines Trail, the road comes really close to the brook and becomes less discernible. Look just ahead to a break in a stone wall. That is the route of the King’s Chamber Trail.

After crossing through the break in the stone wall, the road widens and begins heading southeast.

 

In another 370 yards from the break in the stone wall, the trail reaches the King’s Chamber which is just to the left of the trail.

A historical curiosity in Putnam County are the “corbelled stone chambers.” 

These are structures with roofs of large stone slabs, with stone side walls angled slightly inward.

The age, the creators, and the original purposes of the chambers are unknown, and continue to be the subject of much speculation.

Theories about the creators range from Native Americans of the distant past, Norsemen in the 10th century, Welshmen in the 12th century, and early European settlers.

There could be as many as 200 stone chambers in all of Putnam County. While their origins and ages are in dispute, they have certainly been used by area residents as root cellars for crop and ice storage well into the 20th century.

When you are done checking out the King’s Chamber, proceed ahead on the King’s Chamber Trail which is diagonally to the east of the entrance. In a very short distance, as you descend a rocky area, you will pass a standing stone. Look to your left (you may have to walk a few feet) and you will see another much smaller stone chamber.

This is known as “The Tomb.” It is a small, slightly subterranean chamber with a tomb like appearance and a quartz shelf in the rear.

 

When you are ready to continue, proceed east a short distance and you will pass an old picnic shelter.

This picnic shelter was part of Camp Collins. 

Camp Collins was a 99-acre Scout Camp located in the Moose Hill area, and owned by the Yonkers Council. It opened prior to 1935 and continued in operation until 1952. In April 1953 it was announced that Camp Collins would close and the Yonkers Council would begin sharing space at Camp Bullowa in Stony Point across the Hudson River.

 

As you continue east, there are small stone steps to the left of the trail that lead to a large stone chimney. 

Possibly the site of a cabin or another picnic shelter.

The King’s Chamber Trail continues east, but soon bends to the north. 

A short distance later, the road comes to a Y-Intersection. Bear left and begin heading north.

The King’s Chamber Trail soon passes an old park storage shed on the left.

Continue heading north on the King’s Chamber Trail for another 280 yards (from the Y-Intersection), and you will pass through an area with remnants of Camp Collins on both sides of the trail. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The trail soon starts gaining elevation, turning left at the next intersection.

 

 

The trail dips down a little then begins climbing Moose Hill in earnest.

When you reach the next intersection, bear right. If you turn left, the trail climbs to the near summit of Moose Hill. In retrospect, I would have taken the left fork to avoid the rocky section of the Power Lines Trail which is just ahead. Either way you go, you will end up at the Power Lines Trail.

 

Turn left on the Power Lines Trail, which is rocky and quite steep.

At the top of the rise, you will see the “Summit Trail” on the left. Continue along on the Power Lines Trail as it descends along the eastern boundary of Fahnestock State Park.

The Power Lines Trail runs along the edge of the woods. The power line corridor is owned by the New York State Electric & Gas Corporation and abuts much of the park’s eastern boundary, with NYC Watershed lands and NYS DEC multiple use areas beyond.

The trail navigates several smaller hills as it heads north.

 

The Power Lines Trail soon bears right, avoiding another hill, and passes the junction with the start of the King’s Chamber Trail where you turned earlier in the hike. 

Soon the trail leaves the power line corridor and you are now retracing your steps on the Connector Trail. Follow the woods road north, back to the boat launch area, where the hike began.

 

 

 

---

Review:

A really good hike with lots to see. Although the King’s Chamber was the highlight of this hike, the scattered ruins of Camp Collins and the numerous stone walls, make this a fun discovery hike. The Taconic State Parkway is nearby during the first half of this hike, and some slight road noise can be heard, but it’s not a distraction. For almost the entirety of the hike, it was quiet except for an occasional critter rustling through the leaves or birds chirping. The only people that we saw, was a couple walking their dogs as we returned to the trailhead. A totally enjoyable hike.

Pros:

King’s Chamber, The Tomb, Camp Collins ruins, stone walls, quiet area, little foot traffic.

Cons:

No marked trails, some blowdowns.

---

Take a hike!

---

Sources:

• Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park
• Mystery Shrouds Putnam’s Stone Chambers
• The Corbelled Stone Chambers of Kent – PDF

---