Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park

Posted on September 26, 2023

September‎ 25‎, ‎2023 – Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Difficulty: Easy

Parking: Fort Williams Park – 1000 Shore Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107

Fort Williams Park follows a carry-in/carry-out policy.
Fort Williams Park is a public park that is open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
From April 1 to November 15, there is a fee for parking in premium spaces in the park. Free parking is available in the Overflow Lot.

Overview:

Situated along the shores of Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, Portland Head Light sits at the entrance of the shipping channel into Casco Bay. A popular destination for those touring the area’s historic lighthouses or those simply looking for a quintessential coastal scene on their visit to Maine. The lighthouse, a commission of George Washington, is Maine’s oldest, dating to 1791.

Fort Williams Park is spread across more than 90 acres of recreational area, providing visitors with a plethora of activities to indulge in. You can plan a picnic, fly a kite, walk along the pathways, explore the rocky beach, tour the Arboretum, take a walk on the cliffside loop, or enjoy the playground.

Fort Williams Park

Famous for having Portland Head Light on its grounds, the park also encompasses the decommissioned and largely demolished United States Army post Fort Williams, which was operational during World War I and World War II.

Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park

The park offers many great views of the Portland Head Light. Visitors can easily take photographs of the lighthouse from many areas within the park. However, please note that the lighthouse tower is only open to the public one day per year on Maine Open Lighthouse Day.

Portland Head Light

History:

Portland Head Light:

In 1787, the General Court of Massachusetts (the Massachusetts legislature) provided $750 to begin construction of a lighthouse. In 1790, when the United States Government took over the responsibility of all lighthouses, Congress appropriated $1,500 for its completion. The original tower measured 72′ from base to lantern deck and was lit with 16 whale oil lamps. It was first lit on January 10, 1791. By 1865, the tower was raised 20′ and a 2nd order Fresnel lens was installed. This lens was in the lighthouse until 1958. The current Keepers’ Quarters building was constructed in 1891 as a two-story duplex. Until 1989, it was home to the head and assistant lighthouse keepers and their families.

Portland Head Light

The United States Coast Guard maintains the actual light and the fog signal, but the remainder of the property is managed by the Town of Cape Elizabeth.

Fort Williams Park:

The original 14-acre purchase in 1872 served to establish a sub-post to Fort Preble located at Spring Point. Over about 25 years, a total of 90 acres were purchased to develop a fortification at Portland Head. These formative years saw the first three batteries — Sullivan, DeHart, and Hobart — completed on April 16, 1898.

This fortification became known as Fort Williams on April 13, 1899, by order of Army Headquarters. The fort was named in honor of the late Brevet Major-General Seth Williams, Assistant Adjutant-General, United States Army.

During World War I, the fort was fully manned by artillery companies and National Guard troops. Anti-aircraft guns were added to the defenses during this time.

During World War II, Fort Williams served as the headquarters of the Harbor Defenses of Portland. In January, 1950, Fort Williams’ mission was officially changed from a harbor defense post to a logistical and administrative support installation for all military units and personnel in the State of Maine.

On Saturday, June 30, 1962, Fort Williams officially closed and was turned over to the General Services Administration to be sold. At a special town meeting on June 29, 1964, the residents of Cape Elizabeth voted to buy Fort Williams. Their offer of $200,000 was accepted and on December 1, 1964, the Town of Cape Elizabeth acquired Fort Williams.

After many proposals ranging from a Coastal Science Park to low-income housing, the Town Council designated Fort Williams on July 23, 1979, as “Fort Williams Park.” Since that time, Fort Williams Park has been host to many picnics, concerts and other events and has been enjoyed by countless thousands of visitors and Cape Elizabeth residents alike.

Fort Williams Park

Visit Overview:

This lighthouse was on my list of places to visit during my Maine road trip. Having visited the Nubble Light earlier in the morning, we made our way to the Portland Head Light, which is about an hour north. This was a great place to stop and stretch the legs. Aside from the lighthouse, Fort Williams Park has a lot to see and explore. I wandered around the park for a couple of hours and saw most if not all there is to see. It was a beautiful day in September and there were a lot of people visiting, but if one wants, there are some spots where you can find a little seclusion.

Portland Head Light:

Portland Head Light

Annie C. McGuire Shipwreck Memorial: A large rock near the lighthouse commemorates the wreck of the Annie C. Maguire. Late on Christmas Eve in 1886, the three masted bark struck the ledge at Portland Head.

Annie C. McGuire Shipwreck Memorial

Fort Williams Park:

When you are done checking out the lighthouse, you may want to explore other areas of the park. Make sure that you either print or download a copy of the map, which will help you find the historical points of interest. It would be a shame if you visited from far away and missed some of them. The park is a wonderful place to wander around and enjoy the gorgeous landscape while getting a history lesson about our great nation.

Battery Blair: As you leave the main parking lot and head towards the lighthouse, you are first greeted by the Battery Blair Memorial. The battery, named for Civil War General Francis P. Blair (1821-1875), is the site of the largest of six gun batteries built at Fort Williams. Battery Blair was manned during World War I and the early years of World War II. It was hidden from view at sea behind a concrete and earth berm, it contained two twelve-inch guns mounted on disappearing carriages. It was designed to protect Portland Harbor from enemy attacks by battleships and cruisers, the twelve-inch guns mounted at Battery Blair were the largest in use at the time. These guns firing a 12-inch diameter, 1,000 pound shell, had a range of 8 miles. The guns fired armor-piercing shells on a flat trajectory to breach the heavily protected hulls of battleships.

Battery Blair Memorial

Cliff Walk at Fort Williams Park: This crushed stone path winds along the scenic cliffs and historic remains of Fort Williams. Views of Ram Island Ledge Light and Casco Bay Islands can be seen on a clear day. Portland Head Light located right along the path.

Rocky coastline – Fort Williams Park

Ram Island Ledge Light Station is about a mile offshore from Portland Head Light, near the entrance to Portland Harbor, and is surrounded by dangerous ledges. The first stones were laid on Ram Island Ledge in July 1903. By the end of September, the tower reached a height of 32 feet. A crew of 25 men worked from April to July 1904 to complete the tower. A 26,000-pound lantern was placed on the tower and fitted with a third-order Fresnel lens. With the lantern, the lighthouse reached a height of 90 feet, with the light 77 feet above mean high water.

Ram Island Ledge Light Station

An iron pier was added to the ledge, and the kerosene lamp was first lighted on January 23, 1905.

Ram Island Ledge Light Station

Rocky coastline – Fort Williams Park

Looking out at Ship Cove with Battery Keyes visible (center) on the far side of the cove.

Ship Cove – Fort Williams Park

Rocky coastline – Fort Williams Park

Located on the north side of the entrance road is a small rocky beach, Ship Cove, with a great view of Ram Island Ledge Light located in Casco Bay. At low tide, a small sandy beach appears.

Ship Cove – Fort Williams Park

Goddard Mansion: Predating the fort, the mansion was designed and built (1858) for local businessman John Goddard, briefly a volunteer army colonel at the start of the Civil War in 1861. Acquired by the army in 1900, the mansion was used as NCO Quarters (non-commissioned officers/sergeants) and later included an NCO Club. Seriously deteriorated by the time of the town’s acquisition in 1962, the interior debris was burned in a controlled fire in the 1980s, and the walls were fenced off in 2009.

Goddard Mansion – Fort Williams Park

Battery Keyes (1906): Named after Major General Erasmus D. Keyes (1810–1895), who served with distinction during the U.S. Civil War, the battery was built above the northern point of Ship Cove behind Goddard Mansion.

Battery Keyes – Fort Williams Park

Battery Keyes was one of the last two batteries built at the fort in 1906. This concrete battery mounted two 3-inch Rapid Fire Guns on pedestal mounts with a protective shield, meaning they fired 3-inch diameter shells weighing fifteen pounds with a range of four and a half miles. The small battery was designed to defend against small, fast attack boats in a point-and-shoot manner. Still intact are gun emplacement number two, the magazines, and the range finder station.

Battery Keyes – Fort Williams Park

The battery also included a mine observation station built on the top to relay information on ship locations to the mine officers in the Mining Casemate on the other side of Ship Cove for firing the electrically controlled mines. Many of the doors leading to the first-level rooms are open for exploration, offering a glimpse into this historic structure.

Battery Keyes – Fort Williams Park

This Mining Casemate was originally constructed in 1891. The function of the casemate was to control the minefield in the main channel, which was laid during the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II to prevent the entry of hostile vessels.

Mining Casemate – Fort Williams Park

During World War II Battery Keyes was the “alert” battery, which was manned and prepared to fire on any vessel which failed to identify itself properly.

Battery Keyes – Fort Williams Park

While the original weapons and mounts are no longer present, the concrete core of the battery remains in relatively good condition.

Battery Keyes – Fort Williams Park

A CRF (Coincidence Range Finder) Station was built to the right of Battery Keyes in 1921, a more modern fire control system for the bigger gun batteries at the fort.

Battery Keyes – Fort Williams Park

Central Powerhouse: This building was completed in 1905 as the central powerhouse for Fort Williams by the Quartermaster Corps. The structure was built of reinforced concrete and sited in this sheltered spot to protect it from the fire of hostile vessels.

Central Powerhouse – Fort Williams Park

Inside, coal-fired boilers produced steam to turn generators to meet the electrical needs of the fort. Later, electricity was purchased from the local public utility and the powerhouse was maintained as an emergency power plant. The equipment was maintained and periodically tested so that this plant would immediately be able to provide electricity for the fort.

Central Powerhouse – Fort Williams Park

The small brick building adjacent to the powerhouse was built to house electrical transformers.

Central Powerhouse – Fort Williams Park

Fire Station: This building was completed in 1911 by the U. S. Army Quartermaster Corps as a fire station for Fort Williams at a cost of $3,586. It was constructed of brick on a concrete foundation and the roof and tower, used for drying hoses, are slated. The building housed a fire engine, a hook and ladder truck, and two hand-drawn hose carts.

Fire Station – Fort Williams Park

Initially, enlisted men were assigned to duty at the fire station, but during the interwar period civilian personnel were hired to serve as firemen as an economy measure. The fire company was called out to deal with a number of fires. during the seventy-year history of the fort, and it also aided the Cape Elizabeth Fire Department.

Fire Station – Fort Williams Park

There are additional points of interest that are not included here, but may be worth seeking out if you visit. Consult the park map and/or website so that you don’t miss anything.

Review:

Portland Head Light and Fort Williams Park are tourist attractions and get nearly a million visitors every year. That should not dissuade you from visiting as there is a lot to see and do here. The historical aspects of the park are fascinating and the scenic landscape of the rocky and jagged coastline make for an enjoyable time. I would recommend a visit to this park if you are in the area or taking a road trip.

Pros:

Portland Head Light, rocky coastline, Atlantic Ocean, historical features.

Cons:

Tourist attraction and can get crowded during peak times.

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Nubble Light at Sohier Park

Posted on September 26, 2023

September‎ 25‎, ‎2023 – York, Maine

Difficulty: Easy

Parking: Sohier Park – 11 Sohier Park Rd, York, ME 03909

There is free parking at Sohier Park with an excellent view of the lighthouse.

Overview:

The Cape Neddick Light stands on Nubble Island about 100 yards off Cape Neddick Point. It is commonly known as “Nubble Light” or simply “The Nubble.”

Nubble Lighthouse

It is one of Maine’s most popular lighthouses. It rests on a small island just off the point of land occupied by York’s 3-acre Sohier Park. The Nubble Lighthouse is maintained and overseen by The York Parks and Recreation Department.

Nubble Light at Sohier Park

The Nubble Light has always drawn hordes of tourists, and is one of Maine’s most popular tourist attractions. Amazing views from the park, beautiful local scenery, and the rich history of the lighthouse make it one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. Today an estimated half million people visit Sohier Park every year to gaze across the channel at the lighthouse.

Nubble Lighthouse

Nubble Island (the land that the Cape Neddick Lighthouse actually sits on) is inaccessible to the public. However, Sohier Park provides spectacular views of the lighthouse and the surrounding area.

History:

To protect the lives of sailors traveling by Maine’s rocky shores, the citizens of York petitioned the U.S. Government for a lighthouse. President Hayes spent $15,000 in 1874 to build a lighthouse on what he called a “nub” of an island. Several years later, the lighthouse opened on July 1, 1879.

In 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard took over the responsibility of running the state’s lighthouses. The Coast Guard took care of the lighthouse until 1987, when the lighthouse was equipped with automated lights, removing the need for a human operator. Shortly after, the Cape Neddick Lighthouse was quickly added to the National Register of Historic Places. A lease was also signed between the U.S. government and the Town of York in 1987 to guarantee the lighthouse’s regular maintenance. The lighthouse was handed over to York 10 years later.

Sohier Park, as currently configured, was acquired in three separate transactions. Two of the parcels of land were sold by William D. Sohier of Beverly, Massachusetts, to the Village Corporation on May 15, 1929 and June 20, 1929, for one dollar each. The Town of York acquired the third parcel, the island with the lighthouse and associated improvements, on May 15, 1998, from the United States of America. While the Town acquired the island and lighthouse in 1998, the Sohier Park Ordinance was amended only in May 2019 to expand the Sohier Park to include the island itself.

Nubble Light at Sohier Park

Visit Overview:

Yes I know, this isn’t a hike. I decided to include it because it’s a cool spot to check out in between hikes. From time to time I like to include places that are fun to photograph and may be of interest to others.

At the time of my visit, I was dealing with medical issues that severely limited my stamina, strength and endurance. With that being said, I continued to get outside and walk as much as I could. That is why some of my recent hikes/walks are somewhat short and easy.

On a road trip to Maine, I wanted to visit as many interesting locations as possible along the way. I had a list a mile long and wasn’t able to visit every place that I wanted, but still hit some really nice spots. I’m especially interested in historic structures and ruins, which includes stone towers and lighthouses.

The previous day, I visited three historic stone towers: Wright’s Tower, Slayton Memorial Tower and High Rock Tower. All three towers are in Massachusetts.

When traveling along the coast of Maine, there are so many lighthouses to see, but so little time. We arrived at the Nubble Light about 10am on a cool and windy Monday morning. We walked about the small park taking photographs of the lighthouse from every angle. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area, or combined with other points of interest, a great road trip.

Nubble Lighthouse:

Nubble Lighthouse is a well-maintained, colorful lighthouse with a two-story keeper’s house, and a 41-ft. tower rising 88 ft. above the high water mark. The distinctive red oil house was built in 1902.

Nubble Lighthouse

The “Nubble” is a small, rocky island a short distance off the eastern point of Cape Neddick, about two miles north of the entrance to the York River and York Harbor. In 1602, explorer Bartholomew Gosnold met with local Indians on the island and dubbed it “Savage Rock.”

Nubble Lighthouse

A small cable car runs from the mainland out to the island. A cable suspended on telephone poles were installed at both ends, and had platforms in place to load and unload whatever was needed. The “bucket” suspended from a cable from the mainland to the island, installed in the 1950’s, was not intended for the transport of people; it was intended for the transportation of supplies. Movement of the cable car was done by hand over hand, not by means of any electric motors.

Nubble Lighthouse

Sohier (pronounced “Soy-er”) Park also features benches (and rock formations) with stunning views of the York area and beyond. A gift shop with Maine-theme merchandise, Fox’s Lobster House and an ice cream stand with picnic tables are located within the park.

Sohier Park

The Nubble was home to more than 30 lighthouse keepers between 1879 and 1987. In 1987, it became the last lighthouse in North America to be automated. Even from a distance, Nubble Lighthouse stands tall, and majestically alongside the rocky Maine coast.

Nubble Lighthouse

The light from the Nubble Light’s Fresnel lens is visible for 13 nautical miles in clear weather. The area saw many shipwrecks before Nubble Light was constructed. The wreck of the Isidore in 1842 is the most famous; her crew all perished. Since then, legend has it that a phantom ship continues to haunt the seas around Cape Neddick.

Nubble Lighthouse

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High Rock Tower

Posted on September 25, 2023

September‎ 24‎, ‎2023 – Lynn, Massachusetts

Difficulty: Easy

Parking: 30 Circuit Ave, Lynn, MA 01902

Parking is available at the circle at the end of Circuit Avenue.

Overview:

High Rock Reservation (aka High Rock Park) is a city park in the Highlands neighborhood of Lynn, Massachusetts. Designed in 1907 by the Olmsted Brothers, the roughly 7-acre park encompasses the summit area of a hill with commanding views of the surrounding area, as well as the Atlantic Ocean which is approximately half a mile away.

High Rock Reservation

The park’s principal attraction is the High Rock Tower, a stone structure measuring 85 feet high and completed in 1905. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

High Rock Tower

History:

In the 17th century, High Rock served as meeting place for the Pawtucket tribe and as the headquarters of their chief, Nanepashemet.

In the late 1840’s, Jesse Hutchinson (1813-1853) of the Hutchinson Family Singers, a politically-active abolitionist singing group, purchased the 5-acre parcel of land at the summit of High Rock.

High Rock – Image Credit: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division

In 1847, Jesse Hutchinson made plans to build the original High Rock Tower, which was designed by local surveyor, architect and historian Alonzo Lewis. The tower was completed in 1848 and a piazza and balcony were later added to the structure.

High Rock Tower – 1864

The Hutchinson family felt very strongly about making High Rock open to the public and believed it should be used as an “Institute of Advanced Thought” and a “free rostrum for the decision of all the great questions of the day.”

Toward the end of Jesse Hutchinson’s life in 1853, he decided to give the summit of High Rock to the city for the construction of an observatory.

During the Civil War, the Hutchinson family held nightly concerts and rallies on the property. Eventually the tower fell into disrepair and vandals burned it down in celebration of the Fall of Richmond in April of 1865.

By 1904 the city also purchased additional land around the summit to create High Rock Reservation, which is now one of Lynn’s oldest parks.

In 1905, the city constructed High Rock Tower, which was designed by H.K. Wheeler & Charles Betton and made of granite. High Rock Tower was built on top of an outcrop of porphyry (crystal filled granite). The tower was officially dedicated in December 1905.

High Rock Tower – 1930

High Rock Tower is featured prominently on the Lynn city seal.

Official Seal of Lynn, Massachusetts

High Rock Tower was added to the National Register of Historical Places on October 11, 1979.

The lands surrounding the tower were protected by The Trust for Public Land and conveyed to the City of Lynn in 1988.

The Tower:

In 1905, the City of Lynn commissioned the construction of the 85-foot stone, Romanesque-style High Rock Tower. It was designed by architects H.K. Wheeler and Charles Betton.

High Rock Tower

The City of Lynn periodically opens the tower and observatory to the public for free use of the telescope. Registrants are offered night-sky investigations of galaxies, star clusters, planets and the surface of the Earth’s moon.

High Rock Tower

In 1998, High Rock Tower was restored with the help of a Massachusetts Historical Commission grant and a new astronomical observatory replacing the original observatory.

High Rock Tower

In 1906, from April to December, 50,000 people visited the High Rock Tower. Today the tower is mostly closed to visitors, although the base around the tower is open for those that are seeking views.

High Rock Tower

Rising to a height of 170 feet above sea level, High Rock is less than three-quarters of a mile from the ocean and commands unobstructed views of Boston, Nahant, and Swampscott.

View east from High Rock Tower

Egg Rock (sometimes called Elephant Rock) in Nahant Bay, is a 3-acre island southeast of High Rock Tower. It was formerly the site of a lighthouse known as Egg Rock Light but now is owned by the state of Massachusetts as a bird sanctuary. Egg Rock can be seen clearly from the coasts of Nahant, Swampscott, and Lynn. Egg Rock is the setting for Sylvia Plath’s poem “Suicide off Egg Rock,” and also appears in her novel, The Bell Jar.

View of Egg Rock Island from High Rock Tower

Since this is a short and easy walk, it can be combined with other stone towers in the area. Slayton Memorial Tower is about 7 miles away in Melrose, and Wright’s Tower is about 18 miles away in Medford.

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Slayton Memorial Tower

Posted on September 25, 2023

September‎ 24‎, ‎2023 – Melrose, Massachusetts

Difficulty: Easy

Length: Approximately 1 mile

Max elevation: 260 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 153 ft.

Route type: Out and back

Map: Mount Hood Memorial Park & Golf Course

Trailhead parking: 100 Slayton Rd, Melrose, MA 02176

Overview:

Slayton Memorial Tower also known simply as Slayton Tower, is a four-story stone tower at the summit of Mount Hood in Melrose, Massachusetts. The tower stands near the southeasterly part of Melrose, near the Saugus line, at an elevation of approximately 262 feet above sea level. It offers 360° views that include the Boston skyline and Massachusetts Bay.

Slayton Memorial Tower

It is located on the grounds of the largest City-owned park, the 251-acre, Mount Hood Memorial Park & Golf Course. A public trail system surrounds the course and connects to adjacent public lands. The course’s symbolic landmark, Slayton Tower, overlooks the golf course and also offers a wonderful view of the Boston skyline.

Slayton Memorial Tower

Boston skyline from Slayton Memorial Tower

History:

Mount Hood was known as “Bear Hill” by the Wampanoag Indians, who used its elevation to signal native tribes as far west as Mount Wachusett. In 1907, John C. Slayton purchased 25 acres of land from Wendell P. Hood and constructed a tower at the summit and an access road.

Slayton Tower circa 1913

The original tower was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1934 as the Slayton Memorial Tower.

Slayton Memorial Tower

From the top of the tower, Melrose is concealed beneath the tree-line in summer, while Boston and the Atlantic Ocean expand before the eye, and mountainous regions of the west excite the imagination. Appreciating the value of such an experience, Slayton willed his land parcel to the city. Melrose then purchased an additional 210 acres of land and began development of the park and golf course in 1931. The park and golf course were completed by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) in 1937.

The Tower:

Please note: This is an active golf course. Be aware of people playing golf and the golf carts traveling about, out of courtesy, and for your safety.

With the Mount Hood Clubhouse on your left and First Pond directly across the road, continue southeast on the road, past Second Pond (on the left) and park at the southwest end of Third Pond. There is parking just before a closed gate that spans the road. Park your vehicle and proceed on foot past the gate on the paved road, passing Third Pond on the left. The paved road proceeds gradually uphill.

Third Pond – Mount Hood Memorial Park & Golf Course

Paved Road – Mount Hood Memorial Park & Golf Course

After passing through an open area, you’ll come to a small parking area with concrete steps at the far end. Proceed up the steps and the Slayton Memorial Tower is at the top of the rise.

Paved Road – Mount Hood Memorial Park & Golf Course

Stairway to Slayton Memorial Tower

Slayton Memorial Tower

Climb the tower which offers panoramic views of Melrose, surrounding communities, the Boston skyline and the Atlantic Ocean.

Slayton Memorial Tower

As far as I know, the tower is always open to visitors while the golf course is open.

Slayton Memorial Tower

The 40-foot stone tower was constructed with an overall height of 322 feet above mean sea level.

Slayton Memorial Tower

The four-story stone tower at the summit of Mount Hood offers far reaching views to the east, including the Boston skyline, and Massachusetts Bay.

Boston skyline from Slayton Memorial Tower

Atlantic Ocean from Slayton Memorial Tower

View northwest from Slayton Memorial Tower

The area around Slayton Tower is also home to a memorial of one man’s heroic act. Army Air Force Major Doak Weston sacrificed his own life in order to save the lives of his crew members and the lives of residents of the Melrose and Saugus area.

Major Doak Weston with his wife and two sons in an undated photograph.

A memorial was placed at the site where the B-25 Mitchel Bomber he was piloting crashed. He was piloting the bomber aircraft from New Hampshire to Boston following WWII when he lost all engines, telling his crew members to bail out before crash landing on Mt. Hood.

B-25 Mitchel Bomber (USAF Museum photo)

B-25 Bomber crash on Mt. Hood

The memorial includes a black, granite marker bearing the name of each crewmember, a rendering of the B-25 aircraft they were flying, the Air Corps seal, and a copy of the U.S. Military’s Distinguished Flying Cross. Weston was posthumously awarded the flying cross for, “heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.”

Major Doak A. Weston Memorial

The memorial also includes a granite bench, which is inscribed with the biblical passage, “Greater love than this hath no man: than a man lay down his life for his friends.” The memorial to honor Weston’s sacrifice at Mount Hood was unveiled on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. The 65th anniversary of Weston’s death.

Major Doak A. Weston Memorial

Since this is a short walk, it can be combined with a short hike to Wright’s Tower at Middlesex Fells Reservation, which is only six miles away in Medford. High Rock Tower is about 7 miles away in Lynn.

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Wright’s Tower – Middlesex Fells Reservation

Posted on September 24, 2023

September‎ 24‎, ‎2023 – Medford, Massachusetts

Difficulty: Easy

Length: Approximately 1.8 miles

Max elevation: 231 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 203 ft.

Route type: Figure-8 Loop

Map: Middlesex Fells Reservation

Trailhead parking: South Border Road, Medford, MA 02155

The current operating hours are sunrise to sunset.

Overview:

Middlesex Fells Reservation, often referred to simply as “The Fells,” is a public recreation area covering more than 2,575 acres in Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, and Winchester, Massachusetts. The reservation has over 100 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and horseback riding. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and is part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston.

Middlesex Fells Reservation

The Middlesex Fells Reservation is an extremely popular destination which experiences high levels of recreational use, particularly trail use. As an “urban oasis,” the Middlesex Fells trail system is used at all times of the day and in all seasons, but it sees especially heavy use after work and on weekends during the Spring, Summer and Fall.

History:

The area was first explored by Governor John Winthrop and his men in the winter of 1632. The land was favored for its timber, granite quarrying, ice industry, and water power for many mills. By the 1890’s preserving open space for public use was gaining interest, the Middlesex Fells Reservation became one of the first preserved public parks and a prototype for urban park systems across the country. Today it’s legacy remains as a green respite six miles north of Boston and among the most mature woodlands in eastern Massachusetts.

Wright’s Tower was constructed in 1937 under the direction of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The stone tower was named in honor of Elizur Wright (1804-1885), one of the first to advocate for the protection of this land back in the 1800’s. Wright, a member of the Forestry Association, was instrumental in obtaining the Massachusetts Forestry Act of 1882. He initiated and promoted plans for making Middlesex Fells into a public park. Although he did not succeed during his lifetime, the plan was carried out in 1894 and the area became the Middlesex Fells Reservation.

The 1930’s brought the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration to the Fells, and with them, the planting of over one million trees, and the continued maintenance and development of roads and trails within the Reservation.

Trails Overview:

Trail junctions are marked with signs within the park that correspond with those on the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) trail map.

The trails at the Middlesex Fells Reservation include both wide fire roads and narrower single track trails. Many single track trails have steep, rough and rocky sections and may be slippery or muddy at any time of the year. Hikers should use caution and wear appropriate footwear.

This hike incorporates a combination of woods roads and footpaths to the summit of Pine Hill, the site of Wright’s Tower. There are two small parking lots along South Border Road. The first, located by Bellevue Pond, makes for a shorter hike to the tower. That parking lot was full when we visited. There is another small parking lot about 0.3-mile west, at the intersection of South Border Road and Jeremiah Circle. That is the parking area that we used.

Middlesex Fells Reservation

Hike Overview:

On a road trip to Bar Harbor, Maine, this is one of the stops that I wanted to make to break up the long ride. A short hike in the middle of the day was perfect to help stretch the legs a little. Since the first parking lot was full, we drove about 1/3 of a mile to another lot on the same side of the road.

I didn’t know much about this park, except for the tower. Upon doing research for this writing, I found that Middlesex Fells Reservation has a lot to offer and with sufficient time, should be explored properly.

There is an extensive network of trails that could get confusing for those that are unfamiliar with the area. I used the Gaia GPS app on my phone which helped to keep me on track.

The only slightly challenging portion of the hike is the Skyline Trail which is rocky and a little steep as it nears the tower. This trail can be bypassed by using some of the wider woods roads if one desires.

Wright’s Tower – Middlesex Fells Reservation

The elevation gain is minimal, and mostly on the Skyline Trail.

elevation profile – Wright’s Tower

Since this is a short hike, it can be combined with visits to other stone towers in the area. Slayton Memorial Tower is about 7 miles away in Melrose, and High Rock Tower is about 12 miles away in Lynn.

The Hike:

Since we parked down the road from where I originally intended, we followed the unmarked trail along the parking lot east. This short connector trail runs parallel with South Border Road. In about 210 yards, the trail reaches a woods road, marked “Middle Road” on the map. There is a gate on the right that leads out to South Border Road. Turn left on Middle Road and follow it north for about 350 yards,

Unmarked connector trail – Middlesex Fells Reservation

Middle Road – Middlesex Fells Reservation

At a major junction, you will see a large rock formation straight ahead. This is marked as Panther Cave on the map.

Panther Cave – Middlesex Fells Reservation

Panther Cave is not really a cave, but rather large boulders piled on top of each other. The boulders were deposited here by the southward movement of glacial ice during the last glaciation.

Panther Cave – Middlesex Fells Reservation

I took a short detour to the top of Panther Cave.

Climbing to the top of Panther Cave

The Skyline Trail crosses over the top of Panther Cave and proceeds east. Turn right at this junction and follow the white blazes over extremely rocky terrain.

Skyline Trail – Middlesex Fells Reservation

The trail descends steeply for a short distance, then levels off. A short distance later, it reaches junction D6-2 (see map), and crosses Quarry Road. Proceed ahead, still following the white-blazed Skyline Trail.

Skyline Trail – Middlesex Fells Reservation

Skyline Trail as it crosses Quarry Road

Skyline Trail as it crosses Mud Road

The Skyline Trail now begins a steep ascent as it climbs Pine Hill.

Skyline Trail – Middlesex Fells Reservation

After approximately 260 yards, the Skyline Trail reaches the summit of Pine Hill and Wright’s Tower.

Skyline Trail – Middlesex Fells Reservation

The steel door to the tower was locked on our visit, but from what I read, it is open occassionally.

Wright’s Tower – Middlesex Fells Reservation

Wright’s Tower provides expansive views to the east, south and west towards metropolitan Boston. This stone structure features a pyramidal slate roof, narrow slit window openings and an observation platform with openings on all four sides. The tower was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1937.

Wright’s Tower – Middlesex Fells Reservation

Adjacent to the tower is a rock outcrop with views southeast, and on a clear day, one can see the Boston Skyline in the distance.

Southeastern Viewpoint from Pine Hill

When you are ready to continue, proceed downhill on the gravel road that leads from the tower. This road is unnamed on the map, but for this guide, I will refer to it as “Tower Road.”

“Tower Road”

At the base of the descent, turn left onto Quarry Road and follow it in a southerly direction.

Turn left at the fork

Quarry Road – Middlesex Fells Reservation

After another 260 yards or so, you will come to a stone wall with a stone and concrete picnic table in front of it. Turn right just before the wall (junction D6-3 on map), and follow the woods road as it passes along the western side of Bellevue Pond. Bellevue Pond is a seasonal pond and didn’t seem to have any water in it on the day of our visit.

Turn right by the stone wall

Quarry Road – Middlesex Fells Reservation

Unnamed woods road – Middlesex Fells Reservation

When you reach a fork, turn right and proceed west (junction C6-9 on map). The left fork will take you to the parking lot in front of Bellevue Pond.

Turn right at the fork

Follow this unmarked footpath, which parallels South Border Road, for about 250 yards, back to the parking area, where the hike began.

Unmarked connector trail – Middlesex Fells Reservation

Review:

A really nice hike through a scenic area. Unfortunately the tower was not open when we visited, but worth checking out nonetheless. Since I was road tripping, this made for a nice break from driving and the short hike was just perfect.

Pros:

Wright’s Tower, picturesque landscape, scenic view from near the base of the tower. Good signage at critcal junctions, Many connecting trails to explore.

Cons:

Parking can be an issue, depending on the time of day.

Take a hike!

Wright’s Tower – Middlesex Fells Reservation

Sources:

Bullwheel, High Peters Kill and Red Trails Loop – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Posted on September 18, 2023

September‎ 17‎, ‎2023 – Gardiner, NY

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: Approximately 2.5 miles

Max elevation: 1,279 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 430 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Map: Shawangunk Trails #105

Fee: $10.00 per vehicle – Empire Pass Accepted

Trailhead parking: Peter’s Kill Area – 5080 Route 44-55, Gardiner, NY 12525

The current operating hours are 9:00am to 7:00pm.

Restrooms on site – large paved lot.

This is a carry-in/carry-out New York State Park. Trash receptacles are not provided; you must take your trash out with you.

Park Overview:

Located in Ulster County, NY, Minnewaska State Park Preserve is situated on the dramatic Shawangunk Mountain ridge, which rises more than 2,000 feet above sea level and is surrounded by rugged, rocky terrain. The park features numerous waterfalls, three crystalline sky lakes, dense hardwood forests, incising sheer cliffs and ledges opening to beautiful views, clear streams cut into valleys, world-class rock climbing and 35 miles of carriageways and 35 miles of footpaths on which to bike, walk, hike and simply enjoy. And, all this within an hour and a half drive from New York City.

Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Visitors have twelve potential access points onto Preserve property. The entrance to the Peter’s Kill Area and Preserve office is accessed from Highway 44/55 and provides 120 parking spaces.

Peter’s Kill Area – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

The Peter’s Kill parking lot is used by visitors accessing the Peter’s Kill climbing area, by hikers heading for the Peter’s Kill Creek and High Peter’s Kill Trail and by visitors wishing to talk with staff.

Peter’s Kill Area – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

The Shawangunks (or “Gunks,” as they are more popularly called) have long been acclaimed as a rock climber’s paradise. The Peter’s Kill Area is a unique and beautiful part of the 23,000 acre Minnewaska State Park Preserve. Rock climbing is permitted here on the Lower Peter’s Kill and Dickie Barre escarpments. This area is home to mixed hardwood forests, pitch pine barrens, wetlands, vernal pools, rock slabs, the Peter’s Kill stream, several waterfalls and the cliffs of the High Peter’s Kill escarpment. In addition to rock climbing and bouldering, hiking, picnicking and snowshoeing are all permitted activities in this area.

Trails Overview:

Bull Wheel Trail (0.6 mile) – This short white blazed trail starts off near the Peter’s Kill parking area and ends at the junction of the High Peters Kill Trail. At a crest of a rise the trail passes a concrete footing, where a tower was anchored that once supported a pulley for a ski lift, part of the Ski Minne downhill ski area, which operated from 1964 to 1978. The pulley is commonly referred to as a “bullwheel.”
High Peters Kill Trail (0.55 mile) – This blue-blazed trail (also the route of the SRT) traverses around the Dicke Barre Wilderness Area. The trail gains the ridge line and continues through a beautiful section of cliffs. It then descends steeply in places to reach the Peter’s Kill. This trail features the views from High Peters Kill Cliffs.
Yellow Connector Trail (0.25 mile) – This short footpath connects the High Peters Kill Trail with the Red Loop Trail near the parking area.
Red Loop Trail (0.35 mile) – This trail climbs steeply from the Yellow Connector Trail to the parking area.

Some sections of the trails have faded blazes or none at all, but we didn’t encounter any issues staying on track. As always, I recommend using the Avenza Maps app and using the official park trail map to stay on course and avoid getting lost. There are numerous rock climber trails and unmarked footpaths that branch off from the main trails.

This hike can be extended by using any of the connecting trails. Please consult an up-to-date trail map if you choose to do a longer hike.

Hike Overview:

Although this hike is relatively short, it offers some very attractive scenery in “The Gunks.” The average hiker should be able to complete this hike in 1-1/2 hours, but you might want to allow extra time to pause and take in the beautiful scenery.

Still not back to my normal self, I have been tackling shorter and less strenuous hikes. This hike has been on my radar for quite some time and now seemed the right time to do it. The trails we followed on this hike had very little foot traffic. We only saw several people at the viewpoint and several more near the end of the hike as we were finishing up.

This hike follows trails that for the most part, are easy to follow. This particular route travels over a lot of rock slabs that would be difficult and possibly dangerous if wet or icy. Please plan accordingly.

We arrived at the Peter’s Kill Area lot approximately 40 minutes before it opened and we were the 3rd vehicle in line. By the time they opened the gate at 9am, there were about 25 cars behind us. The restrooms are located in a building with toilets (not flush toilets) and sinks. On the day that we hiked, a couple of the ladies that I was with, told me that it smelled really bad in there. On the upside, there was toilet paper.

Overall, this was a very pleasant hike. The viewpoint on this hike is really nice and the lack of crowds, as is usually the case at Minnewaska on weekends, makes it a worthwhile hike.

This hike was done counterclockwise.

Bullwheel, High Peters Kill and Red Trails Loop

As shown on the elevation profile below, there is a steep ascent at the tail end of this hike.

elevation profile – Bullwheel, High Peters Kill and Red Trails Loop

The Hike:

From a kiosk at the western end of the lower parking area, head north (right) on a gravel road, following the Red Loop Trail. At the top of a rise, a sign and a triple-white blaze on a tree to the right, marks the start of the white-blazed Bullwheel Trail. Turn right onto this trail, which climbs gradually on an old carriage road. After a short descent, the trail bears right at a fork and continues to climb on a rougher route.

Red Loop Trail – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Turn right on Bullwheel Trail

Bullwheel Trail – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

After narrowing to a footpath, the trail reaches the crest of the rise, where it passes a concrete slab, with steel bolts protruding. A tower that was anchored to the slab via the bolts once supported a pulley for a ski lift, part of the Ski Minne downhill ski area, which operated from 1964 to 1978. The pulley is commonly referred to as a “bullwheel” – hence the name for the trail.

Bullwheel Trail – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

The trail now descends gradually, passing through mountain laurel thickets and blueberry bushes. Several side trails for rock climbers leave to the left. After passing the cliffs of Dickie Barre on the left, the Bullwheel Trail ends at a junction with the blue-blazed High Peters Kill Trail.

Terminus of Bullwheel Trail

Turn left onto this trail, which climbs briefly to cut through a notch in Dickie Barre (notice the tilted blocks of conglomerate rock on the left), then begins a long, gradual descent through mountain laurel thickets and blueberry bushes to the Peters Kill.

High Peters Kill Trail – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

About halfway down, the trail emerges on exposed rock ledges, with pitch pines growing from the bedrock, and bears right. Before continuing ahead, you should bear left and cross the ledges to reach a dramatic viewpoint from the edge of the cliffs, with the Catskills visible in the distance to the right.

Viewpoint just off the High Peters Kill Trail

View south just off the High Peters Kill Trail

View of the Catskills just off the High Peters Kill Trail

When you are ready to continue, return to the trail, which descends more steeply for a short distance. The grade soon moderates, and the trail runs close to the edge of the escarpment, with sheer drops on the left.

High Peters Kill Trail – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

At the base of the descent, just before reaching the Peters Kill, the Yellow Connector Trail begins on the left. Walk straight a short distance to the Peters Kill which flows over rock slabs. This makes for a good spot to take a break.

Peters Kill – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

When you are ready to continue, retrace your steps a few feet to the junction with the Yellow Connector Trail and turn right at a sign that reads: “PETERSKILL PARKING LOT.” The trail parallels the picturesque stream amid hemlocks, rhododendron and mountain laurel. After passing an interesting cascade, where the stream flows over slanted rock slabs, the Yellow Trail bears left, away from the stream, and it soon ends at a sign for the Red Trail. You’ll notice nearby another concrete slab with protruding bolts and steel cables along the ground – more remnants of the downhill Ski Minne operation.

Yellow Connector Trail – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Turn left onto the Red Trail, but in only 20 feet turn right and follow the red blazes parallel to the stream. The Red Trail bears left, leaving the stream, and climbs steeply back towards Route 44/55. At the top of the climb, the trail turns left and follows a gravel path through successional fields, soon returning to the parking area where the hike began.

End of Yellow Connector Trail – start of Red Trail

Red Loop Trail – Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Review:

A really pleasant, short hike through a lesser traveled area of Minnewaska. There are better views in the park, but considering that we had the trails mostly to ourselves, this was just perfect. The Peter’s Kill Area is a good place to begin a hike if you want to avoid the hordes of people that flock to the main sections of the park.

Pros:

‘The Gunks,’ lesser traveled area of the park, nice views, easy to follow trails.

Cons:

Faded trail markings could use some fresh paint in certain locations.

Take a hike!

Bullwheel, High Peters Kill and Red Trails Loop – Minnewaska State Park

Sources:

West Mountain Loop – Bear Mountain State Park

Posted on June 9, 2023

June 4, 2023 – Tomkins Cove, NY

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: Approximately 4.2 miles

Max elevation: 1,245 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 800 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails Map #119

Free Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman State Park Trail Map

Trailhead parking: Anthony Wayne Recreation Area North Lot, Palisades Interstate Pkwy, Bear Mountain, NY 10911

Large gravel parking lot – bathrooms on site

Please note: From late September to late October, Oktoberfest is held at the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area on Saturdays and Sundays.

Overview:

West Mountain is a peak that is located in both Orange and Rockland County, NY, just east of the Palisades Interstate Parkway. Most of the mountain is within the boundaries of Bear Mountain State Park, but part of it is in Harriman State Park as well. In November 1923, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission decided that “all of the Park lying west of Bear Mountain (later, west of West Mountain) shall be designated Harriman State Park.” The summit is at an elevation of 1,257 ft. and the western ridge (the section that is part of this hike), is about 1.5 miles long. The narrow ridge offers hikers many fine outlooks both to the west and to the east as the trail jogs from one side of the ridge to the other.

Iona Island, with West Mountain in the background as viewed from the Camp Smith Trail – April 17, 2018

West Mountain as viewed from The Timp

Trails Overview:

This hike follows trails that were recently rerouted and reblazed over existing trails. An updated map is essential to avoid confusion and/or getting lost. The NY-NJ Trail Conference has released a new 2023 Appalachian Trail Detour Map that reflects the recent trail additions and changes.

The detour of the Appalachian Trail (AT) was implemented in the spring of 2022 to bypass a dangerous road crossing over the heavily trafficked Palisades Interstate Parkway. New for 2023 is the opening of a seasonal potable water source at Anthony Wayne Recreation Area. The route across the overpass is the official AT route until a new permanent crossing is developed.

The detour is fully blazed, and maps of the detour are posted in the surrounding area.

Appalachian Trail – Anthony Wayne Recreation Area

Appalachian Trail (AT) ~ (1.2 miles) is marked with 2×6-inch white blazes. The AT runs from the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area, coaligned with the Anthony Wayne Trail, the Fawn Trail and the Timp-Torne Trail, before leaving to continue towards Bear Mountain. It climbs the northern slope of West Mountain, steeply in places, then runs south along the ridge before departing to the left.

Appalachian Trail – West Mountain

Timp-Torne Trail ~ (0.75 mile) is marked with rectangular blue blazes. It runs south along the ridge, passing numerous viewpoints before it meets the West Mountain Trail.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

West Mountain Trail ~ (0.70 mile) is marked with orange blazes. This section of trail was formerly part of the AT and was rehabbed in 2018. The white blazes of the AT were overlapped with an orange square, denoting the newly marked trail. This trail descends West Mountain on switchbacks, making the descent less steep. It meets the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail at Beechy Bottom Road.

West Mountain Trail – Bear Mountain State Park

Ramapo-Dunderberg (R-D) Trail ~ (1.5 miles) is marked with red-dot-on-white blazes and runs along Beechy Bottom Road, turns left and descends on a gravel road, turning right on a paved sidewalk past the northern parking lot.

Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail – West Mountain

Hike Overview:

I have hiked West Mountain several times and it never disappoints. It’s a great hike to do at any given time and parking is never an issue if you get a late start. Some really nice views can be had from rock outcrops along the ridge. Many different trails can be accessed from the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area, making longer hikes possible.

For this hike, you will want to park in the North Lot. That is the first parking lot that you come to when you enter the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area from Exit 17.

This loop hike was done clockwise from the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area North Lot.

West Mountain Loop – Bear Mountain State Park

The bulk of the elevation is gained in the first two miles, making the 2nd half of the hike, relatively easy.

elevation profile – West Mountain Loop

The Hike:

From the parking area, walk back along the entrance road until you reach a gravel road on the right blocked off with a gate. Turn right and follow this road, marked with the white blazes of the Anthony Wayne Trail and 2×6 inch white blazes of the Appalachian Trail (AT). Bear right at the next fork and continue uphill, proceeding ahead across a four-way intersection.

Start of hike – Anthony Wayne Recreation Area

Appalachian Trail – Anthony Wayne Recreation Area

Appalachian Trail – West Mountain

When you reach a T-intersection, turn left. Then, in 25 feet, you’ll notice three red-“F”-on-white blazes (faded) on a tree along with a 2×6 inch white blaze for the AT, which marks the start of the Fawn Trail and the continuation of the rerouted AT. The AT runs jointly with the Fawn Trail for about 0.3 miles before departing to the right. Continue ahead on the joint AT/Fawn Trail, which climbs, using switchbacks and rock steps for part of the way, to reach a junction with the blue-blazed Timp-Torne Trail.

Appalachian Trail – West Mountain

Turn right onto the coaligned AT/Timp-Torne Trails which climb steeply over rocks to reach a viewpoint to the left over Bear Mountain (with the Perkins Memorial Tower visible at the summit). After a short level stretch, the trail continues its steady climb, steeply in places.

Coaligned AT/Timp-Torne Trails – West Mountain

Perkins Memorial Tower as viewed from West Mountain

Coaligned AT/Timp-Torne Trails – West Mountain

In about a third of a mile, you’ll emerge onto a panoramic viewpoint from an open rock ledge, with Bear Mountain and the Hudson River visible to the left, the north parking area at the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area (where the hike began) below to the right, and Black Mountain in the background.

Coaligned AT/Timp-Torne Trails – West Mountain

Anthony Wayne Recreation Area parking lot below, with Black Mountain just beyond.

Coaligned AT/Timp-Torne Trails – West Mountain

Bear Mountain to the north.

Coaligned AT/Timp-Torne Trails – West Mountain

Perkins Memorial Tower at the summit of Bear Mountain.

Coaligned AT/Timp-Torne Trails – West Mountain

View west.

Coaligned AT/Timp-Torne Trails – West Mountain

The trail continues south, with some short climbs and descents, sometimes steeply. You may have to use both your hands and feet at times.

Coaligned AT/Timp-Torne Trails – West Mountain

After another relatively level stretch, the Timp-Torne Trail climbs to reach a junction where the white-blazed Appalachian Trail (AT) turns left. Continue ahead, now following only the blue-blazed Timp-Torne Trail. You may still see white blazes on rocks and trees, the old route of the AT, but as long as you see blue blazes, you are on the right track.

Continue ahead on the Timp-Torne Trail

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

Soon, you’ll reach another viewpoint to the left over Bear Mountain and the Hudson River. The trail now swings to the west side of the ridge and emerges at a west-facing viewpoint over Black Mountain, with the Palisades Interstate Parkway and the two large parking areas for the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area visible in the valley below.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

Looking west over the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area North Lot, with the Harriman Hills just beyond.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

Looking northwest.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

View southwest.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

The Timp-Torne Trail proceeds south along the ridge for about two-thirds of a mile, descending and climbing steeply over rocks in certain spots, passing more viewpoints to the west.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

Looking back after a steep descent.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

Looking southwest.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

Looking northwest.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

View west.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

View southwest.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

Looking northwest.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

Looking southwest.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

After passing more viewpoints, you’ll come to a junction, marked by a wooden post. Here, the Timp-Torne Trail turns left, but you should continue straight and begin following the orange-blazed West Mountain Trail, which heads southwest, descending the ridge. This “new” trail is the former route of the AT, with the white blazes overlapped with orange. Follow this trail as it descends West Mountain on switchbacks.

Timp-Torne Trail – West Mountain

Continue straight onto the West Mountain Trail

West Mountain Trail – Bear Mountain State Park

Looking up to the side of the trail.

West Mountain Trail – Bear Mountain State Park

After 0.7 mile, at the base of the descent, the West Mountain Trail reaches the wide Beechy Bottom Road, blazed with blue-on-white Bike Trail markers and red-dot-on-white blazes of the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail (also rerouted). Turn right onto this pleasant woods road (improved by workers of the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934), which you will follow gently downhill for the next 1.5 miles.

Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail – West Mountain

When you reach a T-intersection, turn left to remain on the R-D Trail, entering the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area.

Turn left to remain on the Rampo-Dunderberg Trail

Turn left to remain on the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail

Rampo-Dunderberg Trail – Anthony Wayne Recreation Area

Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail – Anthony Wayne Recreation Area

At the next junction, turn right and follow the R-D Trail down the gravel road, past the restrooms building, to the paved sidewalk and back to the parking lot, where the hike began.

Turn right to remain on the Rampo-Dunderberg Trail

Turn right to remain on the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail

Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail – Anthony Wayne Recreation Area

Review:

A splendid hike with multiple viewpoints. The ridge is challenging enough to keep the hike interesting. Someone unfamiliar with the area may get confused with the old AT blazes, especially if hiking with an outdated map. The large lot makes it easy to find a parking spot no matter the time of day. A wonderful hiking experience.

Pros:

Multiple scenic views, Well maintained trails, shaded trails, large parking lot, public restrooms.

Cons:

AT trail blazes where they don’t belong can cause confusion, Some road noise from the parkway.

Take a hike!

West Mountain Loop – Bear Mountain State Park

Sources:

AT-Long Path Loop from Tiorati Picnic Area – Harriman State Park

Posted on May 27, 2023

May 27, 2023 – Southfields, NY

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: Approximately 4.6 miles

Max elevation: 1,380 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 672 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails Map #119

Free Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman State Park Trail Map

Trailhead parking: Lake Tiorati Picnic Area, Southfields, NY 10975

Paved parking lot – bathrooms on site

Fees apply from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend – Empire Pass accepted

Park Overview:

At 47,527 acres, Harriman State Park, located in Rockland and Orange counties, is the second-largest park in the NYS parks system. It has 31 lakes and reservoirs, over 200 miles of hiking trails, two beaches, two public camping areas, a network of group camps, miles of streams and scenic roads, and scores of wildlife species, vistas and vantage points. Harriman State Park’s major facilities include Lakes Welch, Tiorati and Silvermine, the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area, Sebago Cabins and Beaver Pond Campgrounds.

Harriman State Park

Fingerboard Mountain is a 1,380-ft. peak located southeast of the hamlet of Central Valley in Orange County, New York. It is just southwest of Tiorati Circle in Harriman State Park. The Appalachian Trail traverses the ridge, passing over the summit.

The Greenwood Mine is located near the junction of the Appalachian Trail and the Surebridge Mine Road. Also known as the Patterson Mine, it was first opened in 1838. The mine was owned by Robert and Peter Parrott and supplied ore to the Clove and Greenwood furnaces at Arden, New York, during the Civil War. The Greenwood Mine was last worked in 1880.

Greenwood Mine Complex – Harriman State Park

The Cohasset Shelter is located on the Long Path, just west of the junction with Surebridge Mine Road. The Cohasset Shelter is shown on NYNJTC maps as “Unmaintained Shelter.” It was built in 1937 for the girls’ camps on Upper Lake Cohasset. This shelter is made of corrugated steel with two stone fire pits in the front. There is no water source and no views at this shelter.

Cohasset Shelter – Harriman State Park

Trails Overview:

Lake Tiorati Trail ~ (0.6 mile) is a blue blazed trail which begins in the Lake Tiorati Picnic Area and connects to the coaligned Appalachian Trail (AT) and Rampo-Dunderberg Trail.
Appalachian Trail ~ (1.8 miles) is marked with 2×6-inch white blazes. It is coaligned with the Rampo-Dunderberg (R-D) Trail for just over a mile as it traverses the ridge of Fingerboard Mountain. It then splits from the R-D Trail and descends towards the western foot of the mountain, where it meets Surebridge Mine Road.
Surebridge Mine Road ~ (0.25 mile) is an unmarked woods road that runs along the hollow between Fingerboard Mountain and Surebridge Mountain. It connects the AT to the Long Path.
Long Path ~ (1.35 mile) is an aqua-blazed footpath that runs southwest to northeast along the base of Fingerboard Mountain. It is very rocky in places and can be wet in the lower lying areas.
Arden Valley Road ~ (0.2 mile) This paved park road connects the Long Path to the AT. Care should be taken while walking along this road during warm weather, when it is open to vehicular traffic.

The trails are maintained by volunteers of the NY-NJ Trail Conference.

Hike Overview:

This loop hike does not offer any views, but does have some scenic footpaths and woods roads, a picturesque open ridge, and an overnight trail shelter that make it a worthwhile hike.

I wanted to complete the Harriman Trail Shelters Challenge, which involves visiting 10 overnight shelters that are located in different areas of the park.

Harriman Shelters Challenge Patch

In the last two weeks we hiked to the Bald Rocks Shelter on Black Rock Mountain (#8) and the Stone Memorial Shelter (#9). The Cohasset Shelter, marked as “Unmaintained Shelter” on the NY-NJ Trail Map, would be the final shelter needed to complete the challenge. This hike goes right by the Fingerboard Mountain Shelter as well. Since we had already visited this shelter in 2017, we didn’t stop there. This is a good hike to knock off two shelters in one hike.

We did this hike during the Memorial Day weekend, but surprisingly the Tiorati Picnic Area was not crowded at all. In warm weather, the parking lot usually fills up early. With anchored charcoal grills, beach and trails access, the Tiorati Picnic Area is normally a busy spot.

With the exception of the Lake Tiorati Trail, we did not see anyone else on any of the other trails during our hike. It turned out to be a nice loop through the scenic landscape of Harriman. For the most part, the trails were well shaded, making this a good hike on a hot day.

This moderate loop hike was done clockwise and does include a short road walk on Arden Valley Road.

AT-Long Path Loop from Tiorati Picnic Area

There are numerous ups and downs on this hike, but the bulk of the elevation gain is done in the first 1.5 miles.

elevation profile – AT-Long Path Loop from Tiorati Picnic Area

The Hike:

Towards the southern end of the parking area, you’ll notice a triple blue blaze (faded), which marks the start of the Lake Tiorati Trail. Proceed uphill on this trail to the ridge of Fingerboard Mountain, following the old route of Arden Valley Road for part of the way. At the top, turn left on the joint Appalachian Trail (AT) (white blazes)/Ramapo-Dunderberg (R-D) Trail (red-dot-on-white), which follows a woods road past metal and concrete water towers and continues to climb along the ridge of Fingerboard Mountain on a footpath. You’ll reach a few false summits, one of which features an interesting balanced boulder. When the leaves are down, Lake Tiorati may be seen through the trees on the left.

Lake Tiorati Trail – Harriman State Park

Turn left on joint AT/R-D trails

Coaligned AT/R-D trails

The trail goes to the left of this water tower. We stayed on the woods road on the right and had to cut across to regain the trail.

Coaligned AT/R-D trails – Fingerboard Mountain

About a mile from the start, you’ll reach a junction marked by a wooden sign. Here, the blue-blazed Hurst Trail begins on the left. This trail leads down a few hundred feet to the stone Fingerboard Shelter, built in 1928. You may wish to take a short detour to check out this shelter, at which overnight camping is permitted.

Hurst Trail junction – Harriman State Park

Continue south on the Coaligned AT/R-D, which soon reaches another intersection. Here, the R-D Trail continues straight, but you should follow the white blazes of the AT, which bear right. The AT descends through thickets of Mountain Laurel and Hemlock. As the trail descends, it passes some interesting rock formations, just off trail to the right.

Coaligned AT/R-D trails – Fingerboard Mountain

Bear right on the Appalachian Trail

Appalachian Trail – Fingerboard Mountain

The trail soon descends on switchbacks.

Appalachian Trail – Fingerboard Mountain

At the base of the descent, about 2 miles from the start of the hike, the trail turns left and joins Surebridge Mine Road. A pile of tailings (waste rock) can be seen just to the right of the trail.

Appalachian Trail – Fingerboard Mountain

Several exploratory pits, a vertical shaft and a horizontal shaft, all filled with water, may be seen along the hillside to the east of the road. A platform constructed of rough cut stone and measuring fifteen feet by fifteen feet can be observed in this area.

Greenwood Mine Complex – Harriman State Park

Just ahead is a large open pit, 100 feet long by thirty feet wide, which is now filled with water. It is located on the east side (left) of the old road. You may want to take a break here to examine these interesting historical features.

Greenwood Mine Complex – Harriman State Park

Directly across from the large open pit, turn right on Surebridge Mine Road. The old, unmarked mine road crosses Surebridge Brook but you’ll hardly notice it, as the brook goes through the rocks far below the surface of the road. Continue to follow Surebridge Mine Road past a marsh to the right, and look carefully for a huge boulder on the left, with a large tree laying alongside it. This marks the crossing of the aqua-blazed Long Path, which can otherwise be easily missed.

Surebridge Mine Road – Harriman State Park

Turn left on the Long Path

Turn left on the Long Path and follow the aqua blazes a short distance uphill to the site of the Cohasset Shelter.

Turn left on the Long Path

Long Path – Harriman State Park

The Cohasset Shelter is shown on NYNJTC maps as “Unmaintained Shelter.” This shelter was built in 1937 for the girls’ camps on Upper Lake Cohasset.

Cohasset Shelter – Harriman State Park

The Cohasset Shelter is made of corrugated steel with two stone fire pits in the front. There is no water source and no views at this shelter. Lean-tos or shelters located in Harriman State Park, are three sided, open front structures with wood sleeping platforms. They all have resident mouse populations.

Cohasset Shelter – Harriman State Park

Retrace your steps on the Long Path, crossing Surebridge Mine Road, and follow the aqua blazes for just over a mile, crossing several intermittent streams and boulder fields, until you reach the paved Arden Valley Road, which is closed to vehicular traffic in the winter.

Long Path – Harriman State Park

Turn right, leaving the Long Path, and follow the paved road up to the crest of Fingerboard Mountain for about 0.2 mile, where the white-blazed AT and red-dot-on-white-blazed R-D Trail cross. Turn right onto the AT/R-D, and in 200 feet, turn left onto the blue-blazed Lake Tiorati Trail. Follow this trail downhill for 0.3 mile to the parking lot where the hike began.

Turn right on Arden Valley Road

Arden Valley Road – Harriman State Park

Turn right on the coaligned AT/R-D trails – Fingerboard Mountain

Coaligned AT/R-D trails – Fingerboard Mountain

Lake Tiorati Trail – Harriman State Park

Lake Tiorati Picnic Area

Review:

There are no views, but the lack of other hikers on the trail, made for a lovely hike. There is enough to see along the trails to keep this hike interesting. The shaded trails keeps sweat at a minimum. There is some road noise from motorcycles cruising along Seven Lakes Drive and Arden Valley Road.

Pros:

Appalachian Trail, Long Path, Greenwood Mine, Cohasset Shelter, well marked trails, not much foot traffic, shaded trails.

Cons:

No views, some road noise.

Take a hike!

AT-Long Path Loop from Tiorati Picnic Area – Harriman State Park

Sources:

New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
Harriman State Park
Myles, William J.; Chazin, Daniel. Harriman Trails: A Guide and History . New York – New Jersey Trail Conference. Kindle Edition.
Lenik, Edward J.. Iron Mine Trails . New York – New Jersey Trail Conference. Kindle Edition.

Dover Stone Church Preserve

Posted on May 26, 2023

May 26, 2023 – Dover Plains, NY

Difficulty: Easy

Length: Approximately 1.5 miles

Max elevation: 518 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 153 ft.

Route type: Out and Back

Map: Dover Stone Church Map

Map: Stone Church Trail Map

Brochure: Dover Stone Church Visitor’s Guide

Parking:

Designated parking lots –

Dover Elementary School – (When School is NOT in Session & after 3pm) Weekends and holidays. 9 School St, Dover Plains, NY 12522
Tabor-Wing House – 3128 NY-22, Dover Plains, NY 12522
Four Brothers Pizza Inn – 3189 NY-22, Dover Plains, NY 12522
Freshco 22 – 3156 NY-22, Dover Plains, NY 12522

There is no public parking on property on or near the right-of-way (driveway) off Route 22. Parking there may be subject to ticketing & towing. The right-of-way traverses private property. Please be respectful.

I have been going to Stone Church for years and have always parked in the Freshco 22 lot. Please use common sense and park away from the front of the stores there. They generously allow parking in their lot, but don’t abuse the privilege by parking where paying customers to the establishment may park. The lot is sizeable so you can park where you won’t be a hindrance to paying customers.

Dover Stone Church Preserve

Overview:

This 174-acre public preserve, features more than four miles of hiking trails leading to a natural rock formation called the Dover Stone Church. The “church” is formed by a fissure in the metamorphic rock through which the Stone Church Brook flows, forming a number of ledges and beautiful cascades that descend into a pool below. The outlet of the stream is through a stately arch, which forms the cathedral-like entrance, giving this special attraction its name.

Dover Stone Church

The Stone Church Brook, a tributary of the Ten Mile River, flows through and out the cavern entrance.

Dover Stone Church

History:

The first reference to the Dover Stone Church comes from legend dating back to the mid 1600’s when Pequot sachem Sassacus who, with his warriors, hid in the cave to escape capture and death by the British Army.

The Historical Marker on Stone Church Lane has a typo. It should read “New London” not “New Loudon.”

Historical Marker – Dover Stone Church

The popularity of the Stone Church dates back to the 1830’s, when thousands of visitors would come see this natural phenomenon and stay in the adjacent Stone Church Hotel. The romantic nature of the Stone Church and the proximity to the hotel, made it a popular wedding site. The Stone Church captured the attention of Hudson River School artist Asher B. Durand who depicted the site in his Master Drawing in 1847. It was also the subject of a book by Benson Lossing, a local historian, entitled The Dover Stone Church.

The protection of Dover Stone Church was the result of the combined efforts of the Dutchess Land Conservancy (DLC), the Town of Dover, the Friends of Dover Stone Church, and Dutchess County, who together raised the funds to buy and preserve the initial 58 acres in 2004. Since that time the DLC has worked with the Town to secure several additional parcels to enlarge the Preserve to today’s 174 acres, to establish a tree-lined entrance from the Village. In 2015, three new trails were blazed and opened to the public.

The Dover Stone Church property is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites and Places.

Today, the Dover Stone Church Preserve is a popular local attraction, and a tourist destination spot.

Trails Overview:

The original Stone Church Cave Trail (0.2 mile from first footbridge), while generally easy, follows closely alongside the Stone Church Brook, and the rocks are often wet and slippery. High water may cover stepping-stones during rainy periods.

New trails include two providing “lollipop loop” hikes:

Red Trail – 1.0 mile, loop from trailhead
Yellow Trail – 1.0 mile, loop from trailhead
Blue Trail – 1.5 mile, out-and-back from trailhead

Hike Overview:

This is more a pleasant walk rather than a hike, although the trail along the gorge to the cave, is a bit rocky and can be wet at times. A pair of waterproof hiking boots is a good idea when visiting.

I have been to this scenic spot more times than I can count. It is simply a wonderful place to spend a little time at. It can be crowded at times, especially on weekends. On this visit, we arrived around noon on a Friday, leading up to Memorial Day weekend. I was pleasantly surpised that we were the only souls there. On our way back, after spending a little time there, we passed a couple, then a family heading down the treelined path. Regardless, it’s simply a wonderous place to visit anytime of year.

This short, out and back hike, only covers the route from the Freshco 22 parking lot, to the cave and back.

Dover Stone Church Preserve

As you can see by the graph below, there is not much elevation gain on this hike.

elevation profile – Dover Stone Church Preserve

The Hike:

This hike begins in the parking lot of Freshco 22. Walk out onto Mill Street and head west towards Route 22. When you get to the intersection, carefully cross the street and turn left. In a short distance, you’ll see a blue and yellow Historical Marker at the junction of Route 22 and Stone Church Lane. The arrow on the sign indicates the direction of Dover Stone Church Preserve. Stone Church Lane is a right-of-way that traverses private property. Please stay on the gravel road and respect the privacy of right-of-way property owners.

Historical Marker – Dover Stone Church

Entrance – Dover Stone Church Preserve

At the end of the gravel right-of-way, there is a Dover Stone Church sign and a granite stairway.

Dover Stone Church Preserve

Entrance – Dover Stone Church Preserve

From the sign, the path immediately descends on granite steps into a flat, man-made valley. Young Maple trees that give a sense of formality to the start of the hike, line the way here. At the end of this flat walk, another shorter set of steps takes the path into woods and near the brook.

Dover Stone Church Preserve

The trail emerges briefly into an open area, where there is a kiosk with some history and information about Dover Stone Church. Turn left and you will see another welcome sign for the preserve. Follow the path across a wooden footbridge and remain on the dirt path after crossing Stone Church Brook.

Dover Stone Church Preserve

When you reach the trail sign, bear right and follow the path upstream on the left side of the brook. The path, for the most part, traverses rocks or flat stones. It rises gently through the deep gorge, and after a good rain, Stone Church Brook is filled with the sound of running water from several lovely cascades.

Dover Stone Church Preserve

Start of Stone Church Cave Trail

Stone Church Cave Trail

Stone Church Brook

Stone Church Cave Trail

A short distance later, the gothic-like entrance to the Stone Church cavern comes into view.

Dover Stone Church

In my opinion, this footbridge, which must be a recent addition, is an eyesore. They should have left this area in its natural state.

Ugly footbridge – Dover Stone Church

Dover Stone Church

Large metamorphic rocks converge to form the entrance in the shape of a church’s cathedral window. The gothic appearance of the cave entrance gave rise to the name “Stone Church.”

Dover Stone Church

Ugly footbridge – Dover Stone Church

Dover Stone Church

Inside the cavern, there is a 30-foot waterfall cascading into a pool of water that flows through and out the cavern entrance and continues as the Stone Church Book.

Dover Stone Church

Inside the cavern is a rock ledge, affectionately given the name “The Pulpit” by Richard Maher, a Dover Plains resident and former town clerk who wrote the book, Historic Dover in 1908.

Inside of cave – Dover Stone Church

Stone Church Brook, which flows through the Stone Church cavern, is a tributary of the Ten Mile River. The Ten Mile River flows southeast and is a branch of the Housatonic River in Connecticut.

Dover Stone Church

When you are done enjoying this marvelous slice of nature, retrace your steps on the Stone Church Cave Trail, cross the stone footbridge, past the Maple trees, climbing the granite steps and back to the parking area, where this hike began.

Stone Church Cave Trail

Dover Stone Church Preserve

Review:

An exceptional outdoor experience that is worth visiting in every season. If you so desire, you can check out the other trails in the preserve, but the highlight is obviously the “Stone Church.”

Pros:

Stone Church, Stone Church Brook, scenic landscape, historical feature, shaded trails.

Cons:

That unsightly wooden footbridge near the cave entrance is an eyesore, place does attract crowds during warm weather.

Take a hike!

Dover Stone Church Preserve

Sources:

Stone Memorial Loop via Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Posted on May 25, 2023

May 21, 2023 – Ramapo, NY

Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

Length: Approximately 5 miles

Max elevation: 1,201 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 902 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails Map #118

Free Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman State Park Trail Map

Trailhead parking: Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center, 1152 Haverstraw Rd, Suffern, NY 10901

Pull-off parking – no bathrooms on site

Overview:

Harriman State Park

The Stone Memorial Shelter was built in memory of Edgar Stone and his wife, Jessie, who together founded the Tramp and Trail Club of New York in 1914. The shelter was dedicated in 1935 (Edgar died in 1932). The shelter is near the eastern boundary of Harriman State Park, just northwest of the summit of Horse Stable Mountain, on the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail.

Stone Memorial Shelter – Harriman State Park

Besides the marked hiking trails, Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks, feature an extensive network of woods roads. Some are maintained by the Park as fire roads, while others are not formally maintained. Except for several woods roads which are used for part of their length by marked hiking trails, these woods roads are not blazed. They can, however, be readily followed by hikers equipped with a map and compass or GPS device, so that they may be combined with marked trails, to form interesting and varied loop hikes.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Parking:

Parking for hikers is available along the length of the driveway leading up to the bridge, as well as at the top of the driveway off of Route 202. Parking beyond the bridge has been restricted to people using the equestrian facilities. If you park beyond the bridge, your vehicle may be ticketed and/or towed. We arrived at the Hiker Parking at the Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center at approximately 8:20 am on a Saturday. These were the only vehicles there when we arrived. At the end of the hike, Cars were lined up the hill, almost to the start of the entrance road at Route 202.

Hiker Parking – Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center

“MEMEBERS ONLY” No one spell checked the sign before manufacturing it. You had one job!!

Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center

Trails Overview:

Please Note: This hike is done using old unmarked woods roads and/or trails that are no longer discernible in certain spots. Those who are not confident of their route-finding ability might wish to choose another hike.

Sherwood Path ~ (1.6 miles) although no longer an official trail, runs along a woods road for its entire length, and can be relatively easily followed. There are numerous woods roads that cross or branch off of it. Using the Avenza Maps app will keep you on the right path. The Sherwood Path is an old and eroded woods road that climbs steeply to a junction with the Suffern-Bear Mountain (S-BM) Trail, gaining about 600 feet of elevation in 1.6 miles. Just to the left is the Stone Memorial Shelter which sits on a ledge along the S-BM Trail.

The Sherwood Path once was a narrow mountain trail. It was first blazed in 1943 by Frank Place of the Tramp and Trail Club. He named it after Judson Sherwood, who owned the land through which the trail ran. In 1963, the Park acquired the land above the Algonquin pipeline from Harold T. Sherwood, son of Judson Sherwood. In 1965, the Park widened the footpath to a 20-foot fire road, which later became very much eroded.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Suffern-Bear Mountain (S-BM) Trail ~ (0.8 mile) is a yellow blazed trail that runs southwest to northeast, from Horse Stable Mountain to Catamount Mountain. The trail has many short ups and downs on the section between the Stone Memorial Shelter and the “junction” with the Pittsboro Trail, gaining about 150 ft. in elevation during that span.

The Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail is slightly overgrown in spots. I would recommend long pants and sturdy boots. The whole route is pretty rocky.

Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail – Harriman State Park

First Pittsboro Trail ~ (0.8 mile) is an old woods road that is extremely difficult to follow. The parts that bear any resemblance to a trail, the leaves were ankle deep. At some point, phone in hand with the Avenza Maps app running and following the black dotted lines on the map, we were walking through chest deep weeds and thorn bushes. I wouldn’t recommend this trail and would suggest to just continue on the S-BM Trail to where it meets the Pine Meadow Trail, and follow that back to the Equestrian Center.

Pittsboro Trail – Harriman State Park

Hike Overview:

I am in the process of completing the Harriman Trail Shelters Challenge, which involves visiting 10 overnight shelters that are located in different areas of the park. Last week we hiked to the Bald Rocks Shelter on Black Rock Mountain. That was the 8th shelter that I have visited in the park. The Stone Memorial Shelter would make number nine.

The first part of the hike is quite enjoyable, but the section along the Pittsboro Trail, was not. I would suggest that if your goal is to reach the shelter, the Sherwood Path is the shortest and most direct route to the The Stone Memorial Shelter, but I would bypass the Pittsboro Trail. I would do this as an out and back or continue north on the marked trails to form a loop.

This clockwise loop gains 2/3 of the total elevation within the first 2 miles, as it arrives at the shelter.

Stone Memorial Loop via Sherwood Path

elevation profile – Stone Memorial Loop

The Hike:

Proceed down the road, crossing the bridge over the Mahwah River and continue past the horse corrals. Walk along the white fence on your left, then turn left between the fence and the barn that is behind it. Follow the mowed path alongside the fence, turning right a short distance later and you’ll see three blazes on a tree. This is the start of the red-square-on-white-blazed Pine Meadow Trail. Follow the blazes uphill for 0.1 mile to the gas pipeline service road.

Hiker Parking – Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center

Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center

Start of the Pine Meadow Trail

Pine Meadow Trail – Harriman State Park

After following the pipeline service road for about 0.7 mile, you will notice concrete barriers across the road. These barriers delineate a road that goes up to the power line (this is the route of the Sherwood Path). If this section is overgrown, you can walk around the end of the barriers, cross Pittsboro Brook and turn right into the woods on a faint footpath.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

After entering the woods, the path is somewhat vague. There are some rock cairns to help guide you, but I would suggest using the Avenza Maps app to keep you going in the right direction. As you continue, the Sherwood Path becomes more discernible and widens to a woods road.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

When you get to an intersection where there is a red, overturned pickup truck diagonally to the right, bear left to continue on the Sherwood Path. Consult your Avenza, just to be sure.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

wrecked vehicle along the Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

The Sherwood Path now begins a steady ascent, getting steeper as you go. Stay on this eroded woods road until you reach a junction with the yellow blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Turn left on the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail and in a few feet, the trail reaches the rocky knob on which the Stone Memorial Shelter is located.

Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail – Harriman State Park

This makes for a good spot to take a break after the steep climb. You have now hiked about 2 miles and gained approximately 600 feet in elevation.

Stone Memorial Shelter – Harriman State Park

The Stone Memorial Shelter was dedicated on April 28, 1935 in memory of Edgar D. Stone, who died on June 29, 1932. Stone was a mining engineer who, with his wife Jessie, founded the Tramp and Trail Club of New York in 1914. Jessie Stone died in 1936.

Stone Memorial Shelter – Harriman State Park

Trail shelters are available on a first come, first serve basis. If the shelter is occupied, tent camping is allowed within 300 feet from the shelter only. There are no permits or fees required. Fires are only allowed in fireplaces and already established rings. The Stone Memorial Shelter is equipped with “bear hangs,” a cable system with hooks designed to keep food bags out of an animal’s reach.

Stone Memorial Shelter – Harriman State Park

The shelter is a three-sided lean-to, made of boulders, with a sleeping platform and fireplace (has been sealed shut) that is built into a central column that supports the roof on the lean-to’s open side.

Stone Memorial Shelter – Harriman State Park

When you are ready to continue, retrace your steps back to the junction with the Sherwood Path and head north on the yellow-blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain (S-BM) Trail. After dipping down into the woods, the trail now climbs steadily and, after a few minor ups-and-downs, emerges on the edge of the ridge at Hawk Cliff, with panoramic views. Along the way, the trail passes through an attractive landscape.

Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail – Harriman State Park

Hawk Cliff provides easterly-facing views of the surrounding area. The land on the hillside below this cliff was once terraced for the gardens of Albert and Grace Pitt, a mountain couple who lived in a shack nearby.

Hawk Cliff – Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail – Harriman State Park

Looking southeast, Horse Stable Mountain is visible to the right.

Hawk Cliff – Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail – Harriman State Park

Looking northeast, the Hudson River is visible to the far left, with Cheesecote Mountain just left of center, with Little Tor and High Tor just beyond.

Hawk Cliff – Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail – Harriman State Park

The trail continues northeast and soon begins a steady descent. In approximately 0.3 mile from Hawk Cliff, The S-BM Trail comes to a “junction” with the two Pittsboro Trails.

Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail – Harriman State Park

I was expecting to see a woods road, but there was nothing distinguishable as a path, trail or road. I used my Avenza to make sure that I was on the right path. At times you could make out a road and there are some cairns that mark the way, but to be honest, without Avenza, this would have been much more difficult to navigate. For the most part, the Pittsboro Trail was a bushwack.

Pittsboro Trail – Harriman State Park

Crossing the stream (it was dry) at the base of Catamount Mountain while on the First Pittsboro Trail. I only captured a few images along this stretch because I was too busy trying to navigate my way through.

Pittsboro Trail – Harriman State Park

When the trail was noticeable, it was filled with ankle deep leaves, so we walked along the edge to keep from sinking in the leaves.

Pittsboro Trail – Harriman State Park

At times (for short stretches) the Pittsboro Trail made for a pleasant walk, but soon it disappears and it’s back to bushwacking.

Pittsboro Trail – Harriman State Park

When we reached a 4-way intersection, we continued straight ahead on the grassy woods road, soon passing a wrecked pickup truck along the trail. Shortly after that, we crossed under the powerlines which was overgrown in every direction. It was at this point, that with my phone in hand and the Avenza Maps app running, we followed the black dotted lines (woods roads) on the map, while walking through chest high weeds and thorn bushes. I was wearing shorts, fun times.

Pittsboro Trail – Harriman State Park

After that short, chest high bushwack, the Pittsboro Trail appeared as a woods road again and a short distance later, reached the gas pipeline service road and turned left.

Pittsboro Trail – Harriman State Park

Now retracing our steps from the beginning of the hike, we followed the gas pipeline service road for about 0.7 mile to the junction with the Pine Meadow Trail and turned right. We followed the Pine Meadow Trail for 0.1 mile downhill, to the Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center, crossing over the bridge and back to the Hiker Parking, where the hike began.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Pine Meadow Trail – Harriman State Park

Terminus of Pine Meadow Trail – Harriman State Park

Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center

Hiker Parking – Town of Ramapo Equestrian Center

Review:

A nice hike, but I would not recommend the Pittsboro Trail. Instead, continue north on the marked trails to complete the loop. Gorgeous landscape and lightly trafficked area.

Pros:

Stone Memorial Shelter, Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail, Sherwood Path, scenic views.

Cons:

Pittsboro Trail is a slog, Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail is slightly overgrown in spots, it could use some cutting back.

Take a hike!

Stone Memorial Loop via Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Sources:

New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
Harriman State Park
Myles, William J.; Chazin, Daniel. Harriman Trails: A Guide and History . New York – New Jersey Trail Conference. Kindle Edition.

Black Rock Mountain Loop from White Bar Trailhead – Harriman State Park

Posted on May 17, 2023

May 13, 2023 – Southfields, NY

Difficulty: Moderate (Several steep ascents, some climbing over rocks)

Length: Approximately 4 miles

Max elevation: 1,367 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 550 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails Map #119

Free Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman State Park Trail Map

Trailhead parking: 1369 Kanawauke Rd, Southfields, NY, 10975

Gravel parking lot – no bathrooms on site

Overview:

Harriman State Park

Black Rock Mountain, at an elevation of 1,382 feet above sea level, is the highest point in Harriman State Park. The Ramapo-Dunderberg (R-D) Trail traverses the ridge and passes over a spectacular area with bare rock ledges that is dotted with boulders.

R-D Trail – Bald Rocks – Black Rock Mountain

The Bald Rocks Shelter was built in 1933. In early October 2020, the Long Distance Trails Crew erected a food-hanging system at the Bald Rocks Shelter, based on a design from crew member Erik Garnjost. The steel cables were installed to hopefully discourage bears from searching for food in this popular backpacking spot.

Bald Rocks Shelter – Harriman State Park

Trails Overview:

White Bar Trail ~ (0.35 mile) is marked with horizontal white bars. You may see “W-B” written on some of the blazes. This trail passes through the parking lot. For this hike, you will need to CROSS the road. The trail is well blazed in this area and easy to follow. It follows a footpath at first then joins a woods road before reaching a junction with the Nurian Trail.

White Bar Trail – Harriman State Park

Nurian Trail ~ (0.45 mile) is also blazed white, but the rectangular blazes of the Nurian Trail are vertical, rather than horizontal. Some of the blazes have an “N” on them. The Nurian Trail heads southeast then turns north after gaining the ridge, ending at a junction with the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail.

Nurian Trail – Harriman State Park

Ramapo-Dunderberg (R-D) Trail ~ (1 mile) is marked with red-dot-on-white blazes. It runs in a northerly direction across the ridge of Black Rock Mountain. It passes through a large flat area of bare rock ledges, known as Bald Rocks. To the left of the trail is a rock outcrop that marks the highest spot in Harriman State Park (elevation 1,382 feet). After passing the Bald Rocks Shelter, the R-D Trail comes to a 4-way intersection with the Dunning Trail.

Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail – Black Rock Mountain

Dunning Trail ~ (0.6 mile) the yellow-blazed trail runs in a westerly direction from the junction with the R-D Trail. After 0.3 mile, it turns left, heading southwest as it joins the White Bar Trail, which comes in from the right. After another 0.2 mile, the Dunning Trail leaves to the right as the White Bar Trail (which you’ll be following) continues ahead.

Dunning Trail – Black Rock Mountain

White Bar Trail ~ (1 mile) marked with horizontal white bars, is coaligned with the Dunning Trail for 0.2 mile as it heads southwest going gently upward through a wide valley that is dotted with straight, tall trees. In another 0.55 mile, the Nurian Trail (white) comes in from the right and in another 530 yards, the Nurian Trail leaves to the left. For most of its route (on this hike), it runs along a wide woods road. In another 0.2 mile, the White Bar Trail joins Island Pond Road and soon approaches Route 106. It turns left and parallels the road for about 500 feet, then crosses the road to the parking area, where the hike began.

White Bar Trail – Harriman State Park

Parking:

The gravel lot is a decent size, but I have seen it jam packed in the past as I returned from my hike. I would suggest that you back into a space, otherwise you may have trouble backing out on your return if the lot is full.

White Bar Trailhead – Harriman State Park

This parking lot provides access to several different trails, and the White Bar Trail runs right through the lot. For this hike you will have to cross the road to begin your hike.

White Bar Trailhead – Harriman State Park

I’m not sure if they have issues with theft here, but I have parked here numerous times and haven’t had any problems. Nevertheless, use common sense when parking anywhere that you’ll leave your vehicle unattended.

White Bar Trailhead – Harriman State Park

Hike Overview:

I have done a lot of the trails in this area, but have never hiked Black Rock Mountain. Seeing a Harriman Shelter Challenge on Facebook, made me count the shelters that I have visited in the past and I counted seven shelters that I have been to. That left me with three shelters left to earn a patch. I decided to form a loop to knock one off the list. This turned out to be a really good hike. Although the views are decent, the main point of interest on this hike is the area of Bald Rocks along the ridge of Black Rock Mountain, traversed by the Ramapo-Dunderberg (R-D) Trail. On a beautiful Saturday morning in May, I was surprised that there weren’t more people on the trails. We only ran into a handful of people and had a truly enjoyable hike.

This hike is rated moderate, but the half mile or so on the Nurian Trail, is the most difficult part of the hike. The bulk of the elevation gain for the entire hike is done during this stretch. The rest of the hike involves some minor ups and downs, but is relatively easy. This lollipop loop was done counterclockwise from the White Bar Trailhead on CR 106 (Kanawauke Road).

Black Rock Mountain Loop from White Bar Trailhead – Harriman State Park

elevation profile – Black Rock Mountain Loop

The Hike:

From the parking area, cross the road and bear left onto the White Bar Trail, blazed with white horizontal rectangles. The trail parallels the road for about 500 feet, then turns right, crosses a stream on a metal culvert, and continues on a woods road. A short distance beyond, it bears right at a fork, crosses a stream on rocks, and continues along a grassy woods road.

White Bar Trail – Harriman State Park

Bear right to remain on the White Bar Trail

White Bar Trail – Harriman State Park

In another quarter of a mile, you’ll reach a junction with the Nurian Trail. Both trails are blazed white, but the rectangular blazes of the Nurian Trail are vertical, rather than horizontal. Turn right and follow the Nurian Trail, which descends to cross a stream on rocks. After briefly paralleling the stream, the trail bears left and ascends rather steeply. Several steep pitches alternate with more moderate sections.

Nurian Trail – Harriman State Park

Stream crossing on the Nurian Trail

Nurian Trail – Harriman State Park

As the trail approaches the ridge of Black Rock Mountain, it bears left below a huge boulder, then climbs through a narrow cleft in the rock to reach an expansive west-facing viewpoint from open rock ledges.

Nurian Trail – Harriman State Park

Viewpoint from the Nurian Trail at its terminus with the R-D Trail

Just beyond, the Nurian Trail ends at a junction with the red-dot-on-white-blazed Ramapo-Dunderberg (R-D) Trail. Continue ahead (north) and follow the red-and-white-blazes along the ridge of Black Rock Mountain, marked by bare rock ledges. After passing another west-facing viewpoint, the trail descends into a hollow, then climbs to regain the ridge.

Terminus of Nurian Trail

Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail – Black Rock Mountain

View from the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail – Black Rock Mountain

Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail – Black Rock Mountain

Soon after coming out again along the ridge, you’ll reach a large flat area of bare rock ledges, known as Bald Rocks. To the left of the trail is a rock outcrop that marks the highest spot in Harriman State Park (elevation 1,382 feet). The trail itself (marked by paint blazes on the rocks) bears right and continues northeast along the main ridge, but it is worthwhile to take a short detour to the high point, which offers panoramic views to the west and north.

R-D Trail – Bald Rocks – Black Rock Mountain

After reentering the woods, you’ll notice the Bald Rocks Shelter to the right. This shelter – built out of huge granite slabs – was constructed in 1933, and it’s worth a visit even if you don’t intend to stay there overnight.

R-D Trail – Bald Rocks – Black Rock Mountain

Bald Rocks Shelter – Harriman State Park

Trailside camping in Harriman State Park is only permitted in or within 300 yards of a designated trail shelter.

Bald Rocks Shelter – Harriman State Park

In early October 2020, the Long Distance Trails Crew erected a food-hanging system at Bald Rocks Shelter, based on a design from crew member Erik Garnjost. The steel cables were installed to hopefully discourage bears from searching for food in this popular backpacking spot.

Bald Rocks Shelter – Harriman State Park

A short distance beyond, at the base of a short descent, the R-D Trail reaches a junction with the yellow-blazed Dunning Trail.

R-D Trail – Bald Rocks – Black Rock Mountain

This junction, which is on the crest of the ridge, is easily missed. Turn left on the Dunning Trail (laid out in 1933 by Dr. James M. Dunning, a volunteer with the Appalachian Mountain Club), which descends through Mountain Laurel thickets before leveling off as it passes through open woods.

Turn left on Dunning Trail

The yellow-blazed trail runs in a westerly direction from the junction with the R-D Trail.

Dunning Trail – Black Rock Mountain

After 0.3 mile, the Dunning Trail turns left, heading southwest as it joins the White Bar Trail, which comes in from the right. In another 0.2 mile, the Dunning Trail leaves to the right as the White Bar Trail (which you’ll be following) continues ahead.

Coaligned Dunning/White Bar Trails – Black Rock Mountain

Continue straight on the White Bar Trail

The White Bar Trail soon crosses a stream (dry on this day) and continues on a somewhat overgrown, narrow footpath.

Stream crossing – White Bar Trail – Harriman State Park

White Bar Trail – Harriman State Park

After crossing another stream, the White Bar Trail bears left and joins a woods road. The Nurian Trail joins from the right, then departs down to the left after 0.1 mile.

Stream crossing – White Bar Trail – Harriman State Park

White Bar Trail – Harriman State Park

Continue ahead on the White Bar Trail, now retracing your steps from the beginning of the hike.

Continue straight to remain on White Bar Trail

In a short distance, the White Bar Trail crosses a small stream on rocks as it continues southwest, soon joined by Island Pond Road, which comes in from the right. Follow the White Bar Trail back to CR 106, where the trail turns left, parallels the road for a short distance, and then crosses the road into the parking area where the hike began.

White Bar Trail – Harriman State Park

White Bar Trailhead – Harriman State Park

Review:

A fabulous hike through an extremely scenic area. This hike far exceeded my expectations. The views are decent, but there are much better views in Harriman. The entire length of the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail that was traversed on this hike, was the highlight of the day. The bare rock slabs, dotted with boulders, makes for an interesting landscape. This lesser traveled area of Harriman, is a hidden gem. With the exception of the ridge, the trails offer a lot of tree cover for those warm sunny days.

Pros:

Very scenic area, Bald Rocks, Bald Rocks Shelter, well marked trails, shaded trails, not much foot traffic.

Cons:

Dunning and White Bar trails could use a little trimming.

Take a hike!

Black Rock Mountain Loop from White Bar Trailhead – Harriman State Park

Sources:

New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
Harriman State Park
Myles, William J.; Chazin, Daniel. Harriman Trails: A Guide and History . New York – New Jersey Trail Conference. Kindle Edition.

Roosa Gap State Forest

Posted on May 10, 2023

May 6, 2023 – Wurtsboro, NY

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Length: Approximately 3.5 miles

Max elevation: 1,644 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 414 ft.

Route type: Out and back

Free map: Roosa Gap State Forest Trail Map – 2021

Free map: Shawangunk Ridge Trail Map – 2016

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Shawangunk Trails Map 106B – 2019

Trailhead parking: 159-143 Firetower Rd, Bloomingburg, NY 12721

Pull-off parking for several cars – No restrooms on site

Roosa Gap State Forest is a Carry-in/Carry-out area

Overview:

The 688-acre Roosa Gap State Forest (RGSF) is part of an interconnected and preserved corridor of land that stretches south from Ulster County, through Sullivan County and into Orange County, NY. It is sandwiched between two larger state forests. The Shawangunk Ridge State Forest (1,411 acres) to the north, and the Wurstboro State Forest (1,139 acres) to the south. Roosa Gap State Forest is part of the southern section of the Shawangunk Mountain range known as the Shawangunk Ridge. The most visible geological feature of the ridge is the white rock that forms its “backbone.”

Coaligned SRT/Long Path – Roosa Gap State Forest

Hunting and trapping are allowed during appropriate seasons.

Roosa Gap State Forest

Parking:

There are several access points into this state forest.

Cox Road Trailhead, which is the entry point into the Shawangunk Ridge State Forest.
Ferguson Road Trailhead, which is about where the SRT/LP crosses the road.
Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest Trailhead on Ferguson Road, near the intersection with Pickles Road and Shawanga Lodge Road.
Fire Tower Road, at the end of the paved section there is pull-off parking for several cars. This is the parking area that we used.
Fire Tower Road Trailhead, is at the top of Fire Tower Road along an unpaved section of road. The gravel road is severely rutted and eroded. I do NOT recommend this parking area unless you have 4-Wheel Drive and an SUV. There is a lot of loose gravel along this steep section of road and if you don’t want to damage your paint job, I would advise that you don’t attempt driving on this segment of the road.

Fire Tower Road Trailhead – Roosa Gap State Forest

History:

The forested slopes were used in the 18th and 19th century for a variety of farming uses, including Silviculture. The summit of the ridge is mostly pitch pine and slab rock, and not terribly usable for agriculture.

The Open Space Institute (OSI) and the NY-NJ Trail Conference (NYNJTC) began acquiring parcels for the Roosa Gap State Forest in the 1990’s. The process continues today, with OSI buying additional parcels to further protect and expand the state forest. In all, OSI and its conservation partner, the NYNJTC, created or expanded seven state forests, protecting much of the Shawangunk Ridge between Minnewaska State Park Preserve and the New Jersey border, some 30 miles to the south. Most of these lands, after being acquired by OSI or the Trail Conference, are transferred to the DEC for ownership and management.

The name “Roosa,” can be traced to a family of early Dutch settlers and later to wealthy landowners of the area that dates back to 1660.

The fire tower at Roosa Gap is an Aermotor LS-40 35′ steel tower, erected by the Conservation Department in 1948 and closed in 1972. The stair risers run back and forth up the fire tower between large landings. It is now officially open to the public.

Roosa Gap Fire Tower

The observation room, a small, 7-foot by 7-foot square cab, is steel-framed, clad with metal sheeting, and topped with a hipped metal roof.

Roosa Gap Fire Tower

Trails Overview:

Roosa Gap State Forest features a three-mile section of the coaligned Shawangunk Ridge Trail (SRT) and the Long Path (LP). The SRT is marked with circular blue NYSDEC blazes. The Long Path is marked with rectangular aqua blazes.

Coaligned SRT/Long Path

In addition to this section, there are about 2 miles of unmarked multiple use trails that branch off from the Shawangunk Ridge Trail.

The coaligned SRT/LP is fairly well blazed and relatively easy to follow. The trail is well maintained and free of litter. Let’s keep it that way.

The trail is maintained by volunteers of the NY-NJ Trail Conference.

Hike Overview:

We drove up here several weeks earlier, but the dense fog didn’t allow for any views. In fact, just the drive up was a little scary with so little visibility. So we made a return trip when the weather decided to cooperate.

Roosa Gap State Forest

This is a pretty basic out-and-back hike, following the same marked trail for most of the hike. Once on the ridge, it’s a fairly level hike with little elevation gain.

Roosa Gap State Forest

elevation profile – Roosa Gap State Forest

The Hike:

This hike begins at the end of the paved portion of Fire Tower Road. Proceed uphill on the gravel road, passing the Fire Tower Road Trailhead and past the gate. Continue uphill until you reach a junction with the coaligned SRT/Long Path. Turn left and in a short distance, you will arrive at the Roosa Gap Fire Tower.

Fire Tower Road

Fire Tower Road – Roosa Gap State Forest

Fire Tower Road Trailhead – Roosa Gap State Forest

Fire Tower Road – Roosa Gap State Forest

Climb the fire tower for 360° views of the area.

Roosa Gap Fire Tower

At one time, there were fire towers at 124 locations in New York State.

Roosa Gap Fire Tower

Looking south towards Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest and the Basha Kill.

Looking south towards Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest from the Roosa Gap Fire Tower

Looking northwest over the route of the SRT/Long Path and towards the Catskills.

Looking northwest towards the Catskills from the Roosa Gap Fire Tower

Looking northeast towards Sam’s Point and Minnewaska State Park.

Looking northeast towards Sam’s Point and Minnewaska State Park from the Roosa Gap Fire Tower

Looking west over Summitville and farmlands.

Looking west from the Roosa Gap Fire Tower

When you are done checking out the views, descend the steps of the fire tower carefully. If you came just for the views from the fire tower, then retrace your steps back to your vehicle. If you would like to continue the hike, head north on the coaligned SRT/Long Path.

Roosa Gap Fire Tower

You may not see any blazes at first, but once there are larger trees, the blazes will appear.

Coaligned SRT/Long Path

At a junction with an unmarked trail, which starts on the left, there is a memorial for John Hennessey, a dedicated volunteer trail maintainer.

John Hennessey Memorial – Roosa Gap State Forest

Continue heading north following the aqua/blue blazes. Soon the trail comes out of the forest and you’ll now be walking over slabs of Shawangunk conglomerate rock, with the vegetation including scrub oak and pitch pine. The trail continues along the ridge, with some ups and downs, with the scrub oak remaining the predominant vegetation, along with some blueberries and mountain laurel.

Coaligned SRT/Long Path – Roosa Gap State Forest

A short distance later, views begin to appear to the northwest and west.

Coaligned SRT/Long Path – Roosa Gap State Forest

In just under a mile and a half from the start, you’ll come to two boulders on the trail with views north towards Minnewaska State Park. This is the turn around spot for this hike. After enjoying the north-facing views, retrace your steps along the coaligned SRT/Long Path back to the fire tower.

Coaligned SRT/Long Path – Roosa Gap State Forest

Looking northeast towards Sam’s Point and Minnewaska State Park

Coaligned SRT/Long Path – Roosa Gap State Forest

You may want to climb the fire tower again to enjoy the 360° views before you go.

Roosa Gap Fire Tower

A zoomed in view of the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area (center).

Looking south towards the Basha Kill from the Roosa Gap Fire Tower

Looking south to where the coaligned SRT/Long Path climbs the ridge from Ferguson Road..

Looking south towards Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest from the Roosa Gap Fire Tower

A nice view over Roosa Gap State Forest, with the Catskills in the distance.

Looking northwest towards the Catskills from the Roosa Gap Fire Tower

A zoomed in view of the northern Shawangunk Ridge.

Looking northeast towards Sam’s Point and Minnewaska State Park from the Roosa Gap Fire Tower

When you are done enjoying the fabulous views, retrace your steps along Fire Tower Road, past the gate, and back downhill to the paved section of the road, where the hike began.

Fire Tower Road – Roosa Gap State Forest

Review:

A really nice hike with some gorgeous views. The ridgetop is spectacular, as is most of the Shawangunk Ridge. We only saw 2 people by the fire tower at the beginning of the hike and 2 ladies near the end of the hike when we stopped at the fire tower a second time. Nice spot for an easy hike with great views.

Pros:

Roosa Gap Fire Tower, Shawangunk Ridge, scenic views, lightly trafficked.

Cons:

Parking situation could be better.

Take a hike!

Roosa Gap State Forest

Sources:

Trail of the Fallen – Popolopen Torne – Bear Mountain State Park

Posted on April 21, 2023

April 18, 2023 – Highland Falls, NY

Difficulty: Moderate – Strenuous (1 steep climb, 1 steep descent and some light rock scrambling)

Length: Approximately 1.5 miles

Max elevation: 942 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 502 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails Map #119

Free Map (Paper & Avenza): Bear Mountain State Park Trail Map

Trailhead parking: 288 Mine Rd, Highland Falls, NY 10928

Limited parking – no restrooms on site.

Details on longer hikes to Popolopen Torne via different routes:

Overview:

The Trail of the Fallen is a short but steep section of the Timp-Torne Trail that climbs and descends Popolopen Torne in Bear Mountain State Park. The Trail of the Fallen was formally opened on May 10, 2014. The revitalization of the trail was Grant Nawoichyk’s Eagle Scout Project. The trail originates near the top of Mine Road where there is a wooden kiosk. It is the site where rocks, some as heavy as 200 pounds, have been carried up to the summit of The Torne and placed in memory of soldiers who have died in recent military conflicts. Most of the stones are painted with names of soldiers that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. The stones are stacked as a tribute to these fallen servicemen and women. Two 400 pound memorial benches in honor of two West Point graduates killed in Afghanistan, were carried up the mountain and bolted in place.

Trail of the Fallen Memorial – Popolopen Torne

Popolopen Torne, officially called “The Torne,” is a small mountain with a relatively sharp and bald peak, part of the Hudson Highlands, with a summit of 942 feet above sea level. It is located in Bear Mountain State Park and has 360° views, with the Hudson River and the Bear Mountain Bridge to the east, the hills of the West Point Military Reservation to the west and Bear Mountain to the south.

The Torne as viewed from Long Mountain

Trail Overview:

The Timp-Torne Trail is the only trail used on this hike. There is a short road walk at the end of the hike along Mine Road. It’s only about 3/4 of a mile from the kiosk to the summit, with about 500 feet of elevation gain in that span. The trail is quite rocky and some light scrambling over rocks and boulders is required. There are some ropes that have been placed at certain locations along the trail to help navigate some of the more difficult sections.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

The route down is even steeper. Again, there are ropes in some places to help hikers descend some of the steeper sections.

The trail is relatively well marked, but there are a few spots where it could use additional blazes. I suggest using the free Avenza Maps app which will keep you on the trail. A good pair of hiking boots is strongly suggested as well.

Hike Overview:

I have done longer versions of this hike in 2017 and 2018. This hike is short, but if you feel ambitious, you can use connecting trails to lengthen the hike.

The parking area can accommodate 6-8 cars, depending on how well people park their vehicles. We did this hike on a somewhat chilly Tuesday morning and did not encounter anyone until we were getting ready to leave the parking area and a car pulled in, around 10:45 am.

This is a counterclockwise loop beginning at a small parking area on Mine Road.

Trail of the Fallen – Popolopen Torne

elevation profile – Trail of the Fallen

The Hike:

The blue-blazed Timp-Torne Trail passes through the parking lot and turns left on Mine Road. The trail follows Mine Road for 100 feet, then turns right at a kiosk, leaving the road and begins to climb Popolopen Torne on stone steps and switchbacks.

Mine Road Trailhead – Timp-Torne Trail

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

After a relatively level stretch, the trail turns left and climbs more steeply. Soon, it comes out on an east-facing viewpoint over the Hudson River, the Bear Mountain Bridge and the East Hudson Highlands from a rock ledge.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

You’ll want to stop here for a short break, but despite what you might think, this is not the summit of The Torne.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

Continue ahead on the Timp-Torne Trail. When you reach a short stone column marked with blue blazes, there is a short spur trail to the right of the stone column with some lovely views from a small rock outcrop.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

Looking north towards The Crown Ridge and West Point hills.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

Looking southeast.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

Continue ahead on the trail, which makes a sharp bend to the south and continues to climb over rock ledges.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

In certain spots along this stretch of the trail, ropes have been placed along the way to assists hikers with the steep ascent over the bare rock slabs.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

Soon, you will reach the true summit of Popolopen Torne, where open rock ledges afford a 360° view. From here, you can see not only the Hudson River and the Bear Mountain Bridge to the east, but also Bear Mountain to the south, and the hills of the West Point Military Reservation to the west.

View west – Popolopen Torne

At the summit of The Torne, is the memorial for fallen soldiers. You may want to take a moment here to honor these brave men and women who sacrificed their lives to protect our freedoms which we enjoy everyday.

Trail of the Fallen Memorial – Popolopen Torne

Looking west towards the hills of Harriman State Park.

View west – Popolopen Torne

The Hudson River, Bear Mountain Bridge, Anthony’s Nose on the far side of the bridge and the Palisades Interstate Parkway down below.

View south – Popolopen Torne

Palisades Interstate Parkway down below.

View southwest – Popolopen Torne

View southeast – Popolopen Torne

Bear Mountain Bridge and Anthony’s Nose.

View southeast – Popolopen Torne

After spending some time at this beautiful spot, continue ahead as the trail steeply descends the mountain on rock ledges. The descent is much steeper than the climb, and you will have to use both your hands and your feet in places. Again ropes have been placed in certain spots to assist hikers on the descent.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

Looking back after descending with the help of a rope.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

On the way down there is another wide ranging viewpoint from a rock ledge.

View southeast – Popolopen Torne

View east – Popolopen Torne

Another steep section where ropes have been placed.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

Looking back up after the steep descent.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

About halfway down, the trail reenters the woods and continues to descend more moderately on stone steps and switchbacks.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

A short distance later, the Timp-Torne Trail reaches Mine Road then crosses it, but you should turn left on the paved road and follow it down a short distance, back to the parking area, where the hike began.

Timp-Torne Trail – Popolopen Torne

Mine Road Trailhead – Timp-Torne Trail

Review:

A really good hike with fantastic views of the Hudson River Valley. A bit short, but can be combined with connecting trails for a longer trek. This hike is perfect for those short on time that want a good workout and views. Some more blazes along the trail would make for easier navigation, but using the Avenza Maps app comes in handy for situations like that. Definitely a must do for those that hike the Hudson Valley.

Pros:

Trail of the Fallen Memorial, 360° views, light rock scrambling, not as crowded as the surrounding peaks.

Cons:

Could be better blazed in some spots, limited parking, no restrooms.

Take a hike!

Popolopen Torne – Bear Mountain State Park

Sources:

Fire Island Lighthouse Loop

Posted on April 11, 2023

April 11, 2023 – Bay Shore, NY

Difficulty: Easy

Length: Approximately 2 miles

Max elevation: 12.5 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 7 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Free Web Map: Fire Island National Seashore Map

Trailhead parking: Field 5, Robert Moses State Park

Fees: Robert Moses State Park Field 5 charges a $10.00 per vehicle Day Use (in season) – Empire Pass Accepted

Please Note: The Fire Island Lighthouse Tower will be closed until further notice.

Overview:

The Fire Island Lighthouse is located on the Great South Bay, in southern Suffolk County, NY on the western end of Fire Island, a barrier island off the southern coast of Long Island. The lighthouse is located within Fire Island National Seashore and just to the east of Robert Moses State Park. It is part of the Fire Island Light Station which contains the light, keepers quarters, the lens building containing the original first-order Fresnel lens, and a boat house.

Fire Island Lighthouse

Long Island boasts more than 20 lighthouses, all different styles and sizes but standing at 168 ft. The fire island lighthouse is the tallest!

Fire Island Lighthouse

History:

The first lighthouse built on Fire Island was completed in 1826. It was a 74-foot high, cream-colored, octagonal pyramid made of Connecticut River blue split stone. The tower was built at the end of the island, adjacent to the inlet. This tower was not effective due to its lack of height. It was almost entirely removed and the stone reused to build the terrace for the present lighthouse. Today a circular ring of bricks and stone are all that remain of the original lighthouse.

Site of first lighthouse.

In 1857 Congress appropriated $40,000 for the construction of a new tower, 168 feet tall. It was lit for the first time on November 1, 1858. This tower was made of red brick, painted a creamy yellow color. The tower was changed to the present day-mark of alternating black and white bands in August 1891.

Fire Island Lighthouse – 1858

The Fire Island Lighthouse was decommissioned as an aid to navigation on December 31, 1973. Between 1974 and 1980, private citizens grouped together in an effort to “save the Fire Island Lighthouse.”

By 1981, the empty and decaying tower was declared unsafe and not worth repairing, and was scheduled to be torn down when the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed in 1982 to raise funds to save and restore the lighthouse.

Fire Island Lighthouse circa 1982

The Lighthouse was restored to its 1939 condition, which is when electricity was first installed. On Memorial Day, May 25, 1986, the Fire Island Lighthouse was relit and reinstated as an official aid to navigation.

In 1984, the Fire Island Lighthouse was put on the National Register of Historic Places.

The lighthouse is operated by the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.

In March of 2023, the National Park Service (NPS) issued a press release that the Fire Island Lighthouse Tower is temporarily closed due to recent damages. On the morning of March 4, 2023 an exterior panel on the northeast side of the Fire Island Lighthouse separated from the structure. Out of abundance of caution half of the terrace will be closed on the north side and boardwalks leading to the north side of the lighthouse will be closed until further notice and the lighthouse structure will remain temporarily closed until further notice, NPS said.

Nature Trail – Fire Island National Seashore

Trails Overview:

The lighthouse can be accessed by a short walk from Robert Moses State Park – Field 5. A nature trail, consisting of raised boardwalks, guides visitors from Field 5 in Robert Moses State Park to the Fire Island Lighthouse in Fire Island National Seashore. There is a small area of sand where it crosses Burma Road.

Start of Nature Trail at Field 5, Robert Moses State Park

Nature Trail – Fire Island National Seashore

The raised boardwalk to the lighthouse, offers a nice walk through the windswept dunes, offering multiple vantage points for photo opportunities of the lighthouse.

Nature Trail – Fire Island National Seashore

From the lighthouse, the return trip is a pleasant walk along the beach.

Fire Island Beach

Walk Overview:

Looking to get out to the beach before actual beach season starts, I decided to pay this spot a visit. Having been here years earlier, I was familiar with the area and wanted to revisit it.

There is no parking within Fire Island National Seashore, so you’ll have to use Robert Moses State Park’s Field 5, where there is a fee in season.

This is a fairly tame walk using boardwalks and a sandy beach to form a clockwise loop, with almost no elevation gain.

Fire Island Lighthouse Loop

The hike can be extended by walking east or west if one chooses, but on this day we kept the walk short and relaxed a bit near the ocean.

The Walk:

This short loop begins at the east end of the Field 5 parking lot. The boardwalk trail meanders its way through the dunes as it heads east towards the lighthouse.

Start of Nature Trail at Field 5, Robert Moses State Park

Nature Trail – Fire Island National Seashore

As you walk the nature trail, you’ll get numerous views of the lighthouse.

Nature Trail – Fire Island National Seashore

There is a break in the boardwalk as it crosses Burma Road, the boardwalk resumes after crossing the sandy road.

Nature Trail – Fire Island National Seashore

In about 3/4 of a mile from the start, the trail reaches the Fire Island Lighthouse.

Nature Trail – Fire Island National Seashore

As you approach the lighthouse complex, the first building you come to, which looks like a barn, houses the original Fresnel Lens used in the second Fire Island Lighthouse, the one standing today.

Fresnel Lens Building

All that remains of the first lighthouse is the circular foundation, which can still be viewed today beside the new Fresnel Lens Building. The current lighthouse is 200 feet northeast of this site.

Site of first lighthouse.

The lighthouse tower is currently closed due to storm damage on March 4, 2023. The museum and gift shop are open.

Nature Trail – Fire Island National Seashore

The exterior brickwork of the tower was covered with a reinforced concrete coating in 1912. This coating is as much as three inches thick in some areas.

Fire Island Lighthouse

A view of the Great South Bay from the back of the Lens Building.

View northwest to Great South Bay

Towering over the keeper’s dwelling is the freestanding, 168-ft. black-and-white striped lighthouse. Originally, the lighthouse connected with the keeper’s dwelling, to its south, via a covered passageway. This passageway was demolished circa 1950.

Fire Island Lighthouse

Starting at the bottom, the diameter of the tower is 32 feet and narrows to 15 feet near the lantern. At the base of the tower, an impressive residence was constructed for the head keeper and his two assistants using New York cut granite.

Fire Island Lighthouse

The Fire Island Lighthouse observatory offers amazing views of Long Island, the Atlantic Ocean, the Great South Bay, and Fire Island beaches. On a clear day, the Fire Island Lighthouse provides views of the New York City skyline.

Fire Island Lighthouse

The first lighthouse at Fire Island was 74 feet tall. About as high as the flagpole that’s next to the current lighthouse.

American Flag – Fire Island Lighthouse

Continue east on the raised boardwalk, turning around to view the lighthouse from a different angle.

Nature Trail – Fire Island National Seashore

Fire Island Lighthouse

In about 180 yards, the boardwalk ends at the Ranger Station. Walk through the parking lot towards the front of the Ranger Station and head west on Burma Road.

Ranger Station – Fire Island National Seashore

Burma Road – Fire Island National Seashore

Along this sandy road, you’ll encounter more views of the Fire Island Lighthouse.

Fire Island Lighthouse

Fire Island Lighthouse as viewed from Lighthouse Driveway

Fire Island Lighthouse

Turn left on the Pedestrian Beach Access and head toward the ocean. When you reach the shore of Lighthouse Beach, turn right and walk the beach for approximately 0.6 mile, back to Field 5, where the hike began.

Pedestrian Beach Access – Fire Island National Seashore

Fire Island Beach

Fire Island Lighthouse

Fire Island Beach

Review:

A lovely walk on the raised boardwalks and along the southern shore of Fire Island. This area is best visited in the off season to avoid the massive summertime crowds.

Pros:

Fire Island Lighthouse, Atlantic Ocean, ocean views.

Cons:

Fire Island Lighthouse tower is currently closed, Long Island traffic.

Take a walk!

Fire Island Lighthouse Loop

Sources:

Squantz Pond State Park Loop

Posted on April 4, 2023

April 2‎‎, ‎2023 – New Fairfield, Connecticut

Difficulty: Easy – Moderate

Length: Approximately 2.9 miles

Max elevation: 672 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 352 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Map: Squantz Pond State Park trail map

Avenza Map: Squantz Pond State Park Avenza Trail Map

Trailhead parking: 178 Short Woods Rd, New Fairfield, CT 06812

Admission and Fees: Out-of-State Registered Vehicle Fee from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day – $22.00 weekends, $15.00 weekdays. There is no charge for Connecticut Registered Vehicles.

Pets are not permitted in the park during the summer season from April 15 through September 30. Pets on a leash are permitted in picnic areas and on hiking trails from October 1 to April 14.

The park is open from 8am to sunset year round and offers bathrooms and picnic tables. It is an Alcohol-free park.

Squantz Pond State Park

Park Overview:

Squantz Pond offers four season enjoyment with steep, wooded slopes, a cool, blue pond and colorful foliage to delight visitors throughout the year.

Squantz Pond immerses the visitor in a “mountain like” setting. Steep, wooded slopes disappear into the cool, blue pond below. In the fall, the park becomes a haven for photographers capturing the colorful reflection of the foliage in the mirrored surface of the water.

Squantz Pond

The state park encompasses 172 acres on the southwestern shore of 270-acre Squantz Pond, offering opportunities for boating, swimming, fishing, and hiking. The park is bordered on the west by Pootatuck State Forest and is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Squantz Pond State Park

The park also offers scuba diving as well as a launch for motorized boating. The park also has canoe and kayak rentals, picnicking facilities that include anchored charcoal grills, and a nature center. The park’s hiking trails grant access to the adjacent Pootatuck State Forest.

History:

In 1926 Squantz Pond was established as a state park through the purchase of a 138-acre farm. The pond and state park are named for Chief Squantz, a leader of the Schaghticoke tribe.

Trails Overview:

Squantz Pond State Park and Pootatuck State Forest contain approximately 1,155 acres and offer the best hiking in New Fairfield. There are some wonderful walks through magical mountain settings with breathtaking vistas, steep, wooded slopes, rapidly flowing streams and many interesting rock formations (including Council Rock), all straddling the cool blue waters of Squantz Pond. There are many miles of trails to explore and any number of loop hikes can be done.

Squantz Pond State Park trail map

“A common geological feature throughout the hike are large boulder falls hugging the steep hillside as far as the eye can see upward and down to the water’s edge. In addition to stepping across and between boulders, the loop’s upper portion winds past large rock formations, some of them modest caves.”
~ Steve Mirsky, Best Easy Day Hikes: Fairfield County (Falcon Guides).

Red Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

The trails are not very well marked and the blazes are faded throughout both the White and Red trails, but for the most part can be followed especially if using the free version of the Avenza Maps app.

Trails used on this hike:

White Trail~ Although the White Trail follows the western shoreline of the pond, it involves many ups and downs over rocky terrain with some tree roots and blowdowns thrown in for good measure. There are nice views of Squantz Pond from several spots along the trail.

White Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

Red Trail~ The Red Trail roughly parallels the White Trail, but higher up on the ridge. It passes through an area with large rock formations and high cliffs. Its southern terminus is at a Fire Road a little higher up on the ridge.

Red Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

Fire Road~ An unmarked wide gravel road that descends to the south and ends at Shortwoods Road.

Fire Road – Squantz Pond State Park

Green/Teal~ I did not notice any blazes on this wide grassy path. This trail connects the Fire Road to the interior of the park. There is a nice view over the pond from the top of the hill.

Green/Teal Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

Hike Overview:

I visited Squantz Pond State Park in June of 2019 and the adjoining Pootatuck State Forest in July of 2021 and really enjoyed the area. Trying to rebound from some medical issues, I was seeking out a spot where I could do a short loop with a bit of elevation thrown in. I decided to pay this spot another visit. Since I was familiar with the lay of the land, this was an easy choice. It had enough ruggedness without being too taxing.

This counterclockwise loop, is a slight variation from the hike that I did in 2019. It begins on the White Trail which follows the shoreline, then climbs on the Red Trail past Council Rock and other interesting rock formations. It finishes on a Fire Road and a grassy path with views over Squantz Pond.

Squantz Pond State Park Loop

Below shows the many ups and downs of the hike, but no significant elevation gain.

elevation profile – Squantz Pond State Park Loop

The Hike:

This hike begins at the southeastern parking area, but if you happen to park in a different lot, just head north towards the beach area of the lake and turn left (west), and follow the shoreline. Near the western shore of the pond, there is a sign post which may be the start of the White Trail, but I didn’t notice any blazes. Soon you’ll descend some railroad tie steps and follow a footpath along the edge of the pond. Descend another set of railroad tie steps, cross a wooden footbridge and turn right.

Head north towards the beach area.

Squantz Pond beach area

Squantz Pond

Start of the White Trail?

White Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

Squantz Pond

White Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

You may begin to see faded white blazes now. The White Trail heads north with Squantz Pond on the right. The White Trail is surprisingly rugged as it travels over undulating terrain. It passes by some large boulders that are scattered near the water. The warning signs are due to numerous deaths in this area over the years from people diving from atop the boulders into the pond. According to DEP records, 10 people have drowned at Squantz Pond since 1998. Most of the drownings have been linked to cliff diving and jumping.

White Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

The trail continues to rise and fall as it travels over rocky terrain. About a mile from the start of the hike, the White Trail reaches a rock outcrop with sweeping views of Squantz Pond. This is a good spot for a break to take in the scenery.

White Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

The White Trail climbs a little as it continues north. A short distance later, the trail descends to pond level and arrives at a junction with the Red Trail. This turn is easy to miss so keep an eye open for it.

White Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

The Red Trail climbs steeply then curves to the left and begins to head south, paralleling the White Trail below. This area is scattered with jumbled boulders that have fallen down the mountain and is quite scenic. At the time of our visit there were numerous fallen trees across the trail that we had to climb over, but nothing too difficult. Like the White Trail, the Red Trail travels over undulating terrain.

Red Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

In just under 400 yards, the Red Trail reaches Council Rock, a massive round slab of rock that rests above other rocks forming a natural canopy. According to local traditions, the rock formation was a gathering place for the Schaghticoke tribe. Chief Squantz, who held sway over the Schaghticoke in the early 1700’s, could stand there, as if at a pulpit, and address a large gathering of his tribesmen.

Council Rock – Red Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

To gain a better perspective of the enormity of this rock formation, the image below shows me standing in front of Council Rock.

Council Rock – Red Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

The Red Trail continues south through the many rock formations that line the trail. There are many crevices that form small caves throughout this area and rock slab walls. After about 0.6 mile from the start of the Red Trail, it comes to a junction with the Purple Trail on the left. Bear right at this junction to remain on the Red Trail.

Red Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

In another 280 feet or so, the Red Trail ends at a Fire Road. Turn left on this gravel road and continue in a southerly direction as the road descends gradually. In about 0.3 mile, The Fire Road crosses a small bridge over a stream. Immediately after crossing this bridge, turn left on the Green/Teal Trail. I did not notice any blazes, but this is a wide road (possibly very muddy after rainfall) that heads east, back into the interior of the park. If you miss this turn, the Fire Road ends at Short Woods Road just up ahead.

Fire Road – Squantz Pond State Park

I thought that this boulder looked like a frog, so I named it accordingly.

“Frog Rock” along the Fire Road

Fire Road – Squantz Pond State Park

The start of this trail is dirt, but soon turns into a grassy mowed path. From the top of the hill, there are nice views of Squantz Pond.

Green/Teal – Squantz Pond State Park

Green/Teal Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

Squantz Pond from the Green/Teal Trail

The trail continues around towards the front entrance to the park. When you reach the Ticket Booth, if you parked in the main lot, proceed back to your vehicle. If you parked at the Boat Launch parking area, continue across the grass field, back to where the hike began.

Green/Teal Trail – Squantz Pond State Park

Ticket Booth – Squantz Pond State Park

Boat Launch parking area – Squantz Pond State Park

Review:

The trails are surprisingly rugged and scenic. We didn’t encounter any other hikers during our time on the trails, which was a pleasant surprise. If you prefer a longer hike, the trails connect with those in Pootatuck State Forest, which is definitely worth a visit as well. The trails do need some maintenance to clear the many downed trees that block the trails and some fresh paint on those faded blazes. Also maybe paint some blazes closer to the junctions to make them easier to see. A gorgeous park that is worth a visit.

Pros:

Scenic landscape, well maintained picnic areas with many anchored charcoal grills, historical features, Council Rock, Squantz Pond.

Cons:

Trail blazes could use a fresh coat of paint and a little maintenance to clear the numerous blowdowns along the trails.

Take a hike!

Squantz Pond State Park Loop

Sources:

Greenwich Point Park

Posted on February 1, 2023

January 21 & 29, 2023 – Old Greenwich, Connecticut

Difficulty: Easy

Length: Approximately 6 trail miles

Max elevation: 34 ft.

Map: Greenwich Point Park Map

Parking: 11 Tods Driftway, Old Greenwich, CT 06870

Paved parking lots – Restrooms on site

Hours: Open year round, daily from 6am to sunset

Fees: You’ll need a non-resident Greenwich beach pass, or Single Entry beach pass. You can purchase these online. Be sure to purchase a pass for each person in your party and a separate pass for your vehicle. Passes are $10 per day per person and a parking pass is $45.

November 1st through April 30th, no fees will be charged to enter Greenwich Point Park

Park Overview:

Greenwich Point Park is a 147-acre Town beach and recreation facility in Old Greenwich, CT. Also known by locals as “Tod’s Point,” it was the former estate of J. Kennedy Tod and many historic buildings still exist in the park. Among them are the Innis Arden Cottage, Seaside Garden and Cowbarn Building, and the Chimes Building. Concessions, restrooms, picnic areas, and walking trails are also found at Greenwich Point. Home to Old Greenwich Yacht Club, there is also a boatyard and a launch for boats and kayaks. Greenwich Point Park is owned by the Town of Greenwich and operated by Greenwich’s Parks and Recreation Department in coordination with the Conservation Commission.

Greenwich Point Park

Greenwich Point Park is situated on the southerly side of Greenwich Cove. Greenwich Cove is located between Cos Cob Harbor and Stamford Harbor in the “Old Greenwich” section of town. The park is essentially an island, connected to the mainland by a causeway which supports the park access road known as Tod’s Driftway.

Aerial view of Greenwich Point Park

There are seven parking lots in the park, five of which are paved. The topography ranges from sea level to a maximum elevation of +40 feet Above Sea Level (ASL). The majority of the park lies within 10-20 foot ASL, with three pronounced knolls rising above the surrounding landscape, in the western, central and eastern portions of the park.

Greenwich Point Park is a Recognized Important Bird Area (IBA) and due to the park’s peninsular geography and the variety of habitats available, it is an important migrant stopover habitat for many species of birds. Good numbers of waterfowl winter offshore and in Eagle Pond, many raptors pass the park in fall migration and the park acts as stopover habitat for some of them.

Bald Eagle

In the winter, the Point is a popular place for dog walkers to walk their dogs. Leashed dogs are allowed at the Point from December 1 to March 31.

History:

The Point was known by the Siwanoy Indians as “Monekewaygo” (shining sands). Beginnning in 1640 with the purchase by Elizabeth Feake, the Point was known as “Elizabeth’s Neck.” Following its purchase by the Tods in the 1880’s, the Point was known as “Innis Arden. Tod and his wife, Marie Howard Potter Tod, owned the land and its estate from 1884 to 1939, the year she died. He willed the property to New York’s Presbyterian Hospital.

On January 10, 1945, the Town of Greenwich purchased Tod’s Point and the Innis Arden estate for $550,000. Upon acquisition, the Town changed the name of the peninsula from Innis Arden (or Tod’s Point) to Greenwich Point, a designation it retains, although many continue to call it Tod’s Point. The Town made immediate changes to its new property, including the renovation of the Tods’ formal walled garden, known today as the Seaside Garden, by the Garden Club of Old Greenwich. In addition, the Old Greenwich Boating Association, which later became the Old Greenwich Yacht Club, transferred its headquarters to Greenwich Point.

For a more detailed history, scroll to the bottom of the page for external links.

Trails Overview:

Paved Loop – Greenwich Point has a 2.25 mile paved loop that offers a scenic opportunity for walking and jogging, as well as, roller blading, biking, and in-line skating.

Beach Loop – Greenwich Point also offers a wonderful 2.35 mile beach loop. After cutting off from Tod’s Driftway you will be on a packed sand and small stone path that allows enjoyment of the ever changing marsh.

Beach Loop – Greenwich Point Park

There are trails that wander off from both the Paved Loop and the Beach Loop towards the interior of the park that are worth exploring as well. You will encounter less people along these trails.

Interior Trails – Greenwich Point Park

On Sundays 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM from mid November to mid April the Friends of Greenwich Point in cooperation with the Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation, sponsors Safe Roads. Visitors can enjoy the open roads as all roads past the main parking lots are closed to vehicular traffic. However, an occasional car is permitted to pass under certain circumstances, so please be aware.

Safe Roads Sundays – Greenwich Point

Hike Overview:

I had this park on my list for many years, but was hesitant to go there because of the “residents-only policy.” Very little information was available online and the park’s website was unclear about non-residents visiting the park. Fast forward a few years and I found that: “In 1968, a Greenwich residents-only policy was instituted on the Point, but that restriction was lifted when the Supreme Court of Connecticut overturned it in 2001.” They do charge a hefty fee for non-residents in season, but November 1st through April 30th, no fees are charged to enter Greenwich Point Park.

We visited this park on two consecutive weekends. On our first visit, it was quite cold and we stuck to the westernmost section of the park, visiting the stone ruins, Seaside Garden, etc. We only walked about 1.5 miles, although we drove a loop through the park at the beginning and picked out a spot to park. The red line on the map below indicates our walking route on that day. The following week, we began at the first parking lot, just past the original entrance gate and walked clockwise. The purple track indicates the route we walked on that day, which totaled about 3.4 miles. The terrain is mostly flat with about 30-40 feet of elevation gain.

Greenwich Point Park

Although we covered most of the park on our two visits, there is more to see that is not listed here. This is the type of park that is worth visiting more than once.

Points of Interest:

Sue H. Baker Pavilion at the Old Barn ~ Originally built by the Tods in 1887, the old livestock and storage barn is the oldest surviving structure at Greenwich Point. Once the town purchased the estate in 1945, the barn underwent many renovations until, at last, it housed a concession stand, a first aid station, and lifeguard lockers.

Sue H. Baker Pavilion at the Old Barn

In 2012, Superstorm Sandy pummeled the coastline with 80 miles per hour winds and tidal floods. While the barn had already been slated for renovation by the Greenwich Point Conservancy, completion of the $650,000 project became urgent. In 2015, the renovated structure was renamed the Sue H. Baker Pavilion at the Old Barn in honor of the co-founder of the Conservancy.

Sue H. Baker Pavilion at the Old Barn

Innis Arden Cottage ~ In 1903, the Tods added a guest cottage just south of the access road to their property. Innis Arden Cottage was built to provide a temporary home for Maria Tod’s widowed sister-in-law, Mrs. Cranston Potter, and her three young daughters. The girls attended the all-girl school, Rosemary Hall, in Rock Ridge for a short time before the family returned to their home in the state of Washington.

Innis Arden Cottage

From 1906 through 1913, the Tods made the Cottage available as a summer retreat for Anna C. Maxwell and her nursing students from the New York Presbyterian Hospital. Maxwell, often referred to as the “American Florence Nightingale,” performed pioneering work in the development of the nursing profession. The Tods’ support of the hospital, and Maxwell in particular, most probably derives from J. S. Kennedy’s tenure as president of the hospital’s board of directors. Besides donating one million dollars to establish a nursing school at the hospital (now known as the Columbia University School of Nursing), Kennedy also recommended Maxwell to be its first director. Maxwell was one of the first women to be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

Innis Arden Cottage

From the back of Innis Arden Cottage, looking slightly northeast, about 1.5 miles away, the Stamford Harbor Ledge Lighthouse is visible on a clear day. The sparkplug lighthouse was built in 1882 and was manufactured in Boston. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

Stamford Harbor Ledge Lighthouse

Original Entrance Gate ~ The original entrance gate to Innis Arden, the 147-acre estate of Mr. and Mrs. J.Kennedy Tod. It is located between Innis Arden Cottage and The Old Barn. The Gate Lodge which was built in 1887, was destroyed by fire in 1904.

Original Entrance Gate

A plaque mounted on one of the stone columns, details some of the history of the structures located within the park.

Original Entrance Gate

375th Anniversary Plaque ~ On Founders’ Day, July 18, 2016, the town attached a commemorative bronze plaque to a small boulder on the bluff at the southeastern tip of the Point. The plaque features a replica of the original deed to the land they now call Old Greenwich.

375th Anniversary Plaque

The plaque also contains the town’s coat-of-arms designed in 1940. The design features a windmill representing the town’s early Dutch influence, a horse’s head for Horseneck (an early name for the land between the Mianus and Byram Rivers), a plow for the agricultural history of the founders, a ship from the coat-of-arms of Greenwich, England, and a clamshell representing the early maritime trade in the town.

375th Anniversary Plaque

Eagle Pond ~ As you head farther out on the Point, you come to the northern land bridge at Eagle Pond; across the Pond is the southern land bridge. Tod created both to connect the two islands. Tod considered himself a naturalist and built the Pond as a bird sanctuary, populated by swans, pelicans, and ducks.

Eagle Pond

View over Eagle Pond towards the Long Island Sound from the Innis Arden House Site. The thin strip of land between the Pond and the Long Island Sound, is the southern land bridge.

Eagle Pond

View of Eagle Pond from Mansion Road.

Eagle Pond

The Pond takes its name from the eagle sculpture that Tod installed in 1905 on the small island on the southern side of the Pond. Local Stamford sculptor and New York hotelier James Knowles created a new bronze eagle for the island in 1979 through the generosity of Helen Binney Kitchel.

Eagle Pond

Ospreys build a stick nest on top of the 14-foot wingspan of the eagle each year from which they can easily see their enemies approaching. The sculpture and nest are best viewed from the eastern side of the pond.

Eagle statue

The Holly Grove ~ Mr. and Mrs. Allan Farrand Kitchel donated twenty-one different species of holly to the town in 1959 in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary. In 2016, the Friends of Greenwich Point, in celebration of their 60th anniversary, began working with the town to restore the Holly Grove. In addition to clearing brush, trimming trees, and planting new hollies, they rebuilt the entrance post with a new sign.

The Holly Grove

Innis Arden House Site ~ J. Kennedy Tod was among the wealthy elite of New York who made the Connecticut coast their playground. Soon after he married Maria Howard Potter, while residing in NYC, they began acquiring acreage on the Point on which they planned to build their summer cottage. By 1887, they had secured title to most of the peninsula. By 1889, the house was complete.

Innis Arden House – Courtesy of Greenwich Historical Society

The style of the manor house was eclectic and uniquely suited to the site. It was designed in the High Victorian Gothic and American Romanesque styles. Thirty European stonemasons, having been brought to America specifically for this work, built the 37-room mansion and its surroundings.

Innis Arden House – Courtesy of Greenwich Historical Society

This magnificent house had to be torn down in 1962 as it needed extensive repairs and required more money, time, and attention than the public coffers could provide.

Courtesy of Greenwich Historical Society

The stone mansion and estate built by railroad tycoon J. Kennedy Tod was the height of seaside luxury. Tod, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, named it Innis Arden, Gaelic for the high meadows.

Innis Arden House Site

Mr. and Mrs. Tod had no children. They passed away in this house in 1925 and 1939, respectively. After Mrs. Tod passed, the estate was ultimately given to the NY Presbyterian Hospital to site a convalescent hospital.

Innis Arden House Site

The Town of Greenwich purchased the property in 1945 and, subsequently, converted the mansion into 13 apartments for returning WWII veterans. Rent was nominal. Approximately 30 veterans’ families lived in the former mansion over the next 15 years. Only the “tower” and part of the foundation remain.

Innis Arden House Site

The view over Eagle Pond and beyond.

Innis Arden House Site

The paved road leading from the Innis Arden House.

Innis Arden House Site

Stone steps on Mansion Road, by the west side of Eagle Pond.

Innis Arden House Site

Mansion Road.

Innis Arden House Site

Mansion Road.

Innis Arden House Site

The Seaside Garden ~ As mentioned earlier, J. Kennedy Tod joined two islands together. The island to the west has twin peaks. The Seaside Garden occupies the northern peak and Innis Arden House, the southern peak. The Tods commissioned Marian Cruger Coffin to design and build the walled garden in 1918.

The Seaside Garden

In 1945, the Garden Club of Old Greenwich restored Mrs. Tod’s walled garden. In 1964, the Knollwood Garden Club assumed responsibility for the care and preservation of the garden.

The Seaside Garden

Shell Beach ~ is a strip of shoreline that is covered in sea shells along the westernmost section of the park.

Shell Beach

Views ~ Surrounded by water on three sides, Greenwich Point Park, on a clear day, affords magnificent views of the Long Island Sound, with the New York City skyline to the southwest. To the north there are views over Greenwich Cove.

New York City skyline

Long Island Sound

Views are pretty much everywhere you walk. Below is a view of Eagle Pond from the southern end of Mansion Road.

Eagle Pond

Wildlife ~ Officially designated an Important Bird Area, Greenwich Point Park, is a great place to watch birds year round. Migrating songbirds, shorebirds, flycatchers, hawks and more stop by in spring and fall, a variety of waterfowl feed in the waters of Long Island Sound in the winter, and summer brings breeding birds and waders.

On our visit we saw a variety of waterfowl and plenty of seagulls, but the prize was watching a Bald Eagle soar overhead and land in a tree by the parking lot near the original entrance gate, shortly after we arrived.

Bald Eagle

Review:

This park is absolutely gorgeous and the amount of people that flock here, even in winter, confirms it. On our first visit, it was in the low to mid 30’s and I was quite surprised at how many people were walking around. Although there were many people out walking, quite a few with their leashed dogs, it never felt crowded. Foot traffic is mostly concentrated along the paved paths/roads. There is a lot to see and photograph here, so bring your camera and check it out for yourself.

Pros:

Scenic landscape, historical features, gorgeous views, serene environment.

Cons:

Hefty fees in season for non-residents, attracts crowds year-round.

Sources:

Snake Hill from San Giacomo Park

Posted on November 16, 2022

November 12, 2022 – New Windsor, NY

Difficulty: Easy – Moderate

Length: Approximately 2 miles

Max elevation: 705 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 450 ft.

Route type: Lollipop Loop

Free map: Snake Hill Trail Map 2022 – Scenic Hudson

Trailhead parking: San Giacomo Park, 402 Union Ave, New Windsor, NY 12553

Large paved parking lot – Restrooms on site

Park Closes At Dusk

San Giacomo Park and Snake Hill are Carry-in/Carry-out areas

Details on a hike to Snake Hill via a different route:

Snake Hill Loop from Crystal Lake

Overview:

Snake Hill rises 700 feet above the Hudson River and is the highest elevation along Newburgh’s boundary with the Town of New Windsor. Snake Hill is the dominant feature of the landscape surrounding Newburgh and New Windsor.

Snake Hill as viewed from Denning’s Point – 2022

Snake Hill as viewed from Mount Beacon – 2016

Snake Hill is a local landmark that offers sweeping views of the Hudson River and surrounding landscape from its summit. The Hill straddles the City of Newburgh/Town of New Windsor. It drops off precipitously to the east, giving unobstructed views of the Hudson River, the East Hudson Highlands, the cities of Newburgh and New Windsor, Pollepel Island to the southeast, and Storm King Mountain to the south.

View from Snake Hill

San Giacomo Park is a 9-acre Town Park that has the following amenities: Dog Park (Membership Required For Dog Park), Basketball Courts, Tennis Courts, Playground, and Restrooms. Park Closes At Dusk.

San Giacomo Park

History:

Once named Muchattoes Hill (Much-Hattoos, Much-Hattoes), which loosely translated means bad or evil small hill. In local nomenclature the hill has long been known as Snake Hill from the abundance of rattlesnakes that inhabited it, though few have been seen there in recent years.

At the summit of Snake Hill there is a rock outcrop referred to as “Spy Rock.” According to the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands, “Legends say local Indians and then colonial militia used the high point to watch activity on the Hudson.”

Blue Trail benches – Snake Hill

During the American Revolution, patriots kept a signal fire in readiness atop Snake Hill to warn surrounding communities of a British invasion upriver.

Although the land didn’t face any threat of development, Scenic Hudson felt it was worth permanently protecting and the opportunity to do so arose. Scenic Hudson paid $1.06 million for 95 acres, comprising the bulk of Snake Hill, in 2004.

The trails were built from 2017-2018 (finished in spring of 2018) by Scenic Hudson and volunteers. Scenic Hudson maintains the trails, again with volunteer help.

Thanks to Reed Sparling, Writer and Scenic Hudson Historian for providing the information on its history.

Trails Overview:

There are three marked trails on the map and a paved road that cuts through the center of the property. There are also some unmarked “social” trails as well. The official trails are well marked and relatively easy to follow, although they can use an extra blaze or two at a couple of turns.

Snake Hill Trail Map – 2022

The trails are marked with Scenic Hudson round plastic discs in various colors.

Snake Hill – Scenic Hudson

The Yellow Trail, travels through the City of Newburgh property and is marked with painted rectangular blazes. The Scenic Hudson trail map only shows the spur that leads to the view which doesn’t have many blazes.

Yellow Trail – Snake Hill

Hike Overview:

I first hiked Snake Hill in early September, 2022. I enjoyed the view so much that I came back two more times since then. Snake Hill has some of the best views anywhere up and down the Hudson River. Normally I am an early morning hiker to secure a parking spot and avoid the crowds. But this hike is better done after midday. Midday you ask? Yes, because as fabulous as the views are, on a sunny day, the sun is right in your face as you try to photograph and/or enjoy the views. Since it was raining all through the night and into the morning of this hike, I decided it was a good time to return. When the rain ended it became a little hazy, but still these views have to be experienced to truly appreciate them.

This is a short Lollipop Loop with the stick being at the far end. It can be combined with some of the other trails for a slightly longer hike. We utilized the paved road for our return route after stopping at the bench view for a second time.

Snake Hill from San Giacomo Park

elevation profile – Snake Hill from San Giacomo Park

The Hike:

This hike begins near the northeast area of the parking lot. Follow an unmarked footpath past the gate and turn left on the paved road. In about 180 feet, turn right on the White Trail, which is marked with three white blazes and a sign. You will be following the White Trail for the next 1/2 mile or so.

San Giacomo Park trailhead

Turn left after the gate

Asphalt Road – San Giacomo Park

White Trail – Snake Hill

The White Trail climbs gradually through the woods passing some interesting looking boulders that are scattered about. In about 0.4 mile, the White Trail reaches a slanted rock outcrop with wide ranging views over the Hudson River.

White Trail – Snake Hill

Storm King Mountain and Butter Hill is visible to the right. Across the Hudson River, a good stretch of the East Hudson Highlands can be seen with Pollepel Island and Bannerman’s Castle near its shore.

White Trail – Snake Hill

White Trail – Snake Hill

There were plenty of vultures and several hawks circling high above on this day. The communications towers visible to the left are on North Beacon Mountain.

Turkey Vulture – Snake Hill

North Beacon Mountain just right of center and the Mount Beacon Fire Tower can be seen on the high point on the far right.

White Trail – Snake Hill

The White Trail climbs rather steeply, and soon ends at a junction with the Blue Trail, which comes in from the left. Proceed ahead on the Blue Trail, passing a rock outcrop just off the trail with similar views as those on the White Trail.

White Trail – Snake Hill

Blue Trail – Snake Hill

In a short distance, the Blue Trail ends at a large rock outcrop fitted with two benches. This makes for a great spot to relax and enjoy the glorious views.

Blue Trail – Snake Hill

Known as “Spy Rock,” Legend has it that local Indians and then colonial militia used this high point to watch for activity on the Hudson. During the American Revolution, patriots kept a signal fire in readiness at this spot to warn surrounding communities of British troops’ movements.

Blue Trail – Snake Hill

A good chunk of the Hudson River Highlands can be viewed from this very spot.

View from Snake Hill

Blue Trail – Snake Hill

When you are ready to continue, follow the unmarked footpath directly behind the benches out to the paved access road and turn right. Follow the asphalt road as it heads northeast along the summit ridge, soon passing a communications tower on the left.

Unmarked footpath – Snake Hill summit

Turn right on the paved road

Paved access road – Snake Hill

Communication tower – Snake Hill

Once you pass the tower, the road is no longer paved until you get to the next tower.

Unpaved road – Snake Hill

I have no idea what the purpose of this contraption is. It’s a small locker strung up on this pole using insulated electrical wires. By the way it is rigged up, it appears that it could be raised and lowered. If anyone knows what this is used for, please comment below. It was here the last two times that I hiked this area.

Unpaved road – Snake Hill

Soon, the road comes to a gate with another communications tower just beyond on the left. You are now leaving Scenic Hudson property and entering property owned by the City of Newburgh. Proceed downhill on the paved road past the gate for about 400 feet. After passing telephone pole #38, turn right on a woods road that heads uphill briefly then turns left. This is the route of the Yellow Trail even though you may not see any blazes. The trail dead ends in about 360 feet at another lovely viewpoint.

Unpaved road – Snake Hill

Communications tower – Snake Hill

Paved access road – Snake Hill

Telephone pole 38 – paved access road – Snake Hill

Yellow Trail – Snake Hill

Here the panorama is more extensive, with views north as well as south. The Beacon waterfront and the East Hudson Highlands can be seen across the river. The historic architecture of Newburgh is visible down below to the north with the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge just beyond.

Yellow Trail – Snake Hill

When you are done enjoying the view, retrace your steps on the Yellow Trail back to the paved road and turn left. Continue retracing your steps past the two communications towers and continue downhill on the paved road. We stopped at the viewpoint with the benches one more time then returned to the paved road, following it downhill all the way to San Giacomo Park, where the hike began.

Yellow Trail – Snake Hill

Turn left on paved access road

Unmarked footpath – Snake Hill summit

Blue Trail benches – Snake Hill

Blue Trail benches view – Snake Hill

Paved access road – Snake Hill

Angry boulder – Snake Hill

Review:

This is one of my favorite views, so much so that I have hiked it three times in two months. We saw two people at the first viewpoint on the White Trail and no one thereafter. I am surprised that each time that I have hiked Snake Hill, I haven’t seen more than a couple of people. This is a great spot for a relatively easy hike and those benches are great. I highly recommend this hike to those that enjoy Hudson Valley views.

Pros:

Outstanding views, well marked trails, no litter (let’s keep it that way!), not much foot traffic, large paved parking lot that feels safe to leave your vehicle.

Cons:

None.

Take a hike!

Snake Hill from San Giacomo Park

Sources:

Snake Hill – Scenic Hudson

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Posted on November 6, 2022

November 5, 2022 – Haverstraw, NY

Rehiked August 17, 2025

Difficulty: Easy

Length: Approximately 4.5 miles

Max elevation: 131 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 373 ft.

Route type: Out and back

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Hudson Palisades Trails Map #111 (2023)

Trailhead parking: Hudson River Greenway trailhead & parking
Riverside Ave, Haverstraw, NY 10927

Paved parking area for about 8 cars – No restrooms on site

The park is open year-round, from dawn to dusk.

Overview:

The 73-acre Haverstraw Beach State Park is nestled between the high cliffs of Hook Mountain and the Hudson River. It is a component of the larger Rockland Lake State Park complex. The park complex is located on the Hudson River in central Rockland County in the lower Hudson Valley. Haverstraw Beach State Park is minimally developed, and is NOT a swimming beach, but primarily offers trails for biking, hiking and dog-walking. Scenic vistas overlooking the Hudson River, can be found within the park. The Hook Mountain/Nyack Beach Bikeway/River Trail runs through the park.

Haverstraw Beach, Rockland Lake, Hook Mountain and Nyack Beach state parks are together nearly 2,000 acres of public land. The four adjacent state parks are linked together by hiking and biking trails and function as one park system.

The park complex is located in the Palisades Region that is jointly administered by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) and NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP).

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

History:

In Dutch, “Haverstroo” means “oat straw,” possibly suggested by the wild oats that grew at the waterfront beds of natural clay in the area. This clay helped the Haverstraw area play a significant role in the brick industry, due to the clay content in the soil and the large quantity of wood available nearby, including wood from Hook Mountain that was needed to fire the furnaces. Some evidence from this time period remains in the area in the form of ruins and discarded bricks.

On the night of September 21st, 1780, British spy Major John André traveled north on a British sloop, the H.M.S. Vulture. At the same time, American General Benedict Arnold traveled south from West Point to Haverstraw. Arnold met Andre along the Hudson River shoreline near Haverstraw’s Dutchtown in the early morning hours of September 22, 1780. A stone marker identifies the place where Andre landed (Andre’s Dock).

Treason Rock Map

The H.M.S. Vulture was anchored in Haverstraw Bay just off Teller’s Point (Croton Point Park), while a rowboat brought André ashore for the meeting with Arnold. A historical marker along the River Trail designates the area where American General Benedict Arnold met secretly with British Major John André in the pre-dawn darkness on September 22, 1780 in order to finalize plans for Arnold’s betrayal of West Point to the British.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

The park’s location was formerly known as Snedeker’s Landing then later on Waldberg Landing. Early in the 19th Century the Snedeker family’s landing on the Hudson shore below, came into use for local shipping. In 1845 the Snedekers established a shipyard with marine railway for repairing brickyard vessels and a dock for scheduled steamboats. The entire yard was demolished by fire in 1854 and abandoned. Later during the Conger family ownership it became known as Waldberg Landing.

The Palisades Interstate Park Commission purchased what was to become the park in 1911 to protect the land from the effects of quarrying that were impacting the Hudson River Palisades during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Many of the historic structures and sites found on Hook Mountain, Nyack Beach and Haverstraw Beach State Parks are remnants of a former park complex developed by PIPC after the purchase of the land in 1911.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Trails Overview:

The Long Path runs along the escarpment above, while a bike path follows the river’s edge from Haverstraw Beach State Park in “Dutchtown,” a quaint section of Haverstraw, to Nyack Beach State Park in Upper Nyack. Visitors can bike, hike, walk, or run for almost 5 uninterrupted miles along the Hudson River. The River Trail is the only trail along the lower Hudson River in New York, that does not share its waterfront with a train line or highway. The Long Path parallels this trail high above atop the cliffs.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Three connecting trails to the Long Path, one each at the north, south, and middle points of the magnificent facade of Hook Mountain, allow for circular hikes of varying lengths. The full loop of the Long Path and bike path is 12 miles.

The section of the River Trail chronicled here, runs near the base of Hook Mountain and is part of Hudson River Valley Greenway. The approximately 10-foot wide path is paved at the northern end, but transitions to crumbling asphalt then gravel as it heads south.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Hike Overview:

Looking to get outside on a warm November day, I was looking for more of an easy stroll than an actual hike. Originally, I was going to walk the River Trail from Nyack Beach State Park, but having walked that section numerous times, decided to start at the northern end in Haverstraw. I also wanted to check out “Treason Rock” also known as “Traitor’s Rock.” An engraved boulder on the shore of the Hudson River, marking the spot where Major John André landed in Haverstraw to plot the surrender of West Point with General Benedict Arnold. The problem is, the engraved boulder can only be viewed during low tide. I will have to go back another time to actually see it. The NY-NJ Trail Conference map shows Treason Rock on land, but it is actually on the shore of the river.

Treason Rock – Photo by Joe Harness – August 14, 2010

This section of the River Trail is less popular and thus less traveled than the area around Nyack Beach State Park. There being only 8 parking spaces may be one of the reasons that this section sees less foot traffic. We saw about a 1/2 dozen people walking and about the same amount of bikers. Unlike the section at Nyack Beach State Park which runs mostly at river level, the River Trail in Haverstraw Beach State Park runs higher above the river with a few spur trails that descend to river level.

This is an easy out and back which can be easily turned into a longer and more challenging hike by utilizing the Long Path, or continuing along the River Trail 4.9 miles to Nyack Beach State Park.

Haverstraw Beach State Park

As you can see below, the River Trail is mostly moderate rolling terrain, with little elevation gain.

elevation profile – Haverstraw Beach State Park

The Hike:

This hike begins at the Hudson River Greenway trailhead parking area, at the end of Riverside Avenue, where there are lined parking spaces for 8 vehicles.

Hudson River Greenway trailhead & parking

Proceed past the gate on the paved River Trail. This is a multi-use path so be vigilant of passing two-wheelers and runners.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

As you walk south on the River Trail, the Hudson River is visible through the trees on the left. In about 250 yards, there is a historical marker alongside the pathway detailing American General Benedict Arnold’s meeting with British spy John André.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

In about 0.3 mile from the parking area, there is a footpath on the left that leads down to old Redstone Beach, which was abandoned sometime after World War II. We continued past and explored this area on the way back.

Trail to Redstone Beach – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Just ahead are the remains of the caretaker’s home, barely visible through the vegetation.

Abandoned caretaker’s home – Redstone Beach

A short distance ahead, there is a deteriorated old park building on the left.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Soon, the River Trail passes stone quarries that were abandoned in the early 1900’s. A few hundred yards south, one can see the foundation and massive concrete footings of the Foss stone crusher (Wilson Perkins Foss), down below on the left.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

The River Trail climbs gradually and passes a concrete and brick shelter built into the hillside. Possibly a crude blast shelter to protect workers from blasts, explosions and rock slides during quarry operations.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Fencing has been placed at points of erosion to warn visitors of steep slopes and reduce the risk of accidents.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

About 1.5 miles from the start, the River Trail comes to a viewpoint over the Hudson River and Croton Point Park. There are a couple of large stone blocks placed here to sit upon. This makes for a good spot to take a break and enjoy the view.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

I spotted something floating in the river, possibly a personal flotation device that fell out of a boat.

Something floating in the river

Boat on the Hudson

The viewpoint makes for a good turnaround spot, but we continued south for a short distance and were glad that we did.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

A large hollowed out fallen tree which would make a nice shelter for some critters.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

I happened to spot a Bald Eagle perched on a tree overlooking the river. He stayed there posing for us for quite some time, then flew off looking for something to eat I presume.

Bald Eagle – Haverstraw Beach State Park

We then retraced our steps on the River Trail and when we got to the footpath to Redstone Beach, we turned right and descended towards the river’s edge.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Redstone Beach Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

The area is now in ruins and a little overgrown, but in its heyday was quite active. There are remnants of park benches and walkways designed to accommodate visitors who used the Hudson River for swimming and other recreational activities.

Redstone Beach – Haverstraw Beach State Park

What remains of an old park building, possibly a changing room for beach-goers, is situated close to the edge of the river.

Redstone Beach – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Shoreline view of the Hudson River east to Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County.

Redstone Beach – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Looking south, that strip of land jutting out into the river behind the buoy, is Teller’s Point in Croton Point Park

Redstone Beach – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Looking directly across the Hudson River to Croton-On-Hudson.

Redstone Beach – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Looking north towards Haverstraw and beyond.

Redstone Beach – Haverstraw Beach State Park

This location throughout history has had a number of names. originally it was called Snedekers Landing, then Waldberg Landing, and finally Redstone Beach.

Redstone Beach – Haverstraw Beach State Park

The concrete table tops are pretty much intact, but have been separated from the legs.

Redstone Beach – Haverstraw Beach State Park

A small park building, a concession stand perhaps?

Redstone Beach – Haverstraw Beach State Park

After exploring Redstone Beach for a bit, we returned to the River Trail, turned right and walked back to the parking area, where the hike began.

River Trail – Haverstraw Beach State Park

Review:

A really nice walk with little foot traffic. The trail is mostly shaded and with minimal elevation gain, makes it ideal for a hot summer day. In winter, probably a good spot to view Bald Eagles and other birds of prey. In Autumn, the scenery is quite nice.

Pros:

Easy walking trail, historical features, Hudson River views. wildlife.

Cons:

None.

Take a hike!

Haverstraw Beach State Park

Sources:

Giant Stairs Loop – Palisades Interstate Park

Posted on October 30, 2022

October 30, 2022 – Closter, NJ

Difficulty: Strenuous

Length: Approximately 4.6 miles

Max elevation: 535 ft. – total elevation gain approximately 841 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Map: Hudson Palisades Trails Map #109 – Web Map – Palisades Interstate Park

Trailhead parking: State Line Lookout, Closter, NJ 07624

Parking Fees: Weekend Rates: $2.50/hr. – Weekday Rates: $1.50/hr. (First hour is free at State Line Lookout)

Restrooms on site

Please note: Don’t attempt this hike if it’s wet or icy outside.

Details on Giant Stairs hikes via different routes:

Overview:

This hike explores the northern end of the New Jersey Section of Palisades Interstate Park. It incorporates a number of scenic features and, for nearly the entire distance, you are far away from the noise of the Parkway. It is also the most difficult hike in the park, as it involves not only steep climbs and descents on uneven rock steps, but also nearly a mile of walking near the shore of the river on jumbled rocks.

The image below shows the jumbled rocks and boulders beneath the State Line Lookout that comprises the “Giant Stairs.”

Giant Stairs – aerial view

Trails Overview:

This hike incorporates segments of the Long Path, the Shore Trail and an abandoned section of Old Route 9W. The marked trails are well blazed and for the most part, easy to follow. The mile long section of jumbled rocks and boulders along the Shore Trail referred to as “The Giant Stairs,” has some fresh white blazes, making it much easier to follow than the previous times that I visited. The key is to keep an eye out for the next white blaze before you move forward.

Hike Overview:

I have done this hike on two separate occasions, using slightly different routes in July of 2016 and 2017. The rocks can get awfully hot during the summer months and in one area you are totally exposed to the elements. This time I waited for a little cooler weather at the tail end of the Fall foliage season. Even though we got an early start (8am), it wasn’t long until we encountered hordes of people along the Giant Stairs section. For the most part, almost everyone that we encountered were going in the opposite direction. My reasoning for doing this hike counterclockwise is that when the Giant Stairs section is completed, Peanut Leap Falls and the ruins of an Italian Garden makes for a good spot to relax before tackling the steep climb back up. I have yet to see Peanut Leap Falls actually flowing, but there are numerous places to sit in that area for a well needed rest.

This hike was done counterclockwise from the State Line Lookout.

Giant Stairs Loop – Palisades Interstate Park

As the elevation graph indicates, there is a steep descent to river level at the beginning of the hike and a steep climb back up to the top of the cliffs near the end of the hike.

elevation profile – Giant Stairs Loop

The Hike:

This hike begins in the parking area at the State Line Lookout. Proceed ahead towards the Palisades cliffs to get some immediate views up and down the Hudson River. If you get lucky, you may see a Peregrine Falcon or two perched on the cliff. When you are done checking out the views, head south along the abandoned section of Old Route 9W, with the rock wall on your left. In about 600 feet, the old section of Route 9W reaches the entrance road to the State Line Lookout. Proceed carefully ahead along the shoulder of the road. In about another 400 yards, turn left on the aqua-blazed Long Path, which heads south, parallel to the cliffs.

State Line Lookout

State Line Lookout entrance road

Turn left on the Long Path

Long Path – Palisades Interstate Park

There is a good viewpoint over the river just to the left of the trail (use caution here, as there is a steep dropoff). Just beyond, the trail starts a steep descent on rock steps, built by the park in the early years of the twentieth century. Use extreme caution when descending these steps, as they are somewhat uneven. The steps can be particularly hazardous when wet or covered with leaves.

Long Path – Palisades Interstate Park

After crossing a small stream on a wooden footbridge, you’ll reach a trail junction. The Long Path turns right, but you should bear left, now following the blue/white-blazed Forest View Trail. A sign indicates that it is 0.3 mile from this point to the Shore Trail, but the distance will probably seem much longer. The steep descent continues, first on more rock steps, then on switchbacks, some of which are well graded, but others are rocky and uneven.

Long Path – Palisades Interstate Park

Forest View Trail – Palisades Interstate Park

You’ll finally reach the bottom of the descent, marked by a large boulder. Here you should turn left and head north on the white-blazed Shore Trail. Soon, you’ll emerge onto an open area covered with vines.

End of Forest View Trail – Palisades Interstate Park

Shore Trail – Palisades Interstate Park

A short distance beyond, you’ll reach a field of jumbled boulders. This is the beginning of the Giant Stairs, the most challenging section of the hike. After taking in the panoramic view to the north along the river and over the striking Palisades cliffs, bear left and follow the white blazes as they begin to climb over the rocks, paying careful attention to the white paint blazes.

Shore Trail – Palisades Interstate Park

Start of Giant Stairs – Palisades Interstate Park

Giant Stairs – Palisades Interstate Park

For the next half mile, the trail follows a rocky path about 100 vertical feet above the river. You’ll have to use care in deciding where to take each step. In about half an hour, the trail emerges onto a huge talus field, made up of large boulders that have fallen down from the cliffs above. This is the site of the massive rockslide that took place at 7:28 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, 2012, in which a large section of the cliff face broke off and tumbled down to the river. There are panoramic views across the river, and the lighter-faced rock column on the cliff indicates where the rocks fell from.

Giant Stairs – Palisades Interstate Park

At the end of the talus field, the trail reenters the woods. In about ten minutes, it comes out on another talus slope and then, after briefly passing through a wooded section, it emerges onto a third talus slope, marked by a huge tree stump. Again, you’re afforded a panoramic view over the river, and you’ll want to stop to rest from this difficult section of the hike and enjoy the view.

Giant Stairs – Palisades Interstate Park

The trail now descends and eventually comes close to river level. You’ll encounter one more rocky section, but this one is much easier to negotiate. After about a mile of walking on a relatively smooth footpath along the river, you’ll go through a gate in a rusted chain-link fence. A short distance beyond, you’ll reach the Peanut Leap Cascade. Adjacent to this waterfall, which is truly spectacular after heavy rains, are the ruins of the Italian Garden, built about 1900 by the sculptress Mary Lawrence-Tonetti, whose family owned an estate at nearby Sneden’s Landing.

Giant Stairs – Palisades Interstate Park

End of the Giant Stairs – Palisades Interstate Park

NY/NJ border fence – Shore Trail

Shore Trail – Palisades Interstate Park

A very dry Peanut Leap Cascade

Italian Garden ruins – Palisades Interstate Park

View from Italian Garden ruins – Palisades Interstate Park

From river level back to the top of the cliffs, you will gain about 500 feet in elevation. Rest up here, before you tackle the steep climb.

Shore Trail – Palisades Interstate Park

After spending some time at this interesting and beautiful spot, follow the white-blazed Shore Trail as it turns left, away from the river, and climbs on wooden steps and switchbacks. It parallels the stream leading to the waterfall for a short distance and soon ends at a junction with the aqua-blazed Long Path.

Shore Trail – Palisades Interstate Park

There are several ways that one can go here. We chose to continue straight onto the Long Path until we reached the northern end of the abandoned section of Route 9W.

Terminus of Shore Trail – Palisades Interstate Park

Long Path – Palisades Interstate Park

Turn left onto Old Route 9W (a wide concrete road), and follow it back to the State Line Lookout, where the hike began.

Abandoned section of Route 9W

Review:

I’ve done this hike now three separate times with slight variations of the route. Each time it has been challenging, but lots of fun. This is a very popular hike and is best done on a weekday to avoid the crowds.

Pros:

Giant Stairs rock scramble, Hudson River views, Palisades cliffs, ruins, waterfall.

Cons:

A lot of Poison Ivy along the Shore Trail.

Take a hike!

Giant Stairs Loop – Palisades Interstate Park

Sources:

High View Tunnel – Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest

Posted on October 23, 2022

October 22, 2022 – Wurtsboro, NY

Difficulty: Easy

Length: Approximately 2 miles

Max elevation: 810 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 150 ft.

Route type: Out and back

Free map: Shawangunk Ridge Trail Map – 2016

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Shawangunk Trails Map 106B – 2019

Trailhead parking: 26 VFW Road, Wurtsboro, NY 12790

Dirt parking area for about 10 cars – No restrooms on site

Please Note: It is not safe to enter this tunnel because it has not been maintained since the 1950’s, it is flooded and there is the danger of falling debris along with other hazards when exploring abandoned places. It is also rumored that people have drowned in the tunnel.

Overview:

The High View Tunnel, also known as the Shawangunk Tunnel or the Bloomingburg Tunnel, was completed in 1871 through the Shawangunk Mountains by the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad (NY&OM), predecessor of the New York, Ontario & Western Railway (NYO&W or O&W). At 3,855-foot in length, High View is the longest among the four tunnels on the O&W.

High View Tunnel

Although the tunnel is located on property owned by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, the High View Tunnel is adjacent to Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest where there is trailhead parking for the Long Path/SRT on VFW Road. Since the the hike begins and ends in Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest, I named it as part of the state forest in order to make it easier to identify its location.

History:

The New York, Ontario & Western Railway (O&W, NYO&W) was a regional railroad that connected Oswego, New York to Weehawken Terminal in New Jersey. At the end of the 19th century, the O&W Railway was the best way for New York City passengers to make their way to the Catskill Mountains. It is the first notable railroad in America to have its mainline entirely abandoned.

New York, Ontario and Western Railroad

In 1868, the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad (Midland), predecessor to the O&W, began building its mainline from Weehawken, New Jersey to Oswego, New York. The route selected would pass through the Shawangunk Ridge via a tunnel between Wurtsboro on the west and Bloomingburg on the east. Construction began in 1868 at both ends of the tunnel. Three years later, Midland completed the High View Tunnel after excavating through 3855 feet of Shawangunk Grit. When the workers finally met in the middle, to everyone’s delight they were only a few feet apart.

The High View Tunnel operated from 1871 until 1957 but not without its problems, mainly water and falling rock. While Shawangunk Grit is impervious to water, the open seams running through the grit are perfect waterways. Once abandoned, the tunnel continued to take on water with no one taking steps to dewater the tunnel. Meanwhile, NYS Route 17 was built over the High View Tunnel and, at one point, future plans called for a ramp directly over the North Portal. Those plans have since been scrapped.

In 1980, possibly in response to rumors of a drowning in the High View Tunnel, an attempt was made to seal the North Portal. Despite efforts, the portal wasn’t completely sealed and the resulting large debris pile in the front of the North Portal allowed even more water to collect in the tunnel (the crest of the tunnel is near the South Portal which is private property). An early 1970’s view of the masonry North Portal shows already some deterioration had taken place. This gives a good indication that perhaps as much as twenty feet was collapsed and excavated in the attempt to shut off access.

High View Tunnel – 1970’s

The New York Department of Transportation grew concerned that the higher water levels (estimated at 13 feet in some places) could weaken the tunnel, posing a threat to Route 17 (I-86). The DOT cleared the debris from the North Portal in 2006, thereby reducing the water level to about 3 feet nearest the North Portal.

Hike Overview:

I visited the High View Tunnel in 2016 and decided to pay it a return visit. Not much has changed since then, but the abandoned railbed seems to have taken on more water or at least it appeared that way. On this visit, we couldn’t get as close to the tunnel as last time due to the amount of water near the entrance of the north portal of the tunnel. So much water that Gaia GPS has it listed as “High View Tunnel Outflow Stream” on its online maps. Although I had on waterproof boots, the water was much deeper than the top of my boots. Also the ground was muddy enough in places to suck the boots right off your feet if you stepped in the wrong spot.

High View Tunnel

The hike begins at VFW Post 4947 which is the former Mamakating Depot for O&W Main Line and is on the same grade as the High View Tunnel. Long before O&W trains stopped running in 1957, the company had closed the Mamakating Depot. The building was in disrepair when VFW Post 4947 purchased it for their base of operations.

Mamakating Depot

VFW Post 4947

There is parking along the left side of the building as you drive in. DO NOT block the gate or the entrance road. There is a scrap yard near the entrance to VFW Road that has several barking dogs of various sizes. We heard them barking as we began the hike, and as we were returning to the parking area, two medium sized dogs approached us barking, but retreated once I yelled at them. Just a heads up to be vigilant if you decide to visit.

This is a relatively easy and straightforward out and back hike. If you so choose, you can walk back down VFW Road, bypassing the trail and cross the road to reach the abandoned railbed. I chose to use the SRT/Long Path south to reach the road and a short section of the railbed between the VFW and the road to return to the parking area, to eliminate the road walk.

High View Tunnel

As you can see from the elevation graph, it’s a relatively level hike.

elevation profile – High View Tunnel

The Hike:

Walk to the back of the parking area towards the gate. beyond the gate is the continuation of the abandoned railbed heading north. To the right of that concrete block are three white blazes on a tree. That is the start of the Connector Trail that leads to the co-aligned Long Path/SRT. The White Trail climbs for about 400 feet until its terminus at a T-intersection with the Shawangunk Ridge Trail (SRT). Turn right at the junction and follow the SRT south as it weaves its way through the woods.

VFW Road trailhead parking

White Connector Trail – Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest

Long Path/SRT – Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest

In about 350 yards, the SRT reaches Sullivan County Route 171 (Mamakating Road). Here the Long Path/SRT turns right and begins a road walk, but you should carefully cross the road. This is a hairpin curve where cars speed by with a limited sight distance so be alert when crossing here.

Long Path/SRT – Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest

Directly across the road is a bridge abutment that supported the railroad bridge. To the left of the abutment is an access road that leads to the abandoned railbed. Follow the road up the hill and turn left, heading south.

Sullivan County Route 171 – Mamakating Road

Access Road to abandoned railbed

Abandoned railbed – High View Tunnel

Once on the railbed, it’s about a 0.7-mile, mostly flat walk to the north portal of the High View Tunnel.

Abandoned railbed – High View Tunnel

In another 350 yards or so, on the left, there is a concrete telephone booth. The C.F. Massey Company, based in Chicago, manufactured these enclosures for any number of purposes, such as telephone booths, outhouses, watch shanties, and oil storage sheds.

Abandoned railbed – concrete telephone booth

Abandoned railbed – High View Tunnel

Not far from the concrete telephone booth, there are still some concrete footings that supported the signal towers.

Abandoned railbed – concrete footing

A short distance later, as the railbed approaches a rock cut, there are some leaning trees and caution is advised when walking underneath them.

Abandoned railbed – High View Tunnel

After passing through the rock cut, you will arrive at the High View Tunnel Outflow Stream. This stream flows out of the north portal and courses downhill to your right. Do your best to keep your feet dry in this area.

High View Tunnel Outflow Stream

On the right side of the railbed is an old explosives magazine, used for the “day storage” of explosives. The robust stone walls, inward opening steel door, and flimsy wood roof were designed to contain any accidental blast and direct it skyward. It was used during the tunnel’s construction, and possibly in later years to help clear the frequent cave-ins that occurred.

Abandoned railbed – explosives magazine

The water gets deeper and the grip of the mud gets stronger as you near the tunnel.

Abandoned railbed – High View Tunnel

This is about as far as we got on this day. I didn’t want to risk losing a boot or getting water over the top of my boots.

Abandoned railbed – High View Tunnel

The image below is from 2016. It was taken from about the same spot as the image above. Notice the row of rocks in the foreground lined across the railbed. These same rocks are now underwater in the image above in 2022.

Abandoned railbed – High View Tunnel

High View Tunnel

Since we didn’t get as close as I would have liked, I included an image from 2016 of the interior of the tunnel.

High View Tunnel – 2016

From here it’s just a matter of retracing your steps back to CR 171 (Mamakating Road) and carefully crossing the road. Instead of taking the Long Path/SRT, we found the abandoned railbed on the north side of the road and followed that back past the VFW, to the parking area, where the hike began.

Access Road to abandoned railbed

Abandoned railbed on north side of CR 171 (Mamakating Road)

VFW Post 4947

Review:

A short hike, but it could be made longer by taking the abandoned railbed north from the VFW or for a more challenging hike, you can take the SRT/Long Path north in Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest. The tunnel itself makes for a good point of interest as well as the remnants of the railroad that once passed through here.

Pros:

High View Tunnel, railroad ruins, secluded area.

Cons:

A lot of water near the north portal of the tunnel.

Take a hike!

High View Tunnel – Wurtsboro Ridge State Forest

Sources:

Shawangunk Ridge State Forest Loop from Cox Road Trailhead

Posted on October 19, 2022

October 15, 2022 – Pine Bush, NY

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: Approximately 3.5 miles

Max elevation: 1,791 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 550 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Free map: Shawangunk Ridge State Forest Trail Map – 2021

Free map: Shawangunk Ridge Trail Map – 2016

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Shawangunk Trails Map 106B – 2019

Trailhead parking: Cox Road Parking Area – 336 Cox Rd, Pine Bush, NY 12566

Gravel parking lot for about 15 cars – No restrooms on site

Shawangunk Ridge State Forest is a Carry-in/Carry-out area

Overview:

The 1,411-acre Shawangunk Ridge State Forest is part of an interconnected and preserved corridor of land that stretches south from Ulster County, through Sullivan County and into Orange County, NY. It is part of the southern section of the Shawangunk Mountain range known as the Shawangunk Ridge.

Shawangunk Ridge State Forest as viewed from Bear Hill Nature Preserve – October 2016

Pronounced shuh-WAN-gunk, or SHON-gum by locals, “The Gunks” are known widely for their dramatic cliffs and landscapes, dwarf pine barren forests, “ice caves”, and classic rock climbing.

Bear Hill Nature Preserve as viewed from Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

Red Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

History:

In the year 2000, the Shawangunk Ridge State Forest was created through a partnership between New York State, Open Space Institute (OSI), Trust for Public Land (TPL) and others.

The Open Space Institute purchased several major parcels along the Shawangunk Ridge and transferred them to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to be held and managed as state forests.

Subsequent acquisitions over the years have significantly expanded the chain of state forests, including the Shawangunk Ridge, Roosa Gap, Wurtsboro, and Huckleberry Ridge State Forests.

Trails Overview:

A 1.8-mile section of the co-aligned Shawangunk Ridge Trail and the Long Path passes through Shawangunk Ridge State Forest. To the south the trail continues on into Roosa Gap State Forest. To the north the trail continues onto private land and eventually into Minnewaska State Park to the north of Route 52.

The 1.2-mile section of the co-aligned SRT and Long Path traversed on this hike, provide spectacular views of the surrounding valley, extending all the way to the Catskills.

Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

Starting in 2015, the NY-NJ Trail Conference created 4 miles of new trails in Shawangunk Ridge State Forest, connecting the Long Path (and SRT) to parking areas, making loop hikes possible.

Hike Overview:

October is leaf peeping season and The Gunks are nothing short of spectacular during that time. That is probably the busiest time of the year in that area. The more well known spots like Minnewaska State Park, including the Sam’s Point Area and the Mohonk Preserve, can get extremely crowded during that time, especially on weekends. I decided to try a less popular section of the ridge, or so I thought. We arrived at the parking area on Cox Road at 10am on a Saturday morning and the 15-car gravel lot was nearly full. By the time that we finished the hike, the lot was jammed and there was a long line of vehicles parked along the side of Cox Road. My advice is to get there early or visit on a weekday. You should also back your vehicle into one of the parking spots, making it a lot easier to exit. You’ll be glad you did.

Cox Road Parking Area – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

While researching this hike, I couldn’t find much information online and figured that this was a lesser trafficked area and possibly a hidden gem. Even though the small lot was nearly full when we arrived (10am), I was shocked at the end of our hike when I saw how jammed the parking lot was, making it difficult to back out and leave.

I would suggest doing this hike clockwise as most of the people we encountered were going in the opposite direction. By going clockwise, it’s a shorter distance to the ridge and after reaching the highpoint, you will have almost continuous views in front of you as you descend.

This moderate loop is one of the better hikes that I have done when it comes to the all-around hiking experience. It has views and extremely scenic landscape along the ridge and just below it. It has to be experienced to be truly appreciated.

Shawangunk Ridge State Forest Loop from Cox Road Trailhead

elevation profile – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest Loop

The Hike:

From the kiosk at the parking area, head uphill on the Red Trail, which follows a woods road. Almost immediately, a wooden post marks a branch of the trail that goes to the right. This will be your return route, but for now, continue ahead on the woods road, following the red blazes.

Cox Road Parking Area – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

Red Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

In 0.4 mile, you’ll cross a stream on large stepping stones. Soon, the Red Trail begins to climb more steeply and narrows to a footpath.

Red Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

After passing cliffs on the right and going through an interesting passage between rocks, you’ll reach a junction with the Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail at the crest of the ridge. Turn right onto the Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail, which you’ll be following for the next 1.2 miles.

Red Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

The ridge that you’re following was burned in a forest fire in May 2015. Low vegetation was destroyed in the fire, and many small trees were burned, but the trunks of larger trees remained unscathed. The vegetation has begun to regenerate, but many small dead trees scarred by the fire can still be seen.

Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

Soon, you’ll come to a broad west-facing viewpoint from open slabs of Shawangunk conglomerate rock. The trail moves to the east side of the ridge, shifts back to the west side, then returns to the east side. You’ll notice some fascinating rock formations on the east side of the ridge, with the trail in places running near the edge of steep 30-foot-high cliffs.

Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

The trail begins a gradual climb to the high point on the ridge (1,791 feet). Just beyond, there is a panoramic north-facing view over Bear Hill. The trail now begins to descend over slabs of conglomerate rock dotted with pitch pines, with views of the Catskill Mountains to the northwest. As you approach the base of the descent, there are panoramic west-facing views.

Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

After pausing to admire the spectacular views, follow the trail as it bears right and heads into the woods. In a short distance, you’ll come to a junction with the northern leg of the Red Trail. Turn right, leaving the Long Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail, and begin once again to follow the red blazes.

Turn right on Red Trail

You’ll soon emerge into an area with dramatic cliffs and overhanging rocks on the right. You’re now directly paralleling the route you followed along the open slabs of conglomerate rock, but you’re following the cliffs that support these open rock slabs. Towards the end of this section, the trail has been routed through a narrow passage, with cliffs on one side and huge boulders on the other.

Red Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

At the end of this spectacular section, the trail turns left and begins to descend. It soon joins a woods road, which it follows all the way back to a junction with the other branch of the Red Trail. Turn left at this junction and continue for a short distance to the parking area where the hike began.

Red Trail – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

Review:

I would highly recommend this hike to all. It covers an extremely scenic area with fantastic views and massive rock formations. The trails are well marked and easy to follow. The lower areas on the Red Trail have good tree cover, but the ridge is mostly exposed. This hike is best done during the Fall foliage season for the array of colors on display, but I’m sure that it is beautiful in any season. I recommend doing the loop clockwise so the views are in front of you as you descend the ridge as opposed to them being at your back as you ascend. This appears to be a popular hiking spot so either get there early or try visiting on a weekday.

Pros:

Fantastic views along the ridge, interesting rock formations, well marked trails, scenic landscape.

Cons:

Attracts crowds, Red Trail can be a little swampy after rainfall.

Take a hike!

Shawangunk Ridge State Forest Loop from Cox Road Trailhead

Sources:

Horseshoe Mine Falls – Shawangunk Ridge State Forest

Posted on October 16, 2022

October 15, 2022 – Spring Glen, NY

Difficulty: easy

Length: Approximately 1/4 mile

Route type: out and back

Overview:

Horseshoe Mine Falls, also known as Buttermilk Falls, is a A 60 ft. tall sliding cascade that ends with a plunge over an entrance to an old mining exploratory tunnel. The tunnel is quite deep. Parking is roadside just a few hundred feet away on Lewis Road.

Worked in 1853, Horseshoe Mine was opened by a tunnel driven southwest into the mountain. The location of its entrance was decidedly at the foot of the waterfall. During its operation, the course of water was diverted away from the adit to allow a dry route for its narrow gauge railroad to enter.

Although the mine was located within close proximity to a major railroad, it was not a producer. It is likely that lead and possibly zinc were the chief metals as other lead-zinc mines exist in the general area. Very little waste rock remains on site and little else is known about the operation.

Horseshoe Mine Falls is situated just within the northwestern boundary of Shawangunk Ridge State Forest and is fed by an unnamed mountain stream that flows through the forest east to west from New York State Route 52. See orange arrow below.

Shawangunk Ridge State Forest Trail Map

How to get there:

The parking area is located about 0.4-mile past the Spring Glen Campgrounds on Lewis Road in Spring Glen, NY in Ulster County. As you drive in a northerly direction on Lewis Road, look to your right for two old stone bridge abutments with a stream flowing between them. There is pull-off parking for several cars along the road. If the flow is substantial, you should be able to hear the waterfall from the road.

Old stone bridge abutments – Lewis Road

A wide path leads up to the old O&W Railway. This old railroad right of way may one day be part of the O&W Rail Trail.

Wide path to the left of the bridge abutments – Spring Glen

Old O&W Railway – Spring Glen

Do not turn onto the abandoned railbed, instead continue straight ahead on the unmarked path that follows the unnamed tributary upstream.

Horseshoe Mine Falls Trail

From there it is a short walk to the waterfall.

Horseshoe Mine Falls

I have visited this waterfall on numerous occasions and it never gets old. Below are some images from previous visits during different seasons.

June 26, 2016

Horseshoe Mine Falls

March 5, 2017

Horseshoe Mine Falls

October 6, 2020

Horseshoe Mine Falls

This easily accessible picturesque waterfall is best viewed after a rainfall or during the Spring thaw. Since it is a short and easy walk to and from, you may want to combine this with a hike in the area, such as the Bear Hill Nature Preserve, Minnewaska State Park, Sam’s Point, or any nearby hike on the Shawangunk Ridge.

Sources:

Buttermilk Falls Mine

Bear Mountain Summit Loop

Posted on September 19, 2022

September 17, 2022 – Stony Point, NY

Difficulty: Easy – Moderate

Length: Approximately 2.7 miles

Max elevation: 1,289 ft. – total elevation gain approximately 494 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Buy Maps (Paper & Avenza): Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails Map #119

Free Bear Mountain Summit Trail Map: Bear Mountain Hikes, NY

Free Bear Mountain Summit Avenza Map: Bear Mountain Hikes, NY

Free Web Map: Bear Mountain State Park Trail Map 2019

Free Avenza App Map: Bear Mountain State Park Trail Map 2019

Trailhead parking: Perkins Memorial Drive, Stony Point, NY 10980

Paved parking lot – bathrooms on site

Park Overview:

The 5,205-acre Bear Mountain State Park is situated in rugged mountains rising from the west bank of the Hudson River. The Perkins Memorial Tower at the summit of Bear Mountain gives visitors spectacular views of the park, the Hudson Highlands and the rolling hills of Harriman State Park. A scenic drive to the top of the mountain, along Perkins Memorial Drive, is a very popular destination in the park for tourists and sightseers. Perkins Memorial Drive and Tower are open from April through late November, weather permitting.

The park includes Bear Mountain as well as Dunderberg Mountain and West Mountain. Fort Montgomery is adjacent to the north edge of the park while Iona Island Bird Sanctuary is on the eastern edge on the Hudson River. Bear Mountain State Park is a separate entity from the adjacent Harriman State Park which runs along the western edge of the park, but are managed as a single unit.

Bear Mountain State Park is 45 miles north of New York City in the Hudson Highlands. One of the most visited parks in the Northeast, Bear Mountain hosts more than 3 million annual visitors. Bear Mountain is accessible by car and bus and is a popular day use park. It’s sometimes too popular; the state occasionally shuts the park down to control crowds during the warmer months.

History:

During the American Revolution, when control of the Hudson River was viewed by the British as essential to dominating the American territories, the area that was to become the park saw several significant military engagements. In 1777 British troops routed Patriots at Fort Montgomery. Anthony Wayne’s attack of the British fort at Stony Point moved colonial troops to the west of Bear Mountain.

In 1908, the State of New York announced plans to relocate Sing Sing Prison to Bear Mountain. Work was begun in the area near Highland Lake (renamed Hessian Lake) and in January 1909, the state purchased the 740-acre Bear Mountain tract. Conservationists inspired by the work of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission lobbied successfully for the creation of the Highlands of the Hudson Forest Preserve, stopping the prison from being built.

Mary Averell Harriman, whose husband, Union Pacific Railroad president E. H. Harriman died in September of that year, offered the state another 10,000 acres and one million dollars toward the creation of a state park. George W. Perkins, with whom she had been working, raised another $1.5 million from a dozen wealthy contributors including John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan.

Bear Mountain-Harriman State Park became a reality the following year when the prison was demolished and a dock built for steamboat excursion traffic. The park opened in June 1913. Steamboats alone brought more than 22,000 passengers to the park that year. Camping at Hessian Lake (and later at Lake Stahahe) was immensely popular; the average stay was eight days and was a favorite for Boy Scouts. By 1914 it was estimated that more than a million people a year were coming to the park.

In the 1930’s the federal government under Franklin D. Roosevelt was developing plans to preserve the environment as part of the Depression-era public works programs; the Civil Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration spent five years on projects at the park. Pump houses, reservoirs, sewer systems, vacation lodges, bathrooms, homes for park staff, storage buildings and an administration building were all created through these programs. Both the Perkins Memorial Drive and Perkins Memorial Tower were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1932 and 1934. The winding, steep drive was dynamited out of Bear Mountain by 1,500 NYS Temporary Relief Workers. Work began on November 21, 1932 and the drive and tower opened on October 31, 1934. President and Mrs. Roosevelt were among the first visitors.

Perkins Memorial Drive 1933 – Palisades Parks Conservancy

Perkins Memorial Tower was built with funds provided by the Perkins family. The tower is 65 feet high and 30’x30′ at the base. It was constructed of native stone from a quarry at the base of Bear Mountain.

Perkins Memorial Tower – Bear Mountain

Appalachian Trail~

It was in Bear Mountain State Park back in 1923 when the very first section of the Appalachian Trail was built and blazed. It officially opened on October 7, 1923 and served as a pattern for the other sections of the trail developed independently by local and regional organizations and later by the federal government. The Appalachian Trail has been re-routed numerous times on Bear Mountain since its founding in 1923 due to erosion caused from 100,000+ hikers a year.

In the fall of 2018, the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference completed the Bear Mountain Trails Project, the most ambitious rehabilitation of the Appalachian Trail (AT) ever conducted. Of the entire 2,200 miles of the AT, the section that runs through Bear Mountain State Park is the oldest and most heavily used. Over 90 years ago, it was Trail Conference volunteers who blazed this original portion of the AT and opened it to the public. By 2004, the Bear Mountain trail had become an eroded, 10-foot-wide scar.

Work on the trail included hardening the tread with 1,300 granite steps, each of which weighed between 500 and 800 pounds and needed to be moved from the bottom of Bear Mountain to the summit. The project also included constructing the first ADA-compliant section of the AT.

The first section of the Appalachian Trail relocation was opened on June 5th, 2010 (National Trails Day) and consisted of roughly 700 steps. A second section including an A.T. loop and nearly 1/2 mile of fully accessible trail on the top of Bear Mountain was officially opened on June 6th, 2011 (National Trails Day).

Trails Overview:

There are over 50 official trails covering over 235 miles, featuring a wide range of difficulties and elevation changes.

The Appalachian Trail passes through old-growth forest on its way to Perkins Memorial Tower atop Bear Mountain, with scenic overlooks and spectacular views of the Hudson River and Dunderberg, Bald, and West mountains along the way. The tower can also be reached by car, and a portion of the path at the summit is wheelchair accessible.

Bear Mountain Summit Trails

Hike Overview:

I have been at the summit of Bear Mountain more times than I can count. I have always driven to the top to enjoy the views from Perkins Tower and the viewpoint just off the parking lot where the crowds seem to gather. I had never bothered to explore the trails around the summit until last year. Dealing with some health issues, I wanted to get outdoors and enjoy some Hudson Valley views without the physical exertion required on a hike. Walking around on the summit led me to the western side of the mountain where the AT passes through as well as a couple of blue connector trails. I have since returned several times to explore a little more and decided to do a short loop hike utilizing the AT and the abandoned section of Perkins Memorial Drive to link it together.

This hike descends stone steps down to an abandoned section of Perkins Memorial Drive then climbs more stone steps as it regains the elevation lost on the way down. Along the way there are numerous views and little foot traffic. This hike is perfect for the casual hiker or those not seeking a deep woods experience. Depending on the time of day or season, you will encounter hordes of people around the vicinity of Perkins Tower. The farther you move away from that area, the less people you will encounter. We arrived at the summit around 8:30am on a Saturday Morning in late September and there were a few cars already there. By the time we returned to the parking area, around 11:15am, there were many cars, motorcycles, bikes and people milling around enjoying the scenery. My advice is to get there early before the crowds.

Bear Mountain Summit Loop

elevation profile – Bear Mountain Summit Loop

The Hike:

Across the paved loop road, with Perkins Memorial Tower on your left, there is a kiosk with a map and information on the northwest side of the summit. Just to the right of the kiosk is a fork. The right fork, blazed with the 2″x6″ white blazes of the Appalachian Trail (AT) and the red-ring-on-white blazes of the Major Welch Trail, will be your return route, but for now, continue ahead through the parking lot and if the tower is open, you may want to go inside to check it out.

kiosk – Bear Mountain summit

A.T. Trailhead – Bear Mountain summit

Bear Mountain summit

Situated 1,305 feet above the Hudson River, the 360 degree panoramic views from Perkins Tower are spectacular. On a clear day, four states and the Manhattan skyline can be seen from the tower. The observation floor has interpretive displays that describe the distant scenery. Perkins Memorial Tower was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1932 and 1934. The tower was closed when we arrived at approximately 8:30am on a Saturday in September.

Perkins Memorial Tower – Bear Mountain State Park

The tower was built to honor the memory of George W. Perkins (1862-1920), the first President of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. The tower served as a fire lookout station until the 1950’s. It is now open to the public.

Perkins Memorial Tower – Bear Mountain State Park

Continue past the tower and proceed ahead to a broad south-facing viewpoint, with Dunderberg Mountain jutting into the Hudson River to the left. Rustic benches have been placed in this area for visitors to rest and enjoy the views. Note the Manhattan skyline visible in the distance.

rustic bench – Bear Mountain summit

NYC skyline – Bear Mountain summit

Looking south over the Hudson River from Bear Mountain at 8:30am.

Hudson River view – Bear Mountain summit

rustic bench – Bear Mountain summit

After enjoying the view, head back towards the tower, but bear right at a fork in the path. Directly ahead, on a rock, you’ll notice a plaque placed to commemorate the service of Joseph Bartha as Trails Chairman of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference from 1940 to 1955.

Joseph Bartha Plaque – Bear Mountain Summit

Bear right at the plaque and descend along the white-blazed Appalachian Trail. You now are following a spectacular trail section, opened in stages between 2010 and 2018, that was built over a 13-year period by professional trail builders and AmeriCorps trail crews, along with Trail Conference volunteers.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain Summit

In about half a mile, after having descended nearly 400 stone steps, you’ll reach a viewpoint on the right over Dunderberg Mountain to the southeast. Here, the trail bears left and levels off. It then climbs a little and crosses a stream channeled between two rock slabs.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain Summit

The peak on the left, rising just above the leaves is Bald Mountain. The peak just left of the notch (left of center) is The Timp and West Mountain is the long ridge on the right.

view south – Appalachian Trail

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

A short distance beyond, the trail descends several long flights of stone steps and crosses an abandoned section of the Perkins Memorial Drive. Here you should turn right, leaving the Appalachian Trail and head in a westerly direction along the asphalt road. You may notice some blue blazes along the way. This section of paved road connects two different sections of the AT.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

Turn right at the junction

abandoned Perkins Drive – Bear Mountain

The road passes below the tall cliffs that you were just on moments earlier, then runs alongside a stone retaining wall. In about 0.3-mile, the paved road reaches a junction with the other side of the Appalachian Trail. Turn right at the junction as the AT climbs steeply up the mountain on stone steps.

abandoned Perkins Drive – Bear Mountain

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

Follow the white blazes as they climb the stone steps along the southwest slope of Bear Mountain. This section of trail is quite impressive. The way the stone steps snake their way up the mountain is nothing short of spectacular. The workers that built this section were craftsmen and artists.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

As the trail climbs the southwestern slope of Bear Mountain, it passes several rock ledges with open views to the southwest over the rolling hills of Harriman State Park.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

The AT climbs more stone steps and passes massive boulders that form a rock wall.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

The AT descends stone steps, passes through an open area and soon reaches the western summit of Bear Mountain with wide-ranging views. A short distance later the A.T. emerges on a flat pockmarked rock surface with a rustic bench right in the center.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

This makes for an excellent place to take a break and enjoy the view. The bulk of the elevation gain for this hike is done once you reach this spot.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

When you are ready to continue, just a few feet from the bench is the start of another blue-blazed trail at a south-facing viewpoint over West Mountain. Follow the blue blazes along this short, but picturesque spur trail. You will return back to the bench when you are done.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

Blue Spur Trail – Bear Mountain

Turn right and follow the blue-blazed side trail, which soon emerges on another rock outcrop, with excellent views to the west (Queensboro Lake may be seen below). This side trail follows a former route of the Major Welch Trail and was blazed by volunteers as a side trail to the A.T. to preserve the magnificent views.

Blue Spur Trail – Bear Mountain

In 500 feet, the side trail ends at a triple blaze. It looks like you could go a little farther, but we did not go much farther past the end of the trail.

Blue Spur Trail – Bear Mountain

Retrace your steps to the A.T., then turn left and proceed along the A.T. as it heads northeast on a relatively level grade. When the AT reaches a junction with yet another blue-blazed trail, continue ahead following the white blazes. The Blue Trail can be used as a bailout option if one chooses. It ends at the parking area where the hike began. It is also a beautiful section of trail.

Blue Spur Trail – Bear Mountain

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

This section of the A.T. features more stone steps, most of which were shaped on-site from native rock. Soon, you’ll pass two huge boulders to the right, with stone steps curving down from the end of the first boulder.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

As the trail reaches the northernmost section of the summit, you can see the damage from a brush fire that occurred in mid August of 2022.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

After ascending stone steps, you’ll reach a spectacular north-facing viewpoint over the Hudson River and the hills of the West Point Military Reservation, with Brooks Lake visible directly below. Ahead, you will see a stone pillar that once marked the boundary between the park and West Point.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

After ascending more stone steps, there is a bench and a viewing platform. This makes for a nice spot to take a break.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

The last third of a mile has been designed to be ADA compliant, thus permitting all users to enjoy a beautiful section of the A.T. Even this trail section has been skillfully designed to blend in with the surroundings.

Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

ADA Compliant Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

Continue following the white blazes along the well-graded gravel path which soon runs jointly with the Major Welch Trail, which comes in from the left. In a short distance, you’ll cross a gravel service road and pass a massive boulder on the left. Atop the boulder are the concrete foundations of a former fire tower (replaced in 1934 by the Perkins Memorial Tower).

ADA Compliant Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

Just beyond, the Appalachian Trail reaches the paved loop road around the summit, near Perkins Memorial Tower, where the hike began.

ADA Compliant Appalachian Trail – Bear Mountain

Review:

A splendid hike, short but very sweet. I highly recommend this hike. It has so much to offer. Views galore, massive boulders and erratics, and the stone steps are a masterpiece. My advice is to get there early before the crowds come. By 11:15am when we were done, there were quite a few people in the area around Perkins Tower. Not as many as I have seen in days past, but enough that we didn’t stay too long after the hike. Still, a really scenic hike that is doable by most.

Pros:

Views galore, Appalachian Trail, well marked trails, scenic landscape, full and portable restrooms, paved parking lot.

Cons:

The area around Perkins Memorial Tower can get really crowded on nice days.

Take a hike!

Bear Mountain Summit Loop

Sources:

Snake Hill Loop from Crystal Lake

Posted on September 12, 2022

September 11, 2022 – Newburgh, NY

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: Approximately 3.5 miles

Max elevation: 705 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 670 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Free map: Snake Hill Trail Map 2022 – Scenic Hudson

Trailhead parking: Crystal Lake, Temple Ave. – Newburgh, NY

Parking is available for about 6-8 cars – No restrooms on site

Crystal Lake and Snake Hill are Carry-in/Carry-out areas

Details on a hike to Snake Hill via different a route:

Snake Hill from San Giacomo Park

Overview:

Snake Hill is a local landmark that offers sweeping views of the Hudson River and surrounding landscape from its summit. The ridgeline of Snake Hill was privately-owned until recently when ownership was transferred to Scenic Hudson, who manages the property as an unimproved nature preserve. The Hill straddles the City of Newburgh/Town of New Windsor border and is flanked on its northwestern slope by Crystal Lake, an 8-acre pond that was once the centerpiece of a public park, and the smaller Miller’s Pond. A small Jewish cemetery resides on the western slope of the Hill. Aside from Scenic Hudson’s parcel, the ownership of these three resources is predominantly municipal.

Snake Hill as viewed from Denning’s Point – 2022

Snake Hill as viewed from Mount Beacon – 2016

It drops off precipitously to the east, giving unobstructed views of the Hudson River, the East Hudson Highlands, the cities of Newburgh and New Windsor, Pollepel Island to the southeast, and Storm King Mountain to the south.

Blue Trail benches – Snake Hill

History:

Blue Trail benches – Snake Hill

During the American Revolution, patriots kept a signal fire in readiness atop Snake Hill to warn surrounding communities of a British invasion upriver.

The trails were built from 2017-2018 (finished in spring of 2018) by Scenic Hudson and volunteers. Scenic Hudson maintains the trails, again with volunteer help.

Thanks to Reed Sparling, Writer and Scenic Hudson Historian for providing the information on its history.

Trails Overview:

Snake Hill Trail Map – 2022

The trails are marked with Scenic Hudson round plastic discs in various colors.

Snake Hill – Scenic Hudson

The Yellow Trail, travels through the City of Newburgh property and is marked with painted rectangular blazes. The Scenic Hudson trail map only shows the spur that leads to the view.

Yellow Trail – Snake Hill

Hike Overview:

I have been seeing images posted on social media of the marvelous views from Snake Hill for a few years. Since there is extremely limited information online about the trails, and no trail map available until recently, it remained a hidden gem. Then I came across a Facebook post about Snake Hill from Scenic Hudson. I requested a trail map and they added one on their website. That made it an easy choice for a visit.

On the day that we hiked Snake Hill, it was overcast and rain was predicted. A few drops fell on us that day, but not enough to take away from the enjoyment of the hike. We drove almost one hour from the Lower Hudson Valley and it was well worth it. The allure of the wide-ranging views from Snake Hill is that I got to see a lot of the Hudson Highlands that I have previously hiked.

Panoramic view from Snake Hill

This loop hike is on the lower end of the “moderate” scale. There are certain steep areas on the Blue Trail, but for the most part, the Blue Trail climbs Snake Hill gradually. The Yellow Trail descends steeply in parts, but mostly on a paved road.

Snake Hill Loop

elevation profile – Snake Hill Loop

The Hike:

This hike begins at the Crystal Lake Trailhead where there is a small lot with room for about 5-6 vehicles. The Red Trail begins just past the split rail fence and bollards. I did not notice any red markers at the start, but they do appear a little farther in. The Red Trail runs along the eastern shore of Crystal Lake, which on the day that we visited, was covered with Blue-green algae.

Red Trail – Snake Hill

Crystal Lake

Community Garden at Crystal Lake.

Community Garden – Crystal Lake

Continue on the Red Trail and you should start seeing the plastic round markers on the trees. In about 0.3-mile, the Red Trail reaches Snake Hill Cemetery, a Jewish graveyard that dates back to the 1800’s.

Red Trail – Snake Hill

Just to the left of the cemetery on a tree, are three faded yellow blazes marking the start of the Yellow Trail. That will be your return route, but for now, continue ahead on the Red Trail. In about another 250 yards, the Red Trail ends at a junction with the Blue Trail right at the northeast end of Miller’s Pond, which is completely covered in Blue-green algae.

Snake Hill Cemetery

Red Trail – Snake Hill

Bear left on the Blue Trail which travels on a woods road alongside Miller’s Pond which is visible through the trees on the right.

Turn left on Blue Trail

In about 100 yards or so, the Blue Trail turns left, leaving the woods road. This turn is easy to miss. We walked right by it and had to back track. The Blue Trail now begins to ascend Snake Hill on switchbacks, passing an assortment of interesting looking boulders along the way.

Blue Trail – Snake Hill

In about a mile from the start of the Blue Trail, it turns left on a paved access road for about 60 feet, then turns right on a footpath, leaving the road.

Turn left on paved road

Blue Trail – Snake Hill

The Blue Trail climbs to the southeast edge of the ridge, just below the summit. Here the Blue Trail turns left, but you should turn right leaving the Blue Trail and follow the White Trail for about 300 yards to a southeast-facing viewpoint.

Blue Trail – Snake Hill

Turn right on White Trail

White Trail – Snake Hill

View southeast from White Trail – Snake Hill

From this spot you can see Breakneck Ridge (left) and Storm King Mountain (right) which form the northern gateway to the Hudson Highlands. Sugarloaf Mountain is just to the left of Breakneck with Pollepel Island and Bannerman Castle just in front of it in the Hudson River.

View southeast from White Trail – Snake Hill

Looking directly across the Hudson River, the two high points are North Beacon Mountain (1,526 ft.) with its communications towers and South Beacon Mountain (1,611 ft.) with its fire tower. The long knobby ridge to the right is Scofield Ridge. On the eastern shore of the Hudson River is Denning’s Point.

View east from White Trail – Snake Hill

When you are done enjoying the view, retrace your steps uphill back to the Blue Trail. Just to the right there is a rock outcrop with similar views as those on the White Trail.

End of White Trail – Snake Hill

Blue Trail – Snake Hill

View southeast – Blue Trail – Snake Hill

Continue North on the Blue Trail for about another 415 feet to its terminus at a pair of benches placed upon a large rock outcrop. This makes for a great place to relax and take in the majestic view.

Blue Trail – Snake Hill

Blue Trail benches – Snake Hill

When you are ready to continue, walk a short distance on an unmarked footpath directly behind the benches that lead to the paved access road. Turn right on the access road and continue north.

Paved road – Snake Hill

After the road passes a communications tower, it is no longer paved.

Access road – Snake Hill

Soon, the road comes to a gate with another communication tower just beyond on the left. You are now leaving Scenic Hudson property and entering property owned by the City of Newburgh. Proceed downhill on the paved road past the gate for about 400 feet.

Access road – Snake Hill

Look for a wide footpath on the right, just past telephone pole #38 (telephone pole #37 is directly across from the trail) that leads uphill. Even though you may not see any blazes, this is the route of the Yellow Trail that is shown on the trail map. Follow this trail for about 360 feet to another viewpoint.

Yellow Trail – Snake Hill

Yellow Trail viewpoint – Snake Hill

View south from the Yellow Trail.

Yellow Trail viewpoint – Snake Hill

When you are ready to continue, retrace your steps back to the paved access road and turn right. You may start to see painted yellow blazes on the trees. This section of the Yellow Trail is shown as an access road on the trail map. Follow the road steeply downhill for about 0.36-mile. The Yellow Trail makes a sharp left turn on an old woods road that descends gradually. This section of the Yellow Trail is not shown on the trail map. There may not be any markers indicating this turn (I don’t remember seeing any), but the woods road is easily discernible.

Yellow Trail – Snake Hill

Follow the woods road (Yellow Trail) for about 250 yards to its terminus at the Snake Hill Cemetery. Turn right on the Red Trail and retrace your steps back to the parking area at Crystal Lake, where the hike began.

Yellow Trail – Snake Hill

Red Trail – Snake Hill

Crystal Lake Trailhead – Snake Hill

Review:

A really nice hike that leads to some of the best views in the Hudson Valley. The trails are well marked and easy to follow. Only saw one person throughout the entire hike on the day that we visited. The only thing negative that can be said, is that the area around Crystal Lake is a little run-down and I noticed what appeared to be a homeless encampment in the woods just off the Red Trail. I wouldn’t leave anything of value in the vehicle or in plain sight. This is an area that one should probably not hike alone. Other than that, a hike worth doing just for the views.

Pros:

Gorgeous Hudson River Valley views, well marked trails, not much foot traffic.

Cons:

Trailhead is in an industrial area and appears a little sketchy.

Take a hike!

Snake Hill Loop

Sources:

Long Path to Gurnee Park from South Mountain Park Trailhead

Posted on September 9, 2022

September‎ ‎5, 2022 – New City, NY

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: Approximately 4.5 miles

Max elevation: 774 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 670 ft.

Route type: Out and back

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Hudson Palisades Trails Map #112 (2018)

Free map: South Mountain County Park Trail Map

Trailhead parking: County Route 33, New City, NY 10956

Parking is available for about 20 cars – No restrooms on site

The park is open year-round, from 8am to dusk.

Here are some hikes that are on the same ridge as this one:

Park Overview:

This mountainous ridge within the 239-acre South Mountain County Park is part of the Palisades escarpment, which ends at NY 45 in Mount Ivy. It borders High Tor State Park to the east and Gurnee County Park to the west. From Central Highway (County Route 33), South Mountain County Park runs along the ridge westward for almost two miles to Gurnee County Park. It has several scenic views overlooking Haverstraw and the Hudson River, Mt. Ivy and Thiells, Clarkstown and Orangetown. It is covered with a mature stand of hardwood trees and in season there are blueberries, wild grapes and raspberries.

South Mountain County Park

The 23-acre Gurnee County Park and Amphitheatre is an old quarry arena, having a 40 to 80 foot escarpment as a backdrop. The grounds are hard packed with traprock, and partly covered with brush and small trees. It is at this point that the northern portions of Triassic rock of the Palisades formations dip into the earth, not to reoccur.

Gurnee County Park and Amphitheater

The western end of this ridge is known as South Mountain and the southeastern peak on the Hudson is known as Hook Mountain. The Long Path Hiking Trail follows along the entire length of the Palisades Ridge.

History:

The Palisades were mined for gravel and building materials through the 1890’s, until the two states formed the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) in 1900 for the purposes of preserving the cliffs. Since that time, significant land donations have been made. The PIPC operates the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey and the State Parks and Historic Sites in New York’s Palisades Region.

The mountain is noted more for the road by the same name that runs along its base and the people who resided off it in Clarkstown. Maxwell Anderson, famous playwright, made the eastern end famous in his play, “High Tor.” An air beacon marked this high point but was constantly vandalized before it was finally removed. Prior to its purchase, the crest of the mountain was approved for the construction of apartment houses. With the aid of federal funds and gifts of adjoining land, this section was purchased in 1975-76. A large tract to the west in the Town of Ramapo was obtained by tax delinquency extending the park from Central Highway to Route 45.

Trails Overview:

Extending 358 miles from the 175th Street Subway Station in New York City to John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany, NY, the Long Path Trail is a thread connecting many of New York’s parks, preserves, and state forest land. Throughout most of its length, whether on or off the road, the Long Path is indicated by a 2-by-4-inch aqua blaze. At times you may see an official NY-NJ Trail Conference round trail marker. The distinctive aqua (sometimes referred to, incorrectly, in some guidebooks as teal) indicates the Long Path, and only the Long Path.

Long Path – South Mountain County Park

The Long Path enters New York State in Rockland County on the western side of the Hudson River, still following along the Palisades. The trail travels through Tallman Mountain State Park, Blauvelt State Park, Hook Mountain State Park, Rockland Lake State Park and then High Tor State Park, where the Long Path turns west away from the Hudson River to enter South Mountain County Park before it reaches Harriman State Park. It is in Harriman State Park where the Long Path crosses the iconic Appalachian Trail.

The Long Path is the only official trail in South Mountain County Park and Gurnee Park and Amphitheater, but there are various unmarked trails/woods roads along the narrow ridge that can be explored as well. The Long Path is well marked and relatively easy to follow. It could use an extra blaze here or there, but throughout most of its run through the two parks, the trail is obvious and well trodden. The Long Path is maintained by volunteers and member groups of the NY-NJ Trail Conference.

Hike Overview:

With rain in the forecast, there was a window of several hours predicted of dry weather on this Labor Day Monday, I wanted to keep the travel to a minimum. There was light rain the night before and the ground was slightly wet, but it was supposed to resume raining by late morning. I hiked this area in 2018, beginning from Gurnee County Park and wanted to revisit it. A couple of weeks prior, I parked at the same trailhead and took the Long Path in the opposite direction to High Tor and back.

This moderate out and back hike was more rugged than I remembered. It has a lot of ups and downs and it’s quite rocky in some areas. Proper hiking boots with some ankle protection as well as hiking poles are recommended.

This is a straightforward out and back hike that is entirely on the Long Path from County Route 33 to NY-45 and back. We hiked to the old quarry arena in Gurnee County Park, but you can turn back at any time or even extend the hike if you so desire.

Long Path to Gurnee Park from South Mountain Park Trailhead

As shown on the elevation profile below, there are continuous ups and downs along the ridge of South Mountain.

elevation profile – South Mountain

The Hike:

Carefully cross the road, heading in a westerly direction into South Mountain County Park. Just past the gate is an unmarked woods road which will be your return route, but for now veer right and follow the aqua blazes as they immediately start to climb on a rocky footpath. The trail snakes through the woods along undulating terrain.

South Mountain County Park

Long Path – South Mountain County Park

In about a 1/4-mile, the Long Path joins a woods road and immediately leaves again to the right, continuing on a footpath, soon descending and climbing again.

Long Path – South Mountain County Park

In about a mile from the start of the hike, the Long Path passes a southwest-facing viewpoint. The trail continues to climb and descend repeatedly as it heads west along the ridge.

Long Path – South Mountain County Park

In approximately 1.5 miles from the start, the Long Path enters Gurnee County Park. There is no sign or boundary marker indicating when you leave or enter either park.

Long Path – Gurnee County Park

A short distance later, the trail begins to descend and comes out to a clearing with a north-facing viewpoint from a rock ledge. Care should be taken around the proximity of the cliff’s edge as there is a lot of loose rock with a steep drop off.

Long Path – Gurnee County Park

To the north and northwest are the rolling hills of Harriman State Park. To the northeast is Bear Mountain State Park.

Long Path – Gurnee County Park

Down below is the quarry arena or “amphitheater” as it is better known.

Long Path – Gurnee County Park

Looking northeast towards Bear Mountain State Park and the Hudson Highlands.

Long Path – Gurnee County Park

Continue on the Long Path as it descends toward NY-45 and the main entrance of Gurnee County Park. Along the way, the trail passes another similar viewpoint, then briefly skirts a chain link fence alongside private property.

Long Path – Gurnee County Park

A short distance later, the Long Path emerges from the woods into the parking lot for Gurnee County Park. This is the northernmost point of the Hudson River Palisades as it dips right into the ground. Here, the Long Path turns left and begins a road walk on its way towards Harriman State Park. You should turn right, walk through the parking lot and past the gate at the east end of the parking lot.

Long Path – Gurnee County Park

Proceed ahead on the gravel road until you enter the Amphitheater. The old quarry arena is quite impressive with its 80-foot cliffs as a backdrop.

Gurnee County Park and Amphitheater

When you are ready to continue, retrace your steps back through the parking lot and turn left on the Long Path. You will now be retracing your steps through Gurnee and South Mountain County Parks.

Long Path – Gurnee County Park

On the way back, I stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted a bear right on the trail about 50-60 yards ahead. It was looking right at me, but I wanted to capture an image. Afterwards, I yelled “get out of here!” but it just stood there staring at me. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a dog and the two humans it was with were unseen behind a tree.

Long Path – South Mountain County Park

I didn’t notice the leash and couldn’t see the humans, and in my mind it was a bear in the middle of the trail just watching me. It reminded me of the guy on the bike 2 weeks prior yelling “bear!” repeatedly near High Tor, just east of here.

Long Path – South Mountain County Park

In about 1.25 miles from Gurnee County Park, the Long Path reaches a junction with a woods road with a communication tower nearby. Veer right on the unmarked road, leaving the Long Path. The woods road is a much gentler route that bypasses a lot of the more rugged and rocky areas that you encountered at the beginning of the hike. Along the way, the Long Path is visible just to the left and joins the woods road briefly before departing to the left. Continue to follow the unmarked woods road for about 0.7 mile, back to the parking area, where the hike began.

woods road – South Mountain County Park

South Mountain County Park Trailhead

Review:

A nice hike through an area that doesn’t get much foot traffic. There is some road noise that can be heard throughout the hike, but that is to be expected as the narrow ridge is surrounded by public roads. The views are not as nice as those of High Tor or Little Tor, but the scenic landscape and rugged nature of the trail, makes for a nice enough backdrop, making the hike enjoyable.

Pros:

Long Path, Amphitheater, scenic landscape, decent views, well marked trails, not much foot traffic, no litter (please keep it that way).

Cons:

Some road noise can be heard.

Take a hike!

Long Path – South Mountain County Park

Sources:

High Tor State Park

Posted on August 22, 2022

August 21, 2022 – New City, NY

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: Approximately 5.3 miles

Max elevation: 832 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 700 ft.

Route type: Out and back

Buy Map (Paper & Avenza): Hudson Palisades Trails Map #112 (2018)

Free map: High Tor State Park Trail Map (2015)

Trailhead parking: County Route 33, New City, NY 10956

Parking is available for about 20 cars – No restrooms on site

The park is open year-round, from 8am to dusk.

Park Overview:

High Tor State Park is a 691-acre state park on the north edge of the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, NY. The park is located on South Mountain, which has two peaks, High Tor and Little Tor. Its highest peak, High Tor, sits at an elevation of 832 feet above sea level and Little Tor at 620 feet. High Tor is the highest point on the entire Hudson River Palisades. High Tor State Park has a swimming pool, a large picnic area, and hiking trails, most notably a 3.5 mile stretch of the Long Path and several short spur trails. Hikers are rewarded with some of the most outstanding views in the lower Hudson Valley from the summits of High Tor and Little Tor.

View northeast – High Tor summit

History:

The vertical, striated appearance of the Palisades inspired people to name them. To the native Lenape, they were “Wee-Awk-En,” the rocks that look like trees. When explorer Giovanni da Verrazano sailed past the ridge in 1524, he thought it resembled a “fence of stakes,” or in military parlance a stockade (or palisade) built for defensive purposes. That’s what it’s called on the first map of the New World, printed 17 years later. The definition of tor is: a high craggy hill.

Like Tallman or Hook Mountain, this chunk of South Mountain was, by virtue of its trap rock composition, faced with the threat of destruction by quarrying. On numerous occasions, quarry operators sought to buy the property from its owner, Elmer Van Orden. While Van Orden always refused to sell, his death in 1942 revived fears that High Tor might end up defaced by quarrying. One of Rockland County’s most beautiful sites, it had inspired countless poets, artists, and even playwrights. Among them Maxwell Anderson, whose well-known 1937 play, High Tor, is the basis of a 1956 movie with Bing Cosby and Julie Andrews.

High Tor – courtesy of Historical Society of Rockland County

After Van Orden’s death, the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission immediately sought to acquire the property. A campaign led by the Hudson River Conservation Society and the Rockland County Conservation Association, and supported by dozens of groups and individuals, raised sufficient funds to purchase the property, which was transferred to the Commission in April, 1943. At the same time, Archer Huntington decided to donate his own 470-acre estate, which included Little Tor.

Trails Overview:

The park is traversed by a 3.5-mile section of the Long Path. In addition, a woods road marked with white blazes, leads north, crossing the Long Path along the ridge and continues north to the top of the promontory known as Little Tor. High and Little Tor comprise the major part of South Mountain, which is the northern boundary of the Palisades.

Long Path – High Tor State Park

Little Tor Spur Trail – High Tor State Park

This is a straightforward out-and-back hike that is easy to follow. The first half of the hike, the Hudson River will be on your left and on the return route, the river will be on your right.

Hike Overview:

I was looking to do a somewhat shaded hike with some views on a hot and humid day. This hike was perfect. The entirety of the hike, except for both summits, had plenty of tree cover. The elevation gain is quite manageable, even on the warmest of days. There are short, steep climbs to reach the summits of both Little Tor and High Tor, but the rest of the hike consists of minor ups and downs.

High Tor State Park

elevation profile – High Tor State Park

Like most hikers, I prefer loop hikes to an “out-and-back,” but sometimes you don’t have much of a choice. This was a pleasant walk through relatively quiet woods, to outstanding views over the Hudson River Valley. The occasional loud Harley from the roads below could be heard. We ran into a mountain biker (FYI – no bikes allowed on the Long Path) that kept shouting “bear!” repeatedly as he cruised by us several times. He said he saw a large bear in the area the previous week.

The Hike:

The hike begins at the trailhead for South Mountain County Park, which is on the opposite side of Central Highway (County Route 33). There is parking for about 20 vehicles. The Long Path crosses the road here connecting High Tor State Park and South Mountain County Park. There is no sign for High Tor State Park at this trailhead, but the hike begins across the road from the wooden sign for South Mountain County Park and the same side of the road as the parking area.

South Mountain County Park Trailhead

Do not cross the road, instead proceed past the gate and follow the aqua blazes of the Long Path in an easterly direction on a wide woods road. The trail climbs gradually as it winds its way along the ridge of South Mountain. In about 400 yards, there is an unmarked trail on the left that climbs steeply up to the powerlines. You may want to take this short detour for some nice Hudson River views. If you follow the unmarked trail around, it descends back down to rejoin the Long Path.

Long Path – High Tor State Park

Power Lines Trail – High Tor State Park

Power Lines View – High Tor State Park

When the Power Lines Trail descends and terminates at the Long Path, turn left and rejoin the aqua-blazed trail, continuing on the wide woods road in an easterly direction as the trail descends a little then levels off.

Turn left on Long Path

Long Path – High Tor State Park

In another 0.4 mile, the Long Path passes by two painted sign posts, where an unmarked woods road crosses. To the right, the unmarked road leads down to the public swimming pool in High Tor State Park. To the left, the woods road heads steeply down the northern face of South Mountain. Continue ahead, still following the aqua blazes.

Long Path – High Tor State Park

In just over a mile from the start of the hike, the Long Path reaches a junction with the white-blazed Little Tor Spur Trail, which begins on the left. Turn left and follow the white blazes as they climb to the summit of Little Tor, passing two rock outcrops with wide-ranging views along the way.

Turn left on Little Tor Spur Trail

Little Tor Spur Trail – High Tor State Park

The Town of Haverstraw is directly below with the Hudson River in the distance.

View north – Little Tor

View northeast – Little Tor

To the north, the hills of Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks are visible in the distance.

View north – Little Tor

A zoomed in view of the Hudson River, Westchester County and the East Hudson Highlands beyond. The Indian Point nuclear power plant is visible just left of center in the image below.

View northeast – Little Tor

The trail climbs to another rock outcrop with more views.

Little Tor Spur – High Tor State Park

View northwest – Little Tor

The Little Tor Spur continues past the two rock outcrops and climbs steeply to the true summit of Little Tor, with 360° views of the surrounding region. This makes for a good spot to take a break and enjoy the fantastic views.

Little Tor Spur – High Tor State Park

View northwest – Little Tor

Looking west across Rockland County and into northern New Jersey.

View west – Little Tor

Looking south, the summit of High Tor is visible on the left.

View south – Little Tor

A balanced boulder sits at the summit of Little Tor.

Little Tor summit

We saw lots of birds hovering above us, including some Turkey Vultures.

Little Tor summit

When you are ready to continue, retrace your steps on the white-blazed Little Tor Spur, passing the two lower rock outcrops on the way back down to the junction with the Long Path and turn left.

Little Tor Spur – High Tor State Park

Little Tor Viewpoint – High Tor State Park

Little Tor Spur – High Tor State Park

Little Tor Viewpoint – High Tor State Park

Long Path – High Tor State Park

Continue heading in a southeasterly direction, following the aqua blazes on the wide woods road. The trail travels over undulating terrain, with some minor ups and downs.

Long Path – High Tor State Park

At one point, the Long Path leaves the woods road to avoid an eroded section, but rejoins the road a short distance later.

Long Path – High Tor State Park

The Long Path descends alongside a high craggy cliff with jumbled boulders at its base. Soon, the Long Path turns right at the base of a steep talus slope, just below the High Tor summit.

Long Path – High Tor State Park

The trail turns left and begins a steep climb of High Tor on a rocky footpath. The grade moderates, but the climb soon resumes, with several steep sections.

Long Path – High Tor State Park

In about 2.7 miles from the start of the hike, the Long Path climbs up a rock face and emerges on the 832-foot-high summit of High Tor. This marks the halfway point and turn-around spot of the hike, and makes for a good place to rest from the steep climb and enjoy the panoramic views.

Long Path – High Tor State Park

High Tor summit

Looking south towards DeForest Lake in Clarkstown, NY.

View south – High Tor summit

Northeast view over the Town of Haverstraw and the Hudson River.

View northeast – High Tor summit

If you look around carefully, you’ll see some very old graffiti carved into the craggy rock at the summit.

High Tor summit

During World War II, an aircraft beacon was located on the summit, and the anchors of the beacon are still visible today.

High Tor summit

Looking west over Rockland County and into New Jersey.

View west – High Tor summit

Looking southeast down the Hudson River. The land mass jutting into the river, across the way is Croton Point Park.

View southeast – High Tor summit

A zoomed in view of DeForest Lake with the NYC skyline visible at its southern end, far in the distance.

DeForest Lake from High Tor summit

Looking northeast up the Hudson River towards Peekskill and the southern gate of the Hudson Highlands.

View northeast – High Tor summit

Down below, the Bowline Point Thermal Power Plant’s smokestacks (center) and Haverstraw Bay.

View northeast – High Tor summit

A zoomed in view towards Peekskill. The Indian Point nuclear power plant is visible (center right), with the Hudson Highlands just beyond.

View northeast – High Tor summit

When you are done enjoying the Hudson River Valley views, retrace your steps on the Long Path, for about 2.6 miles, back to the parking area, where the hike began. Remember, the river will now be on your right as you make your way back.

Long Path – High Tor State Park

Review:

An enjoyable hike in a relatively quiet area that doesn’t get as crowded as other sections of the Hudson River Palisades. The views are outstanding and there are plenty of them. The Long Path is well marked and easy to follow. The shaded trails makes this a good hike for those hot sunny days. I highly recommend this hike, especially for those seeking a moderate hike with easy to follow trails.

Pros:

Long Path, Hudson River Valley views, the Palisades, well marked trails, no crowds, sufficient parking.

Cons:

Some road noise can be heard.

Take a hike!

High Tor State Park

Sources:

Culver Fire Tower from Stony Lake – Stokes State Forest

Posted on August 17, 2022

August 13, 2022 – Sandyston, NJ

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: Approximately 5 miles

Max elevation: 1,568 ft.– total elevation gain approximately 700 ft.

Route type: Circuit

Buy Map: Delaware Water Gap & Kittatinny Trails Map #122 – 2021

Free Map: Stokes State Forest North 2018

Trailhead parking: Stony Lake Day Use Area – Sandyston, NJ 07826

Open daily from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. – Full service restrooms on site

Entrance Fee: Free entry for the 2022 season

Overview:

Stokes State Forest is located in the Townships of Sandyston, Montague and Frankford in Sussex County, New Jersey. Stokes is comprised of 16,447 acres of mountainous woods in the Kittatinny Mountains, extending from the southern boundary of High Point State Park southwestward to the eastern boundary of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.

The Stony Lake Day Use Area has 45 picnic tables with adjacent grills located next to the eight-acre Stony Lake. Picnic tables and grills are available on a first come-first serve basis. A bathroom with flushing toilets is located on site. Currently, swimming is not permitted at Stony Lake, or any of the lakes in Stokes State Forest. Entrance fees are charged from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.

Stony Lake Day Use Area – Stokes State Forest

A view of the entire Stokes State Forest may be had from the Culver Fire Tower which is situated on Culver Ridge, formerly known as Normanook, located in the heart of the Kittatinny Mountains, about one mile northeast of Culver Gap. The broad Wallkill and Paulins Kill Valleys, the major part of the forested Kittatinny Mountains from the Delaware Water Gap to High Point, and stretches of Pike County, Pennsylvania and Orange County, NY, may be seen from this vantage point.

Culvers Station Lookout – Stokes State Forest

History:

Stokes State Forest was named after Edward C. Stokes, governor of New Jersey from 1905 to 1908, who personally donated the first 500 acres to the state to establish the park. The forest started with 5,932 acres after the State of New Jersey purchased another 5,432 acres in the Kittatinny Mountains. Additional acquisitions over the years by the State of New Jersey, have brought the forest to its current size of 16,447 acres.

Stokes State Forest was home to two Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps during the 1930’s, Camp S-57 and Camp S-71. From 1933 to 1942, the CCC men of Stokes built Sunrise Mountain Road, built a lot of the forest’s extensive trail system, erected the pavilions, lean-tos, and cabins, dammed streams to create Lake Ocquittunk and Skellinger Lake, and planted hundreds of trees throughout the forest. The New Jersey School of Conservation now occupies the sites of the abandoned CCC camps. Pictured below are members of the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp S-51 in September of 1933 in Stokes State Forest.

CCC Camp S-51 – September 1933

Culvers Station Lookout was originally established in 1908 and the site was first known as the Normanook Fire Tower. In 1918, a steel tower was constructed and was staffed by a state observer. The present Aermotor 47′ tower, with a 7’x7′ cab, was erected in 1933 and sits at an elevation of approximately 1,509 feet above sea level. The lookout is located in the Appalachian Trail corridor on Culver Ridge in Stokes State Forest, Sussex County, New Jersey. Culvers Station recently received a new coat of paint in 2022. It was placed on the National Historic Lookout Register on August 1, 1992.

Culvers Station Lookout – Stokes State Forest

The Gren Anderson Shelter was built in 1958 by members of the New York Section of the Green Mountain Club in memory of their president, 1956-57, under the sponsorship of the NY– NJ Trail Conference.

Gren Anderson Shelter – Stokes State Forest

Trails Overview:

A 12.5-mile-long section of the Appalachian Trail follows the Kittatinny Mountain Ridge through Stokes State Forest. In addition to the Appalachian Trail, there are more than 63 miles of marked trails within Stokes State Forest in addition to the 17-mile-long Blue Mountain Loop Trail. Trails vary in length from one half mile to four miles, and over terrains ranging from flat lowlands to rocky mountains. Many of the trails connect, offering the hiker a variety of trips from an hour to a full day.

Trails used on this hike:

Stony Brook Trail (brown blazes – 1.6 miles) ~ Starts out heading northeast on a woods road that ascends very gradually. After about 0.8 mile, the brown-blazed trail turns right and heads in a southerly direction as it ascends more steeply on a rocky path. After 1.6 miles and an elevation gain of about 458 feet, it ends at a T-intersection with the Appalachian Trail at the forested ridge.

Appalachian Trail (white blazes – 1.1 mile) ~ Heads south along the forested ridge for just over a mile, gaining about 160 feet of elevation upon arriving at the Culvers Station Lookout Tower.

Tower Trail (green blazes – 1.1 mile) ~ Descends the ridge steeply at first, requiring the use of both hands and feet in certain places for the first several hundred yards or so. After crossing Sunrise Mountain Road, the trail descends much more gradually, but remains an ankle breaker type trail. The trail loses about 525 feet of elevation in 1.1 miles up to the junction with the Stony Brook Trail. The Tower Trail is co-aligned with the Stony Brook Trail for the last 1/2 mile along an easy walking woods road until it reaches the parking lot.

All the trails are well marked and well maintained. The only foot traffic that we saw was on the AT near the fire tower and a couple pairs of hikers on the Tower Trail.

Hike Overview:

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference calls this “one of the most popular circuit hikes in Northwest New Jersey.” I am not sure about that as we didn’t see too many people on the trails or cars in the large parking lot. Nevertheless, it is a very nice hike in a scenic area with multiple points of interest.

Appalachian Trail, a lookout tower and panoramic views, you really can’t go wrong with this hike. Throw in lightly trafficked trails, a historic Appalachian Trail shelter, plenty of parking, full service restrooms at the trailhead and free admission and you have yourself a good day on the trails. The only negative thing that I can say is that all the streams were dry when we did this hike. Other than that it was a really good hike. Except for the area surrounding the fire tower, the trails were well shaded. The moderate elevation gain makes this a good hike for those warm summer days. In hindsight, I would have done this loop counterclockwise, ascending on the Tower Trail which is slightly more difficult and descending on the Stony Brook Trail which would have been a much easier downhill when I was a little tired.

Please Note: I wouldn’t recommend doing the Tower Trail if the ground is wet or icy. A sturdy pair of hiking boots with good ankle support is advisable for this hike.

Upon arriving at the Stony Brook Day Use Area after a 1-1/2-hour drive, we took a walk to check out Stony Lake and at 8:45am, there was no one else around. The large parking lot was nearly empty.

parking lot – Stony Lake Day Use Area

The water level was a little low on the day that we visited.

Stony Lake – Stokes State Forest

The restrooms were clean with running water and flush toilets. More than enough stalls in both the Men’s and Ladies rooms with plenty of toilet paper, full soap dispensers and air hand dryers.

restrooms – Stony Lake Day Use Area

This clockwise lollipop loop begins and ends at the Stony Lake Day Use Area. Ascending on the Stony Brook Trail and descending on the Tower Trail.

Culver Fire Tower Loop from Stony Lake

The ascent to the ridge is a longer, but more gradual climb to the fire tower. Descending on the Tower Trail is somewhat steeper on an extremely rocky trail.

elevation profile – Culver Fire Tower Loop

The Hike:

The hike begins at a gated woods road to the left of the large kiosk, just feet from the parking lot. This is the route of three separate trails – the Blue Mountain Loop Trail (blue blazes), the Tower Trail (green blazes) and the Stony Brook Trail (brown blazes). You will be following the brown-blazed Stony Brook Trail for the first 1.6 miles of the hike so pay attention to the brown blazes. Follow the woods road as it gradually heads uphill in an easterly direction. In about 530 feet, The blue-blazed Blue Mountain Loop Trail leaves to the left, but you should continue ahead, following the brown-blazed Stony Brook Trail.

Stony Lake Trailhead – Stokes State Forest

Stony Brook Trail – Stokes State Forest

In another 200 yards or so, the Stony Brook Trail turns left at a junction with the Coursen Trail which begins on the right. Then in about 460 yards from the junction with the Coursen Trail, the green-blazed Tower Trail leaves to the right. This will be your return route, but for now, continue ahead following the brown-blazed Stony Brook Trail. The trail soon narrows in places and the trail surface becomes quite rocky. In about 0.8 miles from the trailhead, the Stony Brook Trail turns sharp right, crossing a wet area and begins to ascend a little more steeply with Stony Brook (dry when we visited) to the right of the trail.

Stony Brook Trail – Stokes State Forest

When the trail reaches Sunrise Mountain Road, it turns left and runs along the paved road for about 100 feet, turns right and reenters the woods, now climbing more steeply. In about 0.2 mile, a blue-blazed side trail (scarcely blazed) appears on the left. The Gren Andersen Shelter (with water and latrine) is just a short distance down this trail. You may want to take a short detour to check out the shelter which is used by thru-hikers and backpackers.

Stony Brook Trail – Stokes State Forest

The open front lean-to was built in 1958 of oak logs cut from standing trees at the site. The Green Mountain Club contributed all other materials and labor, but upon completion the shelter would be the property and responsibility of Stokes State forest. The name “Gren Anderson Shelter” was selected as a tribute to their president who had died the year before, while still in office. A fund-raising campaign raised about 260 dollars, which proved to be an adequate sum to meet all expenses.

Gren Anderson Shelter – Stokes State Forest

When you are done checking out the Gren Anderson Shelter, retrace your steps to the Stony Brook Trail and continue ahead. In another 150 feet, the Stony Brook Trail ends at a T-intersection with the Appalachian Trail (AT). Turn right at this junction and follow the white blazes of the AT southwest along the forested ridge. There are no views on this section of the AT. The trail, although rocky, is not as bad as some other sections of the AT in this area.

Stony Brook Trail – Stokes State Forest

Appalachian Trail – Stokes State Forest

In about a mile, the green-blazed Tower Trail begins on the right. You will return to this spot to continue the loop, but for now, proceed ahead on the AT for about another 250 feet to the site of the Culvers Station Lookout Tower.

Continue past the junction with the Tower Trail

Culvers Station Lookout – Stokes State Forest

There is a picnic table by a rock outcrop with a west-facing view that makes for a good spot to take a break.

View west from near the base of the Culvers Station Lookout

A Black Vulture soaring above the ridge.

Black Vulture

View northwest from near the base of the Culvers Station Lookout

Culvers Station Lookout Tower, which is still in use for spotting forest fires, was erected in 1933. When it is manned, you can climb up the 47′ tower and go inside the 7’x7′ cab.

Culvers Station Lookout – Stokes State Forest

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service maintains a system of 21 fire towers at strategic locations throughout the state. These towers are staffed with fire observers who monitor for smoke in their geographic region, communicating with other nearby towers to pinpoint the location of smoke. At least one tower in each division is operated whenever the woods are dry enough to burn and all towers are staffed during the months of March, April, May, October and November.

Culvers Station Lookout – Stokes State Forest

The images below were taken from just below the cab. It certainly is worth it to climb the tower at least part way to enjoy these fabulous views that stretch all the way into New York and Pennsylvania.

View north over New Jersey and into NY and Pennsylvania

View west of Kittatinny Lake, the Delaware River Valley and into Pennsylvania

View south over the Kittatinny Valley

View east over the Appalachian Trail as it heads towards Sunrise Mountain and beyond.

High Point, the highest elevation in the State of New Jersey, is 13.5 miles away if you follow the Appalachian Trail (AT) north. The AT passes near the base of the monument.

View northeast of High Point Monument

Stony Lake is visible below, the starting and ending point of this hike.

View of Stony Lake from near the base of the Culvers Station Lookout

Near the base of the Culvers Station Lookout

When you are done enjoying the 360° views from the tower, retrace your steps on the AT to the junction with the green-blazed Tower Trail. Turn left and follow the green blazes to a rock outcrop with more west-facing views. Just to the right, the trail descends steeply over rock slabs for several hunred yards. You may have to use both your hands and feet to tackle this section of trail. It’s probably not a good idea to hike this section of the trail in wet or icy conditions.

Turn left on the green-blazed Tower Trail

The start of the green-blazed Tower Trail

Tower Trail – Stokes State Forest

Once past the initial steep section, the grade moderates as it descends on an extremely rocky footpath. Careful attention should be paid to avoid twisting an ankle or tripping.

Tower Trail – Stokes State Forest

In about 0.4 mile, the Tower Trail crosses Sunrise Mountain Road diagonally to the right. The trail now descends even more moderately, but the rough rocky trail remains an ankle breaker.

Tower Trail as it crosses Sunrise Mountain Road

Tower Trail – Stokes State Forest

In about 0.7 mile from the junction with the AT, the Tower Trail crosses a wooden footbridge over Stony Brook built by the volunteers of the West Jersey Trail Crew in 2019. A short distance beyond, you’ll reach the junction with the brown-blazed Stony Brook Trail. Turn left and retrace your steps about a 1/2 mile, back to the parking lot, where the hike began.

Tower Trail – Stokes State Forest

Turn left at the junction with the Stony Brook Trail

coaligned Stony Brook/Tower trails

Turn right to remain on coaligned Stony Brook/Tower trails

coaligned Stony Brook/Tower trails

coaligned Blue Mountain Loop/Stony Brook/Tower trails

Stony Lake Trailhead – Stokes State Forest

Review:

A really good hike in an area that doesn’t seem to get much foot traffic. The parking lot at the end of the hike was as empty as when we began the hike. The views from the fire tower are the highlight of the hike, but the tranquil surroundings make this trek worthwhile. We drove 1-1/2 hours to do this hike and it was worth the drive. On the way back we stopped to pick up some fresh corn, Jersey Tomatoes and a Cherry-Peach Pie which were all delicious. As stated previously, I would do this hike in reverse, ascending on the Tower Trail and descending on the more knee friendly Stony Brook Trail.

Pros:

Culvers Station Lookout, panoramic views, lightly trafficked trails, well marked and maintained trails, scenic landscape.

Cons:

Rocky ankle-breaker type trails.

Take a hike!

Culver Fire Tower from Stony Lake – Stokes State Forest

Sources:

Scenes From The Trail

Detailed hike reports, complete with images.

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