Palisades Interstate Park, NJ and NY (Bombay Hook - Giant Stairs)

ABOUT THE PARK:  Palisades Interstate Park

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates for Park Headquarters Parking: 40.953333, -73.920545

View Larger Map

TRAIL MAP:
NY/NJ Trail Conference Hudson Palisades Trails Maps 108 and 109

HIKE DISTANCE:
9 miles - this hike is a combination of two hikes starting at the Park Headquarters in Alpine:
     8 miles - Bombay Hook (Forest View Hike) - NJ Palisades Park
     3 miles - The Giant Stairs - NJ Palisades Park
or
     6 miles - Forest View/Closter Dock Trail Loop - NY/NJ Trail Conference
     4.5 miles - Giant Stairs/Long Path Loop - NY/NJ Trail Conference

HIKE DESCRIPTION:
Start the hike by heading south along the road from the park headquarters. After a very short distance, the aqua-blazed Long Park veers left away from the road.

In a quarter mile the Long Path veers right through a tunnel.  Turn left and switchback down on the orange-blazed Closter Dock Trail.

At .65 mile turn left on the white-blazed Shore Trail.

Stairs branching off the trail to the left and right are worth exploring.

Stairs to the right led to a dynamite storage bunker in the 1930's

Yonkers, NY across the Hudson River.

Around 1 mile the trail splits. The white-blazed Shore Trail goes right, the unmarked Upper Trail goes left. They converge back together in about .7 mile; for this hike I took the Upper Trail.

Looking down on the Shore Trail below from the Upper Trail.

Back on the white-blazed Shore Trail after the Upper Trail joins back in.

Turn around for a view of New York City and the George Washington Bridge.

Cliffs to the left - the return route is along the tops of the cliffs.

Forest View - picnic area and boat basin abandoned after World War II due to decline in visitors.

The Giant Stairs begin at the 3 mile mark. Do not underestimate the warnings. It is VERY slow going and if you have a dog along plan on it taking twice as long as that.  The actual rock scrambles are about 1/2 mile long - took me over an hour to do it with the dog.  It's challenging to find placement for two feet and you have to find additional placement for 4 paws!

After Giant Stairs, a grand entrance to New York State:

The Tappanzee Bridge will come into view then Peanut Leap Cascade.

Peanut Leap Cascade

The white-blazed shore trail ascends up steps along the cascade to the aqua-blazed Long Path.

The Long Path continues to ascend up stone steps.

The steps bring you to views from the top of the cliffs.

New Jersey Boundary Monument

Women's Federation Monument

View from unmarked trail.

1891 Rock Carving

Waterfall from the top down (much more impressive in real life).

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  .25]  Left on orange when LP goes right through tunnel; switchback down
[  .65]  At end of orange, left on white (sign says Forest View 2.3 miles)
[  .75]  Steps up to the left to old dynamite bunker from 1930's; cross waterfalls
[  .80]  Steps down to river on right to Cape Flyaway dock ruins (small fisherman's hamlet from 19th and early 20th centuries)
[  .90]  Second set of steps down to Cape Flyaway dock ruins
[ 1.05]  At split left on unmarked trail when white goes right (can go either way)
[ 1.55]  Cross bridge
[ 1.75]  Upper Trail merges back together with Shore Trail coming in from right; turn around for view of GW bridge
[ 2.70]  Keep straight on white shore trail when blue/white trail goes left
[ 3.00]  Beginning of Giant Stairs
[ 3.45]  Break in rock scramble
[ 3.60]  More rock scramble
[ 3.65]  End of rock scramble; trail smooths out; through chain link gate into New York
[ 4.05]  Peanut Leap Cascade; trail ascends next to cascade
[ 4.10]  Trail turns sharply left up stairs (WRONG WAY painted on tree straight ahead)
[ 4.35]  White trail ends; turn left on aqua-blazed Long Path and cross bridge
[ 4.50]  Aqua trail turns left and ascends stone steps
[ 4.65]  Through gate in chain link fence, border monument straight ahead along fence
[ 4.70]  At T intersection, turn left on aqua-blazed trail (unmarked)
[ 4.75]  At split take left ford; teal blaze on tree short distance ahead
[ 5.15]  Left on old concrete road to State Line Lookout; retrace
[ 5.80]  Left on "F" trail/aqua-blazed trail (would have seen on right heading towards State Line Lookout)
[ 6.00]  Aqua trail turns left but turn markers hard to see on post
[ 6.25]  At intersection turn left on "A"/aqua where "B" goes straight
[ 6.30]  Cross over road
[ 6.45]  Descend steps; cross bridge; keep right on aqua and blue/white combined as blue/white goes left
[ 6.65]  Women's Federation Monument (castle)
[ 6.75]  Aqua-blazed Long Path goes straight, turn left on unmarked trail then continue along wire barrier to views
[ 6.85]  At T-intersection turn left on gravel road
[ 7.25]  At overlook on rock outcrop rock carving from 1891; continue and merge on to aqua-blazed long path coming in from right
[ 8.20]  Cross over bridge; left on unmarked just past bridge to top of waterfall; retrace
[ 8.25]  Continue left on aqua-blazed Long Path
[ 8.30]  Side trail to left over old concrete bridge to view
[ 8.55]  Cross over bridge
[ 9.00]  Palisades Park HQ parking lot

Appalachian Trail, PA - Bake Oven Knob to Lehigh Valley Tunnel

ABOUT THE PARK:
The BMECC Section of The Appalachian Trail - Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates to Bake Oven Knob Parking 40.744774, -75.738075

View Larger Map

My GPS did not tell me this, but when on paved Ulrich Road, at a fork where a gravel road goes to the left and the paved road continues right, turn left on the gravel road which switchbacks uphill to the parking lot.

Huge parking lot on right to access the AT northbound.  There is also a parking lot on the right.

TRAIL MAP:
PA Appalachian Trail Map Sec. 1-6: Delaware Water Gap to Swatara Gap - Keystone Trails Association

HIKE DISTANCE:
From Bake Oven Knob parking - 10.55 miles
From Ashfield Road parking - 4.25 miles

APPALACHIAN TRAIL SECTION HIKING:
TrailHeadFinder.com - AT section miles 1234.0 to 1239.3

PEAKBAGGING:
Bake Oven Knob - Peakery.com

THE HIKE:

The AT northbound starts in the corner of the parking lot.  Because Bake Oven Knob is only a short distance from this lot, expect a lot of graffiti and litter along the way.

There are several old county boundary markers along the way.

Don't be fooled by the smooth trail leaving the parking lot.  Although the elevation change on this hike is minimal since the entire hike is along the ridge, there will be several challenging boulder crossings and the trail, for the most part, will be pretty rocky.

Graffiti announces the arrival at Bake Oven Knob

View to the east.

View to the north - the hike will be following this ridge on the AT northbound.

View to the east.

View to the west with the sun rising from behind over the ridge.

The AT continues north from Bake Oven Knob along the rocky ridge...

... the over boulders with lots of rock hopping along the western side of the ridge.

Blowdowns from Hurricane Sandy were minimal but I brought along some snippers to clear the way...

... because Shawnee doesn't do blowdowns if small branches are blocking her way.

Cross a power cut where they saved the jumbled mass of boulders special for the AT to cross over!

After the power cut, about a mile stretch of easier trail.

Enjoy it while you can because...

... next up is the blue-blazed South Trail, if you dare.

They aren't kidding!  If you have ever hiked The Giant Stairs in the New Jersey Palisades, this is very similar.  It took me 1 1/2 hours to do this 1-mile stretch.  Shawnee demonstrates in the video below.

Looking back to the south along the ridge where the AT resides.

The relentless sea of often wobbly rocks and boulders continues on...

... and on ...

But with rewards of great views.  The views are better than at Bake Oven Knob and there is no graffiti or litter.

Had to render a little first aid at the end but it looked worse than it was, just a scratch from the boulders.  Be sure your first aid kit is stocked before heading out on this hike!

The blue-blazed South Trail meets back up with the AT almost over the Lehigh Valley Tunnel at I-476 then southbound on the AT all the way back to the parking lot.

To shorten this hike to about 4 miles and only do the nothern South Trail lollipop part you can park on Ashfield Road at the power cut where the AT crosses over.  GPS coordinates are 40.7696,-75.694051

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  From the northeastern corner of the northern parking lot, head north on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail
[  0.15]  County marker on left and side trail on right that goes to campsite; keep straight
[  0.40]  Bake Oven Knob with views on both sides
[  0.90]  Bake Oven Knob shelter on right
[  2.85]  Blue Eagle Mountain Climbing Club sign on the left
[  2.90]  Woods road crosses over diagonally coming in from the right and leaving to the left at red game commission boundary sign
[  3.05]  Enter power cut
[  3.15]  Cross Ashfield Road at AT parking area and communications tower
[  3.35]  Kiosk on left
[  4.25]  Concrete SGL boundary marker
[  4.35]  Keep left at unmarked fork then veer right at next fork at blue South Trail sign
[  5.40]  Turn left on white-blazed AT when blue ends
[  6.30]  Keep straight when beginning of blue South Trail goes left
[  6.40]  Concrete SGL boundary marker
[  7.30]  Kiosk on right
[  7.40]  Cross Ashfield Road at AT parking area and communications tower
[  7.50]  Enter power cut
[  7.65]  Woods road crosses over diagonally
[  7.70]  Blue Eagle Mountain Climbing Club sign on right
[  9.65]  Bake Oven Knob shelter on left
[10.15]  Bake Oven Knob
[10.40]  County marker on right and side trail to campsite on left
[10.55]  Back at parking lot