ABOUT THE PARKS:
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.31124, -74.15232
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| Parking lot in Harriman at the eastern end of the Heritage Trail. |
TRAIL MAP:
HIKE and BIKE DISTANCES:
BIKE: Heritage Trail - 31 miles (out and back)
HIKE: Birnberg Preserve - .75 miles
HIKE: 6 1/2 Station Sanctuary - .75 miles
THE HIKE and BIKE:
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| From the parking lot a sidewalk leads to ... |
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| ... a left on the Heritage Trail that immediately crosses the Ramapo River. |
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| This trail is paved all the way but grade does change back and forth from slightly uphill to downhill. |
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| The trail passes by various swamps and ponds. |
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| Monroe, NY |
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| Just after the Monroe Park and Ride on the right and before this tunnel, the Long Path joins in with the beginning of Long Path Section 9. |
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| A hitchhiker on my drink. |
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| There are very few road crossings until Goshen. Most of the trail passes under roads. |
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| On the right, an old cemetery dating in the 1800's. |
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| Then on the left, the Jack & Louise Birnberg Preserve. |
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| I locked my bike to the kiosk and headed off on foot. |
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| Taking the Yrizarry Trail. |
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| All of a sudden the trail becomes VERY overgrown. |
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| It starts to open back up around the far end of the loop. |
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| Back at my bike, I decided not to take the Marsh Trail. Without trekking poles to hold the thorny overgrowth back, my legs were pretty beat up so I figured that was enough for one day. |
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| Back on the Heritage Trail. |
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| Chester, NY |
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| Coming into Goshen ... |
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| ... and the end of the trail, which it actually isn't. It continues the other side of Goshen but getting here can be tricky. |
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| From what I read you should continue straight through the parking lot which is Railroad Avenue, then make a left on Main Street which I read is pretty horrific with traffic. So I plotted out a residential route that avoided Main Street and went with that. Google Maps shows completely different route for the Heritage Trail. I would take that on the way back but it's iffy whether that is permitted or not. More on that later. |
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| The residential route was not bad. Very light traffic but very steep hills. I walked most of it. |
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| I was able to ride downhill to Main Street ... |
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| ... where I turned left coming out beyond the busy part of town. |
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| A short distance ahead, right opposite the cemetery ... |
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| ... then an immediate left back on to the Heritage Trail. |
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| At 6 1/2 Station Road, a right uphill a short distance ... |
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| ... to 6 1/2 Mile Station Sanctuary on the right. |
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| I again locked my bike to the kiosk for lack of an alternative. |
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| The trails here were nice. |
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| Coming back out at the kiosk, I had missed a trail so I went the same way again to capture that trail. |
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| I had turned right here the first time, should have continued straight for an out-and-back, which I was doing now. |
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| Steps lead down to ... |
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| ... a viewing platform. |
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| Yellow Warbler |
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| Heading back to the start. |
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| While I was getting my bike I noticed something across the way and zoomed in to see it was a red-tailed hawk. No wonder I heard so many birds but saw very few of them. |
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| Heading back down 6 1/2 Station Road to ... |
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| ... a right back on to the Heritage Trail. |
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| At Hartley Road the Long Path leaves to the right, ending Long Path Section 9. This was my turn around point. |
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| Heading back. |
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| Coming off of the Heritage Trail in Goshen there are all kinds of private property signs. Did that mean the road, too? Since Google Maps showed that as the connection for the trail, I proceeded left. (Main Street is to the right.) |
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| Riding on through ... |
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| ... then through this opening in the fence ... |
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| ... then along the condos. |
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| Coming out on Main Street where I crossed over ... |
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| ... to the parking lot which is Station Road ... |
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| ... leading straight back to the Heritage Trail. That is definitely the easiest way but I can't say for sure if it is legit or not. |
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| The Long Path exited to the left just before the Monroe Park & Ride. |
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| Back over the Ramapo River ... |
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| ... then a right back to the parking lot. |
