Harriman State Park, NY - Lake Skannatati/Lake Askoti/Hansenclever Mine/Old Cemetery

ABOUT THE PARK:  Harriman State Park

DIRECTIONS:
GPS 41.242389,-74.102401

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TRAIL MAP:  NY/NJ Trail Conference Norther Harriman Bear Mountain Trails Map 119

HIKE DISTANCE:  6.2 miles

HIKE DESCRIPTION:
I had intended to follow the 8.4 mile Red Cross/Beech Trail and Long Path Loop from Lake Skannatati as described on the NY/NJ Trail Conference site but had to reroute to avoid following bear tracks in the snow, cutting off a little over 2 miles of the loop.

From the parking lot start steeply uphill on the inverted red triangle trail.

Near the top of the climb watch for the red cross trailhead and make note of where it is as you will be backtracking to that trail soon.  Continue straight ahead to a view of Lake Skannatati.

Backtrack a very short distance and turn left on the red cross trail.

Cross over Seven Lakes Drive then past Lake Askoti on the right.

Cross the inlet stream to Lake Askoti:

At 2.3 miles reach an intersection with the Hansenclever Road (woods road).  The water filled pit is what remains of the main opening of the Hansenclever Mine.

At this point to follow the NY/NJ Trail Conference directions you would turn left to continue on the red cross trail.  The only prints in the snow going in that direction, however, were these...

Seems all of the human footprints turned around and headed back at this point.  Not wanting to follow behind a bear I turned right on the unmarked Hansenclever Road instead.  This cut off a little over 2 miles of the loop.  At 3.05 miles I met up with the blue-blazed Beech Trail as it crossed over Hansenclever Road.  A right turn on the blue trail put me where I needed to be to continue following the NY/NJ Trail Conference directions.

At 3.45 miles arrive at an old cemetery with tombstones dated in the 1800's.

At 5.05 miles turn right on the aqua-blazed Long Path.

At 6.10 miles cross over Seven Lakes Drive and walk along Lake Skannatati back to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take inverted red triangle trail (to the right of the aqua Long Path) from parking lot
[  0.30]  Arrive at scenic overlook; backtrack short distance to red cross trail
[  0.35]  Left on red cross trail
[  0.85]  Cross over Seven Lakes Drive
[  1.60]  Cross power cut
[  2.05]  Cross over wooden foot bridge
[  2.10]  Left on red cross trail where unmarked trail comes in from the right
[  2.35]  Hansenclever mine; turn right on Hansenclever Road (woods road)
[  3.05]  Right on blue-blazed Beech Trail
[  3.45]  Old cemetary on right
[  4.40]  Blue trail leaves woods road on foot path to the left
[  4.50]  Cross over Route 106
[  5.05]  Blue trail terminates; turn right on aqua-blazed Long Path
[  5.65]  Right on Route 106 for 250 ft then continue on aqua-blazed Long Path to the left
[  5.90]  Cross power cut
[  6.10]  Cross over Seven Lakes Drive
[  6.20]  Arrive back at parking lot

Long Pond Ironworks State Park, NJ - Monksville Reservoir

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Long Pond Ironworks State Park - New Jersey State Park Service

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 41.12708, -74.30116

Monksville Reservoir South Boat Launch

TRAIL MAP: 

Northern New Jersey Highlands Trail Map 151 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCE:  10.1 miles

THE HIKE:

Taking the short connector trail from the far right corner of the huge parking lot.

Left on the white Monks Trail.

Left on a side trail to ...

... views of Monksville Reservoir.

Continuing on white.

When white crosses a wide woods road, we turned left ...

... then at the bottom left again on an unmarked woods road.

At the end of the woods road, views of Monksville Reservoir.

Heading back.

Passing by the woods road we had come down on ...

... then left on white when it crosses over.

White ends and begins at the north boat launch.

Coming up on Greenwood Lake Turnpike down below ...

... watch for a green trail on the left.

Crossing over Greenwood Lake Turnpike to Beech Road.

A short distance along Beech Road, the green trail continues to the right.

Haven't found one of these in a long time!  It is only balloon #6 of the year.  

The green trail descends to Beech Road ...

... and continues left after the Tranquility Ridge park sign.

A short distance in green ends, continuing straight on the yellow Hansenclever Iron Trail.

Several interpretive signs along the Hansenclever Iron Trail.

The northern side of Monksville Reservoir.

Right on the Highlands Trail/blue Sterling Ridge Trail.

Passing by the yellow Jennings Hollow Trail.

When the Highlands/blue trail veers left, we continued straight on an unmarked woods road.

It was tricky to find the unmarked turn on to another unmarked trail but it was there.

This comes out on the yellow Hansenclever Iron Trail and interpretive sign 6 where we turned left.

At sign 7 the yellow trail turns left; we turned right on unmarked Beech Road which is a woods road here.

Beech Road continues past the Tranquility Ridge park sign where it becomes a gravel road.

Passing by where we had come off of the green trail before and staying with Beech Road.

Beech Road becomes paved.

Picking up green behind the Ringwood sign after crossing Greenwood Lake Turnpike again.

Left on white to continue around the white loop.

Yellow markers from Highlands Meadow join in.  I had hiked this 11 years ago but did not have a map at that time.  This time I printed out the map and brochure explaining the different points of interest.

The trail did not seem to be used much.

Some of the numbered stops explained in the brochure still exist.

The Harry Vreeland House seems to be under renovation?

The Meadow was pretty much a mess.

Some plants were growing.

Heading down from the meadow towards the house then continuing left on the trail.

What trail?  We hacked through thorny overgrowth ...

... and managed to find the trail again to continue the loop.

Basically, the trail is a mess and has not been used or maintained so it very well might not even exist any more.

Back on the white trail.

Left on the connector trail ...

... back to the parking lot.