West Mountain/The Timp/Doodletown - Bear Mountain and Harriman State Parks, NY

ABOUT THE PARK:
NY/NJ Trail Conference Harriman-Bear Mountain State Parks
NY State Parks - Bear Mountain State Park
NY State Parks - Harriman State Park

TRAIL MAP:
NY/NJ Trail Conference Northern Harriman Bear Mountain Trails Map #119 (recommended)
New York State Parks - Bear Mountain State Park Trail Map

DIRECTIONS:
I-87/I-287 (New York State Thruway) to exit 13N (Palisades Interstate Parkway North); after 15 miles on Palisades Interstate Parkway North, exit 19 for US-6 East, keep right on Seven Lakes Drive; watch for narrow paved road on right (pictured below) in about .4 miles and turn right - no signs but this is the parking lot which holds about 12 cars.

GPS coordinates: 41.304258, -74.01571

HIKE DISTANCE: 7.3 miles (1st half moderate/strenuous, 2nd half easy)

HIKE DIRECTIONS:
NOTE: It seems that due to vandalism trail markers are often removed in these parks. I will note those areas and how to tell if you have gone too far.

Facing the barrier at the far end of the parking lot, take the white disk with red 1777W trail to the left.



Keep left on the 1777W trail at both of the forks (unmarked).

.25 miles - the 1777W trail turns right merging with the white-blazed Appalachian Trail for a short distance. When the trails split, stay right on the white-blazed A.T. leaving the 1777W trail.


.8 miles - after a steep uphill climb the white-blazed A.T. turns left; after another brief climb you arrive at east facing views of Bear Mountain with Perkins Tower and the Hudson River.



After another short uphill climb the blue-blazed Timp-Torne trail joins the white-blazed A.T. from the right, keep left on the blue/white trail to views facing west.



This trail continues along a ridge with several more west-facing views of Harriman State Park and the Palisades Parkway, which provides some traffic noise for a while until the trail leaves the ridge.




1.8 miles - At the trail junction sign, keep left on the blue-blazed Timp-Torne Trail when the white-blazed A.T. continues to the right.


A yellow trail will join for a while then branch off - continue on the blue-blazed trail.

2.3 miles - Arrive at the West Mountain shelter with great views of the Hudson and the New York City skyline.




Nice, shady break spot downhill a little bit beyond the shelter with great Hudson views and lots of overhead flight activity:



2.8 miles - after descending West Mountain, watch for the blue-blazed trail to make a left turn. An unmarked trail will go to the right. Although the turn is blazed on a tree, this turn is easy to miss if you are not paying close attention. If you end up at an intersection with the red-dot-on-white and red-cross-on-white trails, you missed the turn.

3.4 miles - arrive at The Timp summit with views of the Hudson River and the New York City skyline. You can also look back over at West Mountain and see the shelter you were at previously.




Stay on the blue-blazed trail as the red-dot-on-white trail crosses over.

4.4 miles - arrive at an unmarked intersection with a cairn in the middle. When you look to the left you will not see any markers on the trees. This is, however, where you turn left. You will not see markers for the 1777 trail until you walk farther down the trail.



If you come to this series of stone steps going up along a vertical rock wall, you missed the turn and need to backtrack.


The 1777 trail takes you through Doodletown, now an abandoned ghost town. Signs posted along the way point out interesting facts and sometimes show drawings or pictures of the homes which once stood at those sites.






There are also some old cemeteries. The oldest tombstone I saw was dated 1816 but there were many older stones which were illegible.


If you want to spend time more thoroughly exploring Doodletown, you might want to print out the map below from Wikipedia as we saw a note saying the sign you would come to as you entered Doodletown was removed by vandals.


6.0 miles (not counting walking around Doodletown) the 1777 trail splits off into the 1777W and 1777E trails at the sign:

Take the 1777W trail to the left.

6.5 miles - stay on the 1777W trail as the yellow-blazed trail crosses over.

7.0 miles - the white-blazed Appalachian Trail joins from the left briefly; keep left on the 1777W trail as it leaves the A.T. after a short distance.

Keep right at the two unmarked forks.

7.3 miles - arrive back at the parking lot.

Copper Mines/Raccoon Ridge/Sunfish Pond, Delaware Water Gap NRA & Worthington State Forest, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area - NJ Hikes/Coppermines
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Worthington State Forest

TRAIL MAP: NY/NJ Trail Conference Southern Kittatinny Trails Map #120

DIRECTIONS:
I-80 to New Jersey exit 1, north on Old Mine Road for 7.5 miles to Coppermines parking on left. GPS coordinates to parking area: 41.03738, -75.02915

HIKE DISTANCE:
Coppermines to Kaiser Road Loop: 6.2 miles
Coppermines to Raccoon Ridge and back to Kaiser Road: 8.2 miles
Coppermines to Raccoon Ridge to Sunfish Pond and back: 11.3 miles
Coppermines to Raccoon Ridge around Sunfish Pond and back: 12.5 miles

HIKE DIRECTIONS:
This hike description and mileage is for the 11.3 mile hike. The hike starts out at the red-blazed Coppermines trail which begins directly across Mine Road from the parking lot. Keep right at the fork that you come to early on. (The left trail goes to a lower mine from which you will need to backtrack.) The red-blazed Copper Mines trail involves a steep uphill climb but it's so pretty you don't realize just how much climbing you are doing. I have found it to be the best in April when the waterfalls are really flowing. The water was just a little trickle this time of year in August. Click here for April pictures of the Coppermines Trail.

The Coppermines Trail terminates at the white-blazed Appalachian Trail. Turn right and follow the white-blazed Appalachian Trail. You will soon see some views to the east.



At 3.9 miles you will pass the Kaiser Road trail on your right. Turn right here if you want the 6.2 mile hike, otherwise continue straight ahead following the white-blazed trail.


At about 4.5 miles you will leave the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and enter Worthington State Forest. Soon thereafter there will be views of the Delaware River to the west.


Views to the east and west will open up more as you approach Raccoon Ridge indicated by a huge rock cairn in the center of the ridge.





North view of the Kittatinny Mountains:


For the 8.2 mile hike, turn around here following the Kaiser Road directions below, otherwise continue south along the white-blazed trail to Sunfish Pond.

Arrive at Sunfish Pond at 6.4 miles. Take the turquoise trail to the left for a short distance to a rocky area overlooking the pond.



On this particular day, this was as far as we could go due trail closures resulting from a forest fire at the south end of Sunfish Pond. Click here for fire report.


The Appalachian Trail along with the Turquoise trail and a woods road form a loop around the lake for the 12.5 mile hike.

Head back passing over Raccoon Ridge into the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area at 8.5 miles to the junction of the Kaiser Road trail at 9 miles.


At 10 miles you have the option of taking a short spur trail back over to the red-blazed Copper Mines Trail where you would turn left to return to the parking lot.


Or continue on the blue-on-white blazed Kaiser Road trail to the second spur trail at 10.6 miles. Turn right on the spur trail and arrive back at the Coppermines trail at 11.1 miles, turn left and arrive at the parking lot at 11.3 miles.

North-South Lake/Escarpment Trail, Catskill Forest Preserve, NY

ABOUT THE PARK: North-South Lake, New York State DEC

TRAIL MAP: NY/NJ Trail Conference Northeastern Catskills Trails Map #141

DIRECTIONS: NY State Thruway exit 20 (Saugerties); 32 North for 6 miles; left on 32A for 1.9 miles; left on 23A into Haines Falls, right on North Lake Road (Rt. 18) for 2 miles, just before the North-South Lake campground entrance, turn right on Scutt Road (sometimes shown as Schutt Road) to parking on right. GPS coordinates to parking lot: 42.20004, -74.05873

HIKE DISTANCE: 10.3 miles

HIKE DIRECTIONS: The first 8 miles of this hike follow the blue-blazed Escarpment Trail. Trails are well-defined, well-blazed and there is detailed signage at all intersections.



At 1.2 miles arrive at the Frank Layman memorial:


The trail now makes a sharp left and soon passes several views.



At 1.8 miles arrive at Sunset Rock and shortly thereafter Inspiration Point:



At 3.8 miles arrive at Split Rock:


At 4.0 miles, Boulder Rock. If you continue on the unmarked trail at Boulder Rock, you will come out at better viewing spots that should also be less crowded. It did not look like the unmarked trail would meet back up with the Escarpment Trail so you will need to backtrack to continue on.



At Boulder Rock as well as other places along the hike, you will find engravings in the stone dating back to the mid 1800's:

There will most likely be many other people over the next couple of miles as these areas are easily accessible from the campground.

Next arrive at the site of the former Catskill Mountain House. Make note of where you enter the field by the information board as the continuation of the Escarpment Trail is to the left of the trail you come to the field on. (There are several other unmarked trails leading from the field.)
View From The Mountain House by W.H. Bartlett, 1836:

2010:


From Catskill Mountain House, continue on the blue-blazed Escarpment Trail to North-South Lake. When you reach the parking lot, the trail continues straight ahead but if you make a short side trip to the right, you will see where the Otis Elevating Railway used to be.
Otis Elevating Railway in 1904 from the bottom up:


2010 from the top looking down:


At 5.3 miles arrive at Artist Rock. You can see 4 other states from this point - Massachusetts and Connecticut straight ahead, Vermont and New Hampshire to the left.


At 5.8 miles turn right on the yellow-blazed trail for a short out and back to Lookout Rock and Sunset Rock:

After returning to the blue-blazed Escarpment trails there should be fewer people as you will be moving farther away from the campgrounds.

Continue on the blue-blazed Escarpment trail to Newman's Ledge at 6.4 miles:


At 7.0 miles, arrive at Badman Cave which was supposedly a hideout for outlaws:


At 7.7 arrive at the intersection of the red-blazed Mary's Glen Trail. This is the trail to take back to the parking lot but .25 miles further along the blue-blazed trail is North Point which offers the best views. There are, however, a few steep vertical uphill scrambles and if you are hiking with a dog, it will be challenging to get the dog up the trail at a couple of points along the way. We managed but it was not easy.


If you went on to North Point, retrace your steps and turn right on the red-blazed Mary's Glen Trail.

At 9.0 miles, turn right on the yellow-blazed trail at this sign:

Although the sign says Haines Falls Road, that is the same as North Lake Road so it is the correct trail.

At the road, turn left and walk briefly to Scutt Road, turn right on Scutt Road then 200 feet back to the parking lot on the right.