Harriman State Park, NY: Island Pond and Lemon Squeezer

ABOUT THE PARK: 
Harriman State Park - The Palisades Parks Conservancy
Harriman State Park - New York State Parks

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.264792,-74.15426

NOTE:  My GPS did not recognize the turn on Arden Valley Road from Route 17 and took me to Arden Road so you might have to watch for it.  You want to turn off Route 17 at the Harriman State Park sign on Arden Valley Road, not Arden Road which leads to private property with no park access.

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Elk Pen Parking

TRAIL MAP:
Northern Harriman Bear Mountain Trails Map #119 - NY/NJ Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCE:
10.7 miles
7.5 miles - Island Pond/Lemon Squeezer Loop - NY/NJ Trail Conference
4 mile and 8.5 mile options - Lemon Squeezer Loop - NJ Hiking

PEAK BAGGING:
Green Pond Mountain - Peakery.com
Island Pond Mountain - Peakery.com
Hogencamp Mountain - Peakery.com

APPALACHIAN TRAIL SECTION HIKING:
TrailHeadFinder.com - AT section miles 1366.0 to 1369.9

THE HIKE:

Starting on the Appalachian Trail after crossing field from parking lot.

The Appalachian Trail climbs to the top of Green Mountain.

Limited view to the west on top of rock to left of trail at summit of Green Mountain.

Descending the other side of Green Mountain to Island Pond.

Island Pond Road, built in 1905, through hemlock grove.

Stone spillway construted by the CCC in the 1930's, part of a dam that was never completed.

Island Pond

Entrance to the Lemon Squeezer

Looking back after going through the Lemon Squeezer - it's a tight squeeze at an angle.

After going through the Lemon Squeezer you have a choice of the "Easy Way" to the left or up a rock wall to the right.  My dog was VERY clear on which way she wanted to go.

The "Easy Way" is a rock scramble, too, but doable for a dog.

Island Pond from the top of the Lemon Squeezer.

Intersection of the Appalachian Trail and the Long Path.

Surebridge Brook

Watch for the red dot on white turn painted on the rock on Fingerboard Mountain.  If you start seeing white blazes with red dot on white blazes together, you just missed the turn.

Red dot on white Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail

Times Square at the Ramapo-Dunderberg and Arden-Surebridge intersection.

360 degree views from Hogencamp Mountain

Ship Rock

Goldthwaite Memorial

Boston Mine

The red triangle on white Arden-Surebridge Trail follows along a ledge high up before following a switchback down.

Elk from Yellowstone Park were kept in a huge pen in the 1920's but they failed to thrive.

Path through field back to parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take path through field from about the middle of the parking lot
[  0.15]  Turn right on red triangle on white trail a few steps then turn left on white-blazed Appalachian Trail when red triangle on white goes straight
[  1.55]  Cross gavel road leading to Island Pond
[  1.65]  Cross footbridge at old partially constructed dam
[  1.70]  Views of Island Pond to right off trail
[  2.15]  Red triangle on white comes in from right, few steps ahead red triangle on white leaves to the right; keep left on AT through Lemon Squeezer
[  3.00]  Keep straight when aqua-blazed Long Path crosses over
[  3.80]  Cross Surebridge Brook
[  4.50]  Make sharp right turn on red dot on white (Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail) where turn blaze is painted on rock surface
[  6.00]  Times Square; veer left staying on red dot on white
[  6.30]  360 degree views at top of Hogencamp Mountain
[  6.80]  Keep straight on red dot on white when blue L on white (Lichen Trail) goes right
[  6.90]  Goldthwaite Memorial
[  7.30]  Turn right on yellow-blazed trail at cairn
[  7.70]  Just before creek turn left on yellow when the white bar trail joins in from the right
[  8.00]  Turn right on yellow at cairn when white bar goes straight
[  8.60]  Boston Mine on right
[  8.65]  Turn right on unmarked woods road when yellow goes left on woods road
[  8.95]  Turn left on red triangle on white (Arden-Surebridge Trail) when woods road goes straight
[  9.10]  Keep left on red triangle on white at cairn when unmarked Island Pond Road goes right
[  9.50]  Short side trail on right to view as trails starts to descend
[10.25]  Red triangle on white turn right on woods road at elk pen when red bar on white (Nurian Trail) starts to the left
[10.55]  Keep straight when white-blazed AT goes right; at end of red triangle on white trail turn left on path through field to parking lot
[10.70]  Back at parking lot

Delaware Water Gap NRA, NJ - Blue Mountain Lakes

ABOUT THE PARK:  Blue Mountain Lakes - National Park Service

DIRECTIONS:

• Note that the official parking lot at 41.098289,-74.93503 is not accessible at this time due to the closure of Blue Mountain Lakes Road (shown at Flatbrookville-Stillwater Road on Google Maps).  Click here for information.

• Alternatively, although there is no vehicle access to Blue Mountain Lakes from the Stillwater, NJ side, it is possible to park a few cars where Fairview Lake Road dead ends and walk up to Blue Mountain Lakes, about 2 miles away.

GPS Coordinates 41.087842, -74.909042

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In this picture, taken from the other side of the gated part of Fairview Lakes Road, Fairview Lakes Road comes in from the right and ends.  Directly across (to the right driving in) is a clearing that is posted "No Trespassing/No Parking"

Sign on the gate - be sure not to park in front of the gate.  Walk beyond this gate and up the road to start the hike.

TRAIL MAP:
Southern Kittatinny Trails Map 121 - NY/NJ Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCES:
Loop to Buttermilk Falls Trail - 11.25 miles
Loop to Hemlock Pond and Crater Lake - 8.75 miles

APPALACHIAN TRAIL SECTION HIKING:
TrailHeadFinder.com - AT section miles 1295.5 to 1298.4

THE HIKE:

Ascending the fire road which is the gated continuation of Fairview Lake Road.

A lot of storm damage along this old road.

Looking back at the gate at the top of the incline.

Paved Blue Mountain Lakes Road crosses over Van Campens Brook shortly before the parking lot.

Blue Mountain Lake

Blue Mountain Lake

Indian Rocks

View to the west from Indian Rocks

A Blue Mountain Lakes woods road.

Hemlock Pond

Hemlock Pond

Turn around for view to the west while ascending the blue-blazed Buttermilk Falls trail.

Appalachian Trail

Crater Lake

Nice views to the east while descending the old, mostly paved, fire road.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Continue beyond the barrier up the fire road
[  0.40]  At the top of the ascent, continue beyond a second barrier; keep left at the fork on the paved road when the right fork goes to Crater Lake; Appalachian Trail crosses over
[  0.50]  Keep straight on paved road when road to right goes to Camp Ken-Etiwa-Pec
[  0.60]  Woods road on left
[  0.65]  Woods road on left
[  1.15]  Short road on right
[  1.40]  Woods road on left with kiosk to Pool Colony; road starts to descend
[  1.55]  Continue beyond gate (closed in winter), Van Campens Brook flows under road
[  1.60]  Woods road on left (not on map)
[  1.70]  Creek flows under road, many old stone walls in woods
[  1.85]  Woods road on right (can be taken to access Blue Mountain Lakes)
[  1.90]  Blue Mountain Lakes parking lot on right, turn through lot to trail; at fork in trail keep left where woods road from mile 1.85 comes in from the right; continue to Blue Mountain Lake and follow trail around lake
[  3.70]  On the other side of the lake, watch for an old power cut, turn right and ascend up power cut all the way to the top crossing over 2 woods roads
[  4.20]  At the top of the power cut veer right and watch for view on left; continue on woods road
[  4.80]  Indian Rocks on left, continue on woods road
[  5.00]  Veer left at fork to Hemlock Pond
[  5.10]  Woods road on left
[  5.60]  Side trail on left (doesn't go anywhere just a trashy littered area)
[  5.95]  At intersection keep left, after a few steps veer right at fork to Hemlock Pond
[  6.05]  Continue left at end of Hemlock Pond to woods road and turn right
[  6.10]  Keep straight at intersection (or turn right to Crater Lake to shorten loop coming out at 8.60 mile point below)
[  6.35]  Swamp on right then rock hop over creek
[  7.15]  Turn right on blue-blazed trail at "Woods Trail" sign
[  7.55]  Turn around for view west nearing top of ascent
[  7.65]  Turn right on white-blazed Appalachian Trail
[  8.60]  Appalachian Trail veers left when orange-blazed trail goes right to Hemlock Pond
[  8.65]  Short trail to left for view of Crater Lake; retrace
[  8.75]  Short trail to left for view of Crater Lake; retrace
[  9.00]  Veer right on AT as woods road comes in from the  left
[  9.10]  Short trail to left for view of Crater Lake; retrace
[  9.15]  AT leaves woods road to the right over rock slab with views to west
[  9.20]  AT crosses woods road
[  9.30]  AT joins orange-blazed woods road to the right briefly then leaves to the left
[10.80]  AT trail register on right, veer left to gravel road when AT turns right
[10.85]  Come out at intersection with Blue Mountain Lakes Road, turn left beyond gate to descend
[11.25]  Back at car

Skyline Preserve, NJ

NOTE: It is my understanding that these trails have not been maintained in years and that it is no longer possible to follow them.

ABOUT THE PARK:
Skyline Preserve - New Jersey Conservation Foundation

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.04609,-74.368631

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Pull off parking for 2 cars north side of Weaver Road by bridge.

TRAIL MAP:
Jersey Highlands Trails Map 125 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
North Jersey Trails Map 115 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCE:  3.45 miles

THE HIKE:
From the parking pull off, walk west across the bridge for .2 miles.  Turn left just before the black mail box with number 139 at the Trail Access sign.  Go through a ditch and proceed straight ahead to the 3 yellow markers designating the beginning of the yellow-blazed trail.

Yellow-blazed trail starts after Trail Access sign.

Pass an old wrecked car just before crossing a small creek on logs at a second triple blaze.

At the .5 mile point the trail veers left on to a woods road.  Make note of this turn as there is no turn blaze in the opposite direction for the return trip.  You can see one yellow marker on the tree going the other way and a nail where the second marker used to be so this turn is hard to find on the return trip unless you note where it is.

At .9 miles the trail comes out on a rock slab with Van Nostrand Lake visible ahead.  No markers in this area but look for the back side of a marker for the opposite direction to the left before the boulder on the left.

A pretty pine tree growing out of the rock slab.

Trail goes uphill along Van Nostrand Lake

New York City skyline view from Table Rock

Trail veers left at pretty creek with small waterfalls.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Walk west over bridge from pull off parking
[  0.20]  Turn left at Trail Access sign just before mail box with number 139
[  0.50]  Trail turns left following woods road
[  0.55]  Trail leaves woods road to right as footpath
[  0.90]  Trail comes out at clearing heading towards Van Nostrand Lake
[  1.05]  Trail comes out at Van Nostrand Lake and veers left uphill along the lake
[  1.15]  Trail veers away from lake on woods road after brief downhill rock scramble
[  1.30]  Trail leaves wider path to the right on a more narrow path (start of lollipop loop)
[  1.60]  View of New York City skyline from Table Rock Overlook on right
[  1.70]  Area of heavy blow down to climb over and crawl under; sparse blazing
[  1.85]  Trail clears as it turns left before creek with small waterfalls
[  2.10]  Trail comes out on mossy, rocky woods road
[  2.15]  Keep straight on woods road having completed lollipop loop when yellow goes left from beginning of hike; now retracing first part
[  2.25]  Just before lake trail leaves woods road to right as footpath
[  2.30]  Brief rock scramble up then trail follows along upper level with lake below to the left
[  2.50]  Cross open rock slab with pretty pine growing out of rock
[  2.80]  Trail turns left on woods road
[  2.90]  Trail leaves woods road to right before woods road forks left uphill (this is where turn blaze is missing)
[  3.20]  Cross small creek on logs at wrecked car
[  3.25]  Turn right on Weaver Road
[  3.45]  Back at parking pull out