Harriman State Park, NY - Ladentown and Breakneck Mountains

ABOUT THE PARK:  New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

DIRECTIONS:

GPS Coordinates:  41.185122 -74.07385

TRAIL MAP:
Southern Harriman Bear Mountain Trails Map 118 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCE:  7.9 miles

THE HIKE:

Start on the red-lin-on-white Tuxedo-Mt. Ivy Trail at the barrier and keep right into the power cut.

A common starling ...

... singing ...

... in the power cut.

Uphill into the power cut then left ...

... into the woods.  (There is a shortcut path through the power cut directly into woods where the red-line-on-white T-MI Trail actually keeps going, loops around to the left the other side of the power cut, then turns right into the woods where the shortcut path comes out.)

The Hudson River at the Eagle Rock overlook.

Continuing past the Red Arrow Trail which was our return route.

Rhododendron tunnel.

Squirrel Swamp

Green Swamp

Right on the white-blazed Breakneck Mountain Trail.

Three deer slowly passed up ahead unaware that we were watching them.

Watching the deer.  Even in her younger days she knew chasing deer (or any wildlife) was strictly forbidden and she never did it.

Hiking refreshments.

What?!?!?!?

THAT is not chicken jerky.

This is.  She loves those other bones at home but it's only chicken jerky she wants on hikes.

Near the end of the white-blazed Breakneck Mountain Trail we took a side trail down to Breakneck Pond.  I almost turned around because I could hear sawing, hammering, people talking at the camp at the pond but then I saw this sign that said "hiker foot traffic welcome" so on we went turning left on a foot path at the pond and avoiding the construction area.

Breakneck Pond

Although it looked like the trail continued on it eventually became littered with huge blow downs so we turned back.

Back up on the Breakneck Mountain Trail.

At the yellow Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail all you see are blazes to turn left up the rocks.  You actually want to keep straight to the right of the rocks although no blazes are visible at the intersection.

Coming up on Third Reservoir.

This is where we would turn left on the Red Arrow Trail but we continued on yellow for about .15 mile to...

... views.

Hudson River in the distance.

Now back to the Red Arrow Trail.

Then retracing on the Tuxedo-Mount Ivy Trail.

Passing by the first overlook again.

Coming out of the woods and taking the shortcut straight ahead to the other side of the power cut...

... to continue right on the Tuxedo-Mount Ivy Trail through the power cut.

Gorgeous foliage ...

... just before the parking lot.

Paradise Price Preserve, PA

ABOUT THE PARK:
Paradise Price Preserve - Brodhead Watershed

DIRECTIONS:
Parking Area 1 - GPS Coordinates 41.13244, -75.26350

Parking Area 1 as indicated on map.

Parking Area 2 - GPS Coordinates 41.12750, 75.23099
Forgot to take a picture but it is off of Route 447 with a small parking lot at a picnic pavillion.

TRAIL MAP:
Paradise Price Preserve Trail Map Pamphlet - Brodhead Watershed
Paradise-Price Preserve, PA at EveryTrail

HIKE DISTANCE:  4.9 miles
Hiked together with Mt. Wismer and Gravel Family Nature Preserves (15 minutes away) - 2.7 miles

THE HIKE:
Parking Area 2 was a straight shot south from the Mt. Wismer hike so that is where I stopped first.  I had hoped, since this is shown as a parking area on the trail map, that there would be a connection to the trails on the other side of Brodhead Creek but there is not.  Unless you want to ford over, and I did not on a 30 degree day, the trail, although quite scenic, is only .1 mile long.

Brodhead Creek

Brodhead Falls

The .1 mile long trail.

So then, off to Parking Area 1 to see if I could reach the other side of the creek coming in that way since I had intended to hike those trails had I been able to get across.

We started on the woods road beyond the yellow gate.

This is one of those chunky rock woods road and it runs parallel to railroad tracks, separated by trees.

I intended to do this loop going by the falls (far right on the map at Parking Area 2) from the other side so I turned right.

That plan soon failed when the trail became overgrown and fizzled out.  Back the other way.

So far so good.

Ugh.  Have I mentioned lately how much I despise helium balloons?  I find them on almost every hike and pack them out when I can reach them.  This one was packed out.

After this fire pit ...

The trail becomes less defined again.  We managed to follow and get through for a while.

But at this point and after pulling 6 ticks off of Shawnee, decided to turn back.

Heading back.

Back at the parking lot, turned right after the gate then right again at a trail with a large boulder...

... and followed that grassy woods road ...

... to the glacial boulder.

Retracing back.