Harriman State Park, NY - Cat's Elbow to Timp Pass to Horn Hill

ABOUT THE PARK:
Harriman State Park - New York State Parks

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates to Anthony Wayne Recreation Area: 41.297745, -74.027070

View Larger Map

Once in the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area, continue along the road heading towards the Palisades Parkway North exit then turn into the south parking lot and park near the kiosk at the southern end.  This lot used to be closed in the winter.  It is now being left open but will not be plowed when there is snow.

TRAIL MAP:
Harriman Bear Mountain Trails Map 119 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
Harriman State Park, NY - Cat's Elbow, Timp Pass, Horn Hill at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE: 7.5 miles

THE HIKE:

I did A LOT of cookie eating over the holidays so today's hike was intended to burn off all of those calories.

Take the bike trail that starts to the left of the kiosk.

It goes through a beautiful pine forest.

A sturdy wooden bridge crosses Beechy Bottom Brook.

Hang a left on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail.

Trail maintenance crews worked so hard building the stone steps and Shawnee avoids steps whenever she can.

The sun starting to rise over the mountains.

Views from the Appalachian Trail.

A steep climb up but this type works fine for Shawnee.  It's the vertical scrambles she has issues with.

We did a short out-and-back on the AT/Timp-Torn Trail to views of Bear Mountain with the Perkins Memorial Tower and ...

... Bear Mountain Bridge and Anthony's Nose. 

Lots of breaks on this hike because it was a tough one!

You have to work for these views.

Heading down the yellow-blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail.

Another steep uphill.

Look at her go!  I am always amazed that she can still do this.

I wasn't sure if we were going to go all the way to Cat's Elbow since it seemed to be a little steep going down but I found a herd path to views above Cat's Elbow.

New York City Skyline

The Hudson River

But heck, we were so close, why not try?

Going on down to Cat's Elbow.

At Cat's Elbow.

And heading back up.  It really wasn't all that steep so all was good.

Continuing on the red-dot-on-white Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail.

A view of the West Mountain shelter across the way to the left.

Eastern Bluebird

Downy Woodpecker

The views along the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail go on and on.

This is where the real fun begins - after a nice smooth section, see those rocks up ahead?

It gets very rugged along this stretch and it is a looooooong way down if you stumble.

When things finally level out ...

... turn right on the Red Cross Trail.

A broken bridge.

Shawnee resting while I did the hiker striptease - when it warmed up to 50 degrees, the base layers just had to go!

I had wanted to go back via Horn's Route but it was too loaded with blow downs to I continued on to 1779 then ...

... the yellow-blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail and up ahead is where we ran into trouble.

A vertical scramble, oh no!  Well, I could not take any pictures because I was too busy hanging on for dear life while trying to get a 65-pound Shawnee up when she kept insisting on going back down.  I managed to get her from tiny ledge to tiny ledge with great difficulty no thanks to her uncooperativeness (I don't think that is a word but we are making it one) and finally ...

... looking back down ...

... and as always, so darned pleased with herself that she made it to the top.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Heading up Horn Hill.

Back down to the bike trails.

Down stone steps on the red-dot-on-white Ramapo Dunderburg Trail to cut over to ...

... the bike trail back to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take the bike trail to the left of the kiosk in the southern parking lot
[  0.50]  Turn left on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail
[  0.70]  Keep straight on the AT crossing over a bike trail
[  1.30]  Turn left on white/blue to views
[  1.40]  Views; retrace
[  1.50]  Back at intersection, keep left on blue when white goes right
[  1.65]  Right on yellow when blue/yellow goes left
[  2.15]  Right on red-dot-on-white/yellow (herd path straight ahead goes to views above Cat's Elbow)
[  2.30]  Cat's Elbow; retrace
[  2.40]  Right on red-dot-on-white when yellow leaves to the left
[  3.15]  Right on red cross
[  4.15]  Watch for the Red Cross Trail to leave the woods road to the right when the woods road continues (easy to miss)
[  5.25]  At T-intersection, turn right on red cross/1779, yellow joins in from the left
[  5.35]  Right on yellow
[  5.85]  Rock hop creek and cross over bike trail
[  6.40]  Left on woods road then a short distance ahead, take right bike trail fork
[  6.60]  At T-intersection turn right on bike trail
[  6.85]  Turn left down stone steps on red-dot-on-white
[  6.90]  Turn right on bike trail
[  7.00]  Cross Appalachian Trail
[  7.50]  Back at parking