Sterling Forest State Park, NY - Long Swamp Loop

ABOUT THE PARK:
Sterling Forest State Park - NY State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.158238, -74.214015

Parking on Eagle Valley Road

TRAIL MAP:
Sterling Forest Trails Map 100 - NY/NJ Trail Conference

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HIKE DISTANCE:
Schunemunk State Park Western Section - 6.2 miles
     hiked together with
Sterling Forest State Park - Long Swamp Loop - 3.3 miles

THE HIKE: 
This 3-mile woods road loop was a nice add on to the Schunemunk hike since that wasn't quite long enough and Sterling Forest was on the way home.

It's a short road walk on Eagle Valley Road to ...

... a left into the power cut.

Leaving the power cut to the left on a woods road.

Puddle Frog!

At the fenced in mine pit, the trail splits into a loop.  We stayed left since that part skirts the back of homes and figured I'd get that out of the way first.

A bridge built by an Eagle Scout.

What have we here that looks totally out of place?

Balloon #46 of the year.  I don't find many in the summer because of plant growth but this one had newly landed and was very easy to see.

Taking a break in the middle of the trail because there was nobody else around.

More frogs in a puddle.

Back at the fenced in mine pit, a left to retrace ...

... then a right in the power cut.

A right on Eagle Valley Road back to ...

... the parking pull out.

Schunemunk State Park, NY - Western Ridge

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

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.413895, -74.121189
NOTE:  As of 10/24/2019 this hike is no longer doable from this parking area per a post on the NY Metro Area Trail Conditions group on Facebook:

Parking is a little tricky to find.  There is no sign.  Pull in between the two white posts shown by the red arrows.

TRAIL MAPS:
Schunnemunk State Park Trail Map - New York State Parks
West Hudson Trails - New York New Jersey Trail Conference

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HIKE DISTANCE:
Schunemunk State Park Western Section - 6.2 miles
     hiked together with
Sterling Forest State Park - Long Swamp Loop - 3.3 miles

THE HIKE:
Where the eastern side of the park can get insanely crowded, this is a very quiet side.  I never ran into anyone else and there was only one car parked by mine when I finished.

The trail starts across the field at the tree line.  A path is mowed to the right and around to the trail head.

The trail switchbacks up on a woods road and enters state park land..

Higher up the trail becomes rockier.

We startled a nest of grouse just off the trail and they went flying everywhere.  One of the juveniles thought he was invisible behind the leaves.

Before a reroute, this used to be the route of the Long Path so sometimes teal paint is still visible.

At the ridge, the trail surface becomes mostly puddingstone.

At the very top it's like stepping into another world of pitch pines.

We stayed right on orange, red dot on white coming in from the left would be our return route.

Views of the Catskills behind us.

Then open views to the west.

Views more to the south.

Eastern Towhee singing back and forth with another we had passed a few minutes before.

Entering private property.

Here is where we left orange on the soft, mossy red dot on white Barton Swamp Trail.

This trail descends and makes a hard left where blue dot on white joins in briefly.

It's mostly old woods road all the way through.

Crossing Baby Brook

At the yellow Jessup Trail, red dot on white turns left and ..

... crosses Baby Brook again.

Then it's a steep climb, sometimes scramble, up to the top.

Brodie slid back down this one three times until I got close enough to give him a boost up.

Views of the Hudson River near the top.

A little farther along, a boulder on the left ...

... for more views.

Red dot on white ends at orange where we came up.  Now retracing back down.

Some views of the Shawangunk Ridge with hazy Catskills in the distance on the way down.

Indian Pipe

Much to Brodie's delight, a groundhog was waiting for him at the car.  I held Brodie back while the groundhog made his getaway.