Catskill Park, NY - Balsam and Belleayre Mountains

ABOUT THE PARK:
Big Indian Wilderness - New York State Department of Conservation
Belleayre Mountain - Belleayre.com

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 42.101970, -74.518702

View Larger Map

The drive itself is very scenic.

Parking at the end of Rider Hollow Road.

TRAIL MAP:
Central Catskills Trail Map #142 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
Catskill Park, NY - Balsam and Belleayre at EveryTrail


PEAK BAGGING:
Balsam Mountain - peakery.com
Belleayre Mountain - peakery.com

HIKE DISTANCES:
Rider Hollow to Balsam Mountain Loop:  5.2 miles
Rider Hollow to Balsam Mountain to Belleayre Mountain:  7.2 miles
Rider Hollow to Balsam Mountain to Belleayre ski slope views:  9.35 miles

THE HIKE:

The trail starts at the gate.

Sign the register, if you can - we squeezed in at the bottom.

First bridge crossing - don't be fooled, there are many more crossings than there are bridges!

On this day the water was very low so the multiple crossings later on were not an issue.

On the red-blazed Oliveria-Mapledale Trail.

The loop can be done either way from this point, .35 mile into the hike.  Going left leaves the water crossings for the end of the hike, going right involves 4 creek crossings which can be challenging during high water and in cold weather the risk of getting wet might be better at the end of the hike.  I continued on red to the right since I wanted to summit the higher of the mountains, Balsam, first, before going on to Belleayre.  Also I needed to make a decision after Balsam whether or not Shawnee would be able to handle the extra mileage to Belleayre with her arthritis so this was the way to go for us.

Coming up on the second, and last, bridge.

View of very low water from the bridge.

Rider Hollow Lean-To

The first crossing was very easy with the low water level.

The second crossing was easy also.

The trail is still fairly smooth and going uphill gradually.

Bursts of fall color up above.

The third crossing.  Rocks are very wobbly so you have to be careful with your footing.

The fourth and last crossing.  There are downed trees to shimmy across to the left during high water when it can't be crossed this way.

The trail becomes more rugged and ascends more steeply after the fourth crossing.

At the intersection turn left on blue.  The sign to Balsam Mountain is on the opposite side of the tree.

On the blue-blazed Pine Hill - West Branch Trail.

Twelve and a half years old and still having to wait for me at the top of a climb.

From this point ...

not too much farther ...

to the views!  You can't miss it, it's right off the trail.

It's a great break spot after all of that climbing!

Continuing on the blue trail, some partial views along the way.

And another frog!

At the next intersection, a left turn on yellow leads back to the parking lot for the 5.2-mile loop.

We continued on the blue trail to Belleayre Mountain.

The trail is fairly smooth with a few short scrambles just before ...

the summit of Belleayre Mountain at a large clearing to the left of the trail where there used to be a fire tower.  This would be the turn around point for the 7-mile hike.  To continue on to the ski slopes, go through the clearing to the right.

There aren't any markers early on but red markers start a way in on the grassy woods road.

Pretty comfortable walking here after all of the roots and rocks.

It's about 1 mile on the grassy woods road before ...

A clearing with a ski lift.

Heading over to Sunset Lodge first for ...

views to the west ...

and a break on the deck.

Back over on the other side, views to the northeast ...

views from the top of a ski slope.

Way down below.

Heading back on the road from the ski lifts, some more views.

Take a right to connect back to the grassy woods road to retrace back.

Had I not seen this little guy hop into his dwelling in the middle of the grassy woods road, I would have stepped on him!  He has quite the comfy nest there but in a really bad spot.

Descending down from Belleayre Mountain.

Heading back to his dwelling with a stash of winter provisions.

Back at the intersection, take the yellow-blazed Mine Hollow Trail on the right.

Descending into Mine Hollow.

Yellow ends back at the red trail which leads back to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Take the red-blazed trail at the gate after signing in at the trail register
[  0.35]  Stay right on red when yellow (return route) goes left
[  0.60]  First creek crossing after bridges
[  1.00]  Creek crossing
[  1.15]  Creek crossing
[  1.25]  Last creek crossing
[  1.75]  Left on blue at intersection
[  2.35]  3500 foot elevation sign
[  2.55]  Summit of Balsam Mountain; continue ahead to views
[  2.70]  Open views on the right
[  3.90]  Straight on blue when yellow goes left (left on yellow for 5.2 mile hike)
[  4.35]  A few short scrambles
[  4.80]  Summit of Belleayre Mountain at open field on left, turn left into field then keep right to grassy woods road which will be marked red (retrace from field for 7.2 mile hike)
[  5.05]  Straight on red when blue goes right
[  5.25]  Lean-to on right; continue on red
[  5.80]  Ski lift area with open views on both sides
[  6.00]  After touring area with views, continue back along road leading south from ski lifts
[  6.15]  Turn right at Roaring Brook sign then left on re-blazed grassy woods road
[  6.50]  Lean-to on left
[  6.70]  Keep straight on red when blue goes left
[  6.95]  Belleayre Mountain summit; turn right on blue to retrace
[  7.85]  Turn right on yellow when blue goes left
[  9.00]  Right on red when yellow ends
[  9.35]  Back at parking lot

Long Pond Ironworks State Park, NJ - Monks Mountain and Highlands Meadow

ABOUT THE PARK:
Long Pond Ironworks State Park, NJ - NJ Department of Environmental Protection
(CHECK LINK ABOVE FOR TRAIL CLOSINGS DUE TO PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION)
Highlands Meadow - The Passaic River Coalition

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.127107, -74.301432

View Larger Map

TRAIL MAP:
North Jersey Trails Map 115 - New York New Jersey Trail Conference
Highlands Meadow Trail Guide - Passaic River Coalition

Long Pond Ironworks State Park, NJ - Monks Mountain at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  5.2 miles

THE HIKE:
I had intended to hike Horse Pond Mountain in Long Pond Ironworks State Park but upon arrival at the Lake Riconda Drive parking area, found a sign that said the trails were closed due to pipeline construction.  It wasn't until I arrived home and researched the trail closing (which I had not heard of previously) that I found the Monks Trail (this hike) was closed, too, but there were no signs.  Do check on the park's web site before heading out to this area.  Although the hike is beautiful, the loud clanging and banging of pipeline construction (they work on Sundays, too) is quite annoying.

Early morning view of Monksville Reservoir from the boat launch.

Facing the far end of the parking lot with the boat launch on your left, a small opening in the far right corner of the lot leads to the trails.  A few steps in the trail forks.

To the left is the Rocky Beach Trail (a new trail with a temporary sign?).  It appears to only go a short distance to the water.

View of Harrison Mountain (left) and Horse Pond Mountain (right) from the Rocky Beach Trail.

Back at the fork, the right trail (unmarked) leads to the white-blazed Monks Trail.

A left turn on the white trail leads to the blue-on-white trail to views.  (This trail is not shown as blazed on the map.)

Views at the end of the short blue-on-white trail.

Fall Flowers

The white-blazed Monks Trail.

A very colorful vegetation tunnel through the power cut.

An unmarked side trail to the left leaving the white trail crosses a woods road and leads to ...

Monksville Reservoir views.

Retracing to the woods road and turning right leads to ...

More water views.

It's a great break spot where you can watch boats go by.

A Monksville Reservoir resident.

Leaving the white trail again on a woods road uphill to the summit of Monks Mountain.

A right fork leads to a view in a power cut but beyond that the trail was too overgrown.

Retracing back and taking the left fork leads to ...

Views in the pipeline cut.

And the construction in progress over where we had originally intended to hike.

We climbed on up to the summit in the pipeline cut but not much of a view on the other side.

Coming back down through the pipeline cut and ...

back down on the same woods road to continue on ...

the white-blazed Monks Trail where there are a couple more opportunities for water views.

A very large single-parent swan family out for a Sunday swim.

The white trail begins and ends at the North Boat Launch where it crosses over a gravel road.

A left turn on the yellow trail begins the outer loop (there is an inner loop also) around Highlands Meadows.

A small corn field.

Tomatoes

Back at the Rocky Beach Trail you can turn left to get back to the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:

[  0.00]  Pick up unmarked trail at for right corner of parking lot, at fork keep left on Rocky Beach Trail to reservoir; retrace

[  0.15]  Back at fork, continue on unmarked towards the white-blazed trail

[  0.50]  Left on blue-on-white

[  0.55]  End of blue-on-white trail at views; retrace

[  0.60]  Left on white

[  1.20]  Left on unmarked just after passing through power cut; cross woods road 

[  1.25]  Views at reservoir; retrace

[  1.30]  Right on unmarked woods road

[  1.80]  Views at reservoir at end of woods road; retrace

[  2.40]  Right on unmarked trail taken previously then left on white

[  2.50]  Turn right on unmarked woods road

[  2.55]  Left at fork (right goes to power cut but trail ends in overgrowth)

[  2.70]  Left at fork (right goes to power cut)

[  2.75]  Views in pipeline cut; right in pipeline cut

[  2.85]  Summit of Monks Mountain; retrace

[  2.95]  Left on unmarked woods road (same as entry to pipeline cut

[  3.00]  Right at fork

[  3.20]  Right at fork

[  3.25]  Right on white

[  3.65]  Cross woods road where white begins and ends with parking lot on left

[  3.95]  Straight on white when green goes left

[  4.50]  Left on yellow

[  4.60]  Left on outer loop of yellow trail when inner loop goes right

[  4.85]  Left on outer loop of yellow trail when inner loop goes straight

[  4.90]  Left on white when yellow joins with white to the right

[  5.05]  Left on unmarked

[  5.10]  At intersection straight on Rocky Beach Trail when parking lot is to the left

[  5.15]  Left at reservoir to follow trail back to parking lot

[  5.20]  Back at parking lot