Sunday, July 22, 2012

New Tuxedo-Mount Ivy Trail

New Tuxedo-Mount Ivy Trail
Harriman State Park
Rockland County,
New York

Hiking Trails:

Tuxedo-Mount Ivy Trail: Red blaze
Red Arrow Trail: Red blaze
Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 1:45 hours
Estimated Distance: 3.75 miles
Level of Difficulty: Slightly Difficult
Level of Recommendation: Slightly Recommended
Points Of Interest: Good climb and tranquil area of the park

Google Maps of Parking:

View 2012 Hiking in a larger map

I had not realized that almost the entire Tuxedo-Mount Ivy Trail climbing up the Ramapo Mountain Ridge was recently rerouted when starting this hike. The original route went through the deep notch on the side of the brook climbing the mountain. The trail was rocky and eroded, and presumably this was the reason for the rerouting. Or perhaps it was washed away in Hurricane Irene. Anyone who has information on the new trail reroute should please share this information in the comments below.

We parked at the Diltzes Road trailhead, and went through the power lines and then left the woods to start climbing the trail. The new trail starts about 250 feet after the trail enters the woods from the power lines, and climbs the mountain on the south side of the notch. The trail climbs all the way up the ridge, and then joins the newly extended Red Arrow Trail. We took the short Red Arrow trail past some blueberry groves to its terminus at the high ridge of the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail. We took the Suffern-Bear Mountain trail south back to the Tuxedo-Mount Ivy Trail and back down the same way we came up on the new trail.

Map of the Route

New intersection of the Red Arrow and TMI Trail.
The Red Arrow here is routed along the old path
of the TMI Trail.

Shimmy Picking Blueberries off the Large Bush,
by the Swamp on the Red Arrow Trail.

Semi-View from the highest point of the hike
on the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail.

6 comments:

  1. f. Relocation of Tuxedo-Mt. Ivy Trail in Harriman State Park. Joel Pinsker showed the Trails Council a map that illustrated a proposed reroute of about half a mile of the section of the Tuxedo-Mt. Ivy (T-MI) Trail that leads uphill from the parking area on Diltz Road. He explained that the proposal is to eliminate a very eroded trail section by rerouting the trail onto a more attractive parallel woods road. He also explained that the Red Arrow Trail would be extended by about 700 feet to connect with the relocated T-MI Trail, and he stated that the Park has already approved this relocation.

    After a brief discussion, It was moved, seconded and unanimously carried that the Trails Council approve the proposed reroute of the Tuxedo-Mt. Ivy Trail in Harriman State Park.

    from Trails Council Meeting - August 4,2011
    http://www.nynjtc.org/meeting/trails-council-meeting-august-42011

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  2. Thanks, Appreciate the info. Was the woods road of the new trail originally a hikable trail? (Its not on any of the older maps).

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    1. I did this loop again today, but did not use the Red Arrow. Did TMI to SBM to Breakneck M to TMI and home. The slope at the edge of the park has many old roads going into it. The new route uses one that must have been hikable. I noticed several alternatives today. Jonathan Beard

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  3. I tried several different ways to get to the trail that ascends up the mountain and to no avail. there were a few trail markers at the beginning of the trailhead from Ramapo and then there was none. I am not sure if this trail still exists but I am not that much of an idiot that I can't follow a map and internet directions. And I didn't find one person on my 4 mile journey.

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    1. The trail definitely still exists, though its a bit confusing when it enters the woods after the power lines. And I can definitely see how you didn't see any people here as its a very quiet area of the park, and I too have rarely met anyone in this area.

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