Sterling Forest State Park,
Orange County
New York
Hiking Trails:
Sterling Lake Trail - Blue Blaze
Iron Mine Trail - Yellow Blaze
Bare Rock Trail - Orange Blaze
Sterling Ridge Trail - Blue Blaze
Fire Tower Trail - Red Blaze
Fire Tower Connector Trail - Blue Blaze
Total Time: 2:45 hour
Estimated Distance: 4.5 Miles
Pros: Good climb, nice views at tower
Cons: Hike along road near the beginning
Hiking Partners:
David Kunkel
Shimmy Rosenberg
Morty Rosenberg
I had been at the Sterling Fire Tower almost 10 years prior in the winter, and at them was not able to climb it. When I was at the Jackie Jones Fire Tower in Harriman a few weeks prior, I had noticed that the same volunteer group that refurbished that tower also fixed the Sterling Fire Tower, and that you can now climb to the top. I decided to check it out on this hike.
The weather was unseasonably cold, so we had to bundle up. We parked in the main parking area by the visitor center of Sterling Forest, and took the Sterling Lake Trail for a short distance to the Iron Mine Trail. The Iron Mine Trail is a very short trail that goes through the old workings of the Sterling Mine, an old and important mine for iron ore. The trail goes by a restored furnace, an original structure from the old hamlet of Lakeville, mine cuts and dumps, and some abandoned mine buildings.
We then walked along the road to the Bare Rock Trail, which we took up the mountain. We took this trail up the mountain to the intersection of the Sterling Ridge Trail. We took the Sterling Ridge Trail south until the Fire Tower. The Fire Tower was open and you could go almost to the top, but you couldn't go inside the cabin. However, on Saturday in middle of the day there are rangers there that can escort you up into the cabin. I heard that are considering opening it for Sunday as well.
After descending the Fire Tower, we descended down along the Fire Tower Trail, which is a wide trail, to the Fire Tower Connector Trail, which goes all the way down to mountain and to the south shore of Sterling Lake and the Sterling Lake Trail. We went back on the Sterling Lake Trail, which we took across the outlet of the lake and then back to our car.
 |
| Map of the Route |
 |
| Highlighted Map Route in the Visitor Center 3D Model |
 |
| Sterling Furnace Replica |
 |
| Plaque at the Sterling Furnace |
 |
| Morty Jumping in a Group Photo at the Sterling Furance |
 |
| David at the Plaque at the Sterling Forest |
 |
| Plaque and Old House from the Remainder of Lakeville |
 |
| Iron Mine Trail Marker |
 |
| Mine Cut in the Sterling Mine |
 |
| Plaque of Mining at Sterling Lake |
 |
| Abandoned Structure in the Old Mine Area |
 |
| Another View of the Abandoned Structure |
 |
| Plaque at the Lake Mine |
 |
| Additional Ruins at the Sterling Mine |
 |
| Sterling Lake, South Shore |
 |
| Me at Sterling Lake, |
 |
| Intersection of Trails |
 |
| Sterling Lake from the View |
 |
| Morty and Shimmy Approaching the View |
 |
| Me at the View |
 |
| Me and David at the View, Strategizing Business Ideas |
 |
| Approaching the Fire Tower and Cabin |
 |
| Morty Ascending the Fire Tower |
 |
| View from the Fire Tower, Facing South /Southwest |
 |
| View from the Tower, Facing South |
 |
| View Facing Sterling Lake |
 |
| View Facing Northwest |
 |
| View Facing North, Sterling Lake |
 |
| View from the Fire Tower: Shimmy, David, and Myself |
 |
| At the Picnic Table underneath the Fire Tower |
No comments:
Post a Comment