Nurian Trail to Boston Mine, Harriman State Park

Orange Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Nurian Trail: White blaze
Dunning Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 3:00 hours
Estimated Distance: 6.0 miles
Level of Difficulty: Difficult
Level of Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Points Of Interest: Good climb, Remote Area, Historical Mine, Scenic Pond
Pros: Good climb, nice area, hardly-used area of the park
Cons: Trailhead doesn't exist, beginning of hike is too loud from the highway

Hiking Partners:
Eli Koegel

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map

This was my first time doing this part of the Nurian Trail. I found the trailhead difficult to find because the map is incorrect and there aren't the symbolic three markers at the trailhead. I parked in the same parking area as the Southfields post office, and walked down a little street (Spring Street) to Railroad Ave. I then walked along the side of the railroad tracks north for a little bit until the trail came out of the right side. In retrospect I should have parked off the side of Route 17 north of Railroad Ave. since you can pick up the trail from there much easier without having to walk along the side of the tracks.

The Nurian Trail crosses the Ramapo River on an old bridge shortly thereafter, and then crosses over the busy Thruway on a pedestrian bridge. The trail then follows and old road parallel to the highway and then proceeds to climb the mountain. We climbed up and then back down to the Stahahe Brook Valley, and then ascending through the scenic "Valley of Boulders" up to a small viewpoint near Green Pond. At this point the Dunning Trail begins, but we continued along the Nurian Trail along its parallel course to the Dunning and when we hit the old mine road, we took the Dunning Trail to the Boston Mine.

The Boston Mine features a T-shaped cut with a large, water-filled hole going into the hill on one side. After the mine we bushwacked a short distance back to the road, and then took the Nurian Trail along the north side of Green Pond. This is a beatiful, natural pond that has beaver huts along the edges. There are small cliffs alongside the north and west side of it, where the trail go, making it particularly scenic, especially in the foliage. At the end of the trail it climbs up a hill to a nice view facing west. At this point we hit back to the Nurian Trail and took this same return route all the way back.

Map of the Route
Harriman State Park both Northern and Southern Maps

Crossing the Ramapo River

Pedestrian Bridge Across the Busy Thruway

Above the Thruway on the Pedestrian Bridge

Pretty Autumn Scene near Stahahe Brook.
Notice the Orange Boat cut in Half Towards the Right

Destruction Wrought by Hurricane Sandy,
Exactly One Year Ago

Entrance to the Boston Mine

The Main Hole of the Boston Mine

Green Pond Marsh Foliage

Green Swamp from the Dunning Trail, on the North Flank

Hill Along the Side of the Green Pond

Green Pond, View Taken from the West Side

Zoomed into a Beaver Hut in the Green Pond

Beautiful Red Blueberry Foliage

Ascending Towards the view

Sugar Maple Tree in Foliage

View at the End of the Dunning Trail. Facing West.

The Same View, Zoomed in More

View Facing Southwest

Mountains Behind the Trees at the End of the Dunning Trail