Harriman Hiker: Harriman State Park and Beyond: Pyngyp Mountain Summit Hike

Sunday, May 9, 2021

Pyngyp Mountain Summit Hike

Harriman State Park,
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 2:45 hour
Estimated Distance: 3.5 Miles

Pros: Excellent scramble, great views, and quiet trail
Cons: Parking far from mountain and walking along road
Hike Type: In and out
Level of Difficulty: Very difficult

Map of Route:
https://goo.gl/maps/Q7Ay1xGAs9KSPcyW9

Hiking Partner:
Rayzi Friedman

Pyngyp Mountain (sometimes also spelled Pyngip Mountain) is one of the most challenging and steep hikes in the area. It contains a very steep scramble up, with a few areas close to the side of a cliff along the trail. This hike is not for the fainthearted or for those scared of heights.

One of the challenges of this hike is that there is no nearby trailside hiking. The closest place to park is about half a mile up the road, and you need to walk down the side of the road to get to the trail and hike. The road is also closed in the winter which limits this hike as well to late spring, summer, and early fall. But this also limits the crowd which otherwise would make this a much more popular hike and busy hike, which could make things more dangerous.

The weather was beautiful and bright blue skies, though it was colder than usual for this time of year. We parked on Tiorati Brook Road at the parking area along the brook, and walked east down the mountain on the side of the road, past the junction with Lake Welch Drive. We met the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail at this point, crossed over the southbound lanes of the Palisades Parkway, and then crossed the northbound lanes of the Palisades Parkway on foot. There were a lot of cars present so it took us a few minutes to get a quiet time to cross.

Immediately after crossing the highway, the trail climbs very steeply up the mountain. After the Scutt Memorial, a plaque embedded in the rock, the trail scrambles along a steep, rocky ledge very close to the side of a cliff. We then got the top part of the scramble, where the trail evens out to a more gradual ascent and two minor hill descents. It then begins the ascent of the second part of the mountain, which features another difficult, though much shorter, scramble. We then reached the main view overlooking Stony Point and the Hudson River, and then continued along the trail to the actual summit. Prior to the summit is another great view looking south. After reaching the summit we turned around and took the same route back, taking a detour on the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail alongside Tiorati Brook and then bushwacking back to the road.