Popolopen Loop Bear Mountain State Park

Orange County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Timp-Torne Trail: Blue blaze
1777-1779 Trail: Red blaze

Total Time: 1:30 hours
Estimated Distance: 2.7 miles
Level of Difficulty: Difficult but short
Level of Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Points Of Interest: Good scramble and outstanding views 
Pros: Good scramble up mountain, panoramic views
Cons: You can hear the noise from the Palisades Parkway the whole time.

Hiking Partner:
Avigael Friedman

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map

Popolopen is one of the best short hikes in the area. It climbs steeply up a rocky scramble to an outstanding view, but its a pretty quick round trip hike. The whole hike can be done in about 45 minutes. We had planned to park on Mine Road at the trailhead where Popolopen climbs the mountain, but there was a truck with a modular house on it making a delivery blocking the entire road. It didn't look like they were moving any time soon, so I just parked my car on the side of the road right there and took the combined Timp-Torne/1777-9 Trail where it emerges from the road. This more then doubled the length of the hike, but this part is very easy. We took the trail to the western spur of the trail, which is the better loop to climb up Popolopen. We then took the other route down, and went along the trail confluences back to the car.

Map of the Route.
Harriman/Bear Mountain State Park - Northern Map

View While Ascending

Ditto

View from the top facing the Bear Mountain Plateau.
Facing South.

View Facing Southwest Towards the Palisades Parkway

Me at the Top

View Facing North

View Facing Southeast Towards the Hudson River,
The Bear Mountain Bridge, and Anthony's Nose

Over the Mighty  Hudson

Classic Popolopen View of the Bear Mountain Bridge and Anthony's Nose

Anthony Wayne-Queensboro Lake Loop

Harriman State Park,
Orange County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Anthony-Wayne Trail: White blaze
1779 Trail: Blue blaze
Timp-Torne Trail: Blue blaze
Fawn Trail: Red blaze

Total Time: 2:10 hour
Estimated Distance: 4 miles
Level of Difficulty: Moderate, but more difficult because of snow
Level of Recommendation: Not recommended, although end is very scenic.
Points Of Interest: Queensboro Lake, last small ascent up West Mountain

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map

I was off for New Years, and had some time at the end of the day to take a nice hike in the snow. While not particularly scenic or difficult, this hike was both very pretty and strenuous due to the snow along the route. One of the biggest problems with this hike is that its entire route crisscrosses busy roads and highways, so the tranquil element is kind of missing. However, the pristine snow conditions made up for this.

I parked at the northernmost part of the Anthony Wayne Parking area, and took the Anthony Wayne Trail, crossing the Palisades Parkway and then parallel to the highway, until the 1779 Trail. I took the 1779 Trail to the traffic circle and then alongside towards Queensboro Lake. From there the trail joins with the Popolopen Gorge, and zigzags along the northern part of Queensboro Lake. I then took the Timp-Torne Trail, crossed over the Palisades Parkway again, and then climbed up a small portion of the Timp Torne Trail. This part of the trail is the most scenic, climbing the foot of West Mountain on a narrow ridge with beautiful views of Bear Mountain and beyond. At the intersection of the Fawn Trail I headed back down to the Anthony Wayne Trail and then back to my car.

Map of the Route

Crossing over the Palisades Parkway on the Anthony Wayne Trail.
West Mountain is on the Left.

Hiking along the Snowy Anthony Wayne Trail.
I was the first person to hike here since the snow,
and made the first tracks.

Popolopen Torne in the Background on the Anthony Wayne Trail

Queesnsboro Lake, Facing Southwest from the North Part.
It is about an  hour to Sunset.

Partially Frozen Queensboro Lake.
Facing East.

Another View of Queensboro Lake, facing Southeast.
The Hill in the Distance is the Northern Ridge of West Mountain,
Which is the Part of the Mountain I would Climb
at the End of this Hike.

Lone Pine Tree on the Time Torne Trail before Descending.

View Along the Timp-Torne Trail while Ascending West Mountain.

A view of a Snowy Bear Mountain above the Trees
while Ascending West Mountain.

Black Mountain

Harriman State Park,
Rockland/Orange Counties
New York

Trails:
Anthony Wayne Trail: White Blaze
1779 Trail: Blue Blaze
Appalachian Trail (AT): White Blaze
Ramapo-Dunderberg (R-D) Trail: White Blaze
Anthony Wayne Bike Path

Total Time: 2.5 Hours
Total Distance: 5 Miles

I was contemplating whether to go hiking or not - the forecast had called for rain and it was cold - and there is nothing worse then hiking in a cold rain. At least if its snowing its pretty and dry. I decided to brave it, and the rain held out until after I had finished the hike. Parked at the Anthony Wayne Rec Area, in the northern end of this enormous parking lot, and took the Anthony Wayne Trail west across the Palisades Parkway and up the hill the 1779 Trail. Made a left on the 1779 and headed south along this long straight stretch, up until the intersection of the AT and R-D Trail. These two trails are combined together for this strech. Headed west up the AT/R-D to the summit of Black Mountain, and scrambled up the steep rigde to the top summit viewpoint. This mountain affords an exceptional viewpoint. Bushwacked to the Spanish Mine, and then headed back down the same route of the AT/R-D, continuing past the 1779, and then across the Palisades Parkway. There is no overpass here so one has to run across the busy highway on foot. Continued along the AT until the Anthony Wayne Bike Path, and then headed north to Anthony Wayne and back to the car.

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Map of the route

View atop Black Mountain, looking South.

Jackie Jones tower toward the left.

View from Black Mountain, facing southeast.

View of Haverstraw &Hi-Tor Mountain &Palisades.

Black Mountain viewpoint facing West

View atop Black Mountain facing east

towards West Mountain

View looking north, zoomed to Bear Mnt.

In the center is the Beat Mnt Tower

The Spanish Mine near Black Mountain summit.

This is one of two pits, and the dump

is visible behind the hole.

The Appalachian and Ramapo Dunderberg Trails

crossing the Palisades Parkway

The Timp

Harriman State Park,
Rockland County,
New York

Hiking Partners:
Zev Feder

Length:
About 5 Miles

The Timp is a prominent landmark of the Hudson Highlands. Its western end just drops flat down and its summit and the notch in between it and West Mountain can be seen from miles away. There are no roads or trailheads nearby and the closest approach is several miles away. I have done this trail before and remember the time when they rerouted the trail going up to the mountain due to its steep incline over eroded terrain. I had gotten very confused but now am familiar with all the reroutes and the original trail up which still exists (but should be excercised with extreme caution).

There is no parking at the official trailhead, and the closest place to park is several thousand feet down at the corner of Bulsontown and Mott Farm Roads in Stony Point. We parked there and walked up Bulsontown Road to the 1779 trailhead. We then veered right immediately on the woods road at the split at the trailhead, and then shortly thereafter took an overgrown woods road north towards the Red Cross Trail. Took the Red Cross Trail north and uphill towards the Timp Pass, which is a deep notch in between West Mountain and The Timp.

The Timp Pass marks the end of the Red Cross Trail. It ends by the Ramapo Dunderberg (R-D) Trail. Made a right on the R-D trail towards the foot of The Timp. The mountain just bulges up at this point to a sheer cliff.

The R-D Trail used to join with the Timp-Torne (T-T) Trail up a rocky and steep scramble to the summit of the Timp. Due to danger and erosion, it has been re-routed into 2 separate and safer trails. However, I always prefer the more challenging original routes, so we took the old scramble up the mountain to the top of The Timp. One part of this trail over a steep cliff is almost entirely collapsed to erosion, making it very challenging to skirt around.

At the summit lies one of the best views in lower New York - one can see clear to almost all directions. There is a great view of the Hudson River and the Palisades the south (as well as the Manhattan skyline in the faint distance), West Mountain to the west, and Bear Mountain and the Highlands to the north.

From the summit, we headed down the T-T trail back towards the Timp Pass, and headed back the same way, with a slight detour continuing on the Red Cross Trail a bit more toward another woods road and back to the trailhead.

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The Route. (Click to expand.)
Blue dot is starting point.
Blue line is the ascending route
X is the summit
Red line is the descending route.

Zev at the plaque at the 1779 Revolutionary Trail

The timp towering above thru the trees

Heavy erosion on the closed trail up The Timp.
The trail once went on this mudslide.

Looking south while ascending The Timp

Me on the ascent

View ascending The Timp.
Facing south towards Haverstraw and the Palisades.

Zev near the ascent

The Manhattan skyline in the far distance.
Artificially zoomed with a telescopic lens.

Zev almost at the summit

Zev and I at the summit

West Mountain from the Summit
looking across the Timp Pass

Looking north to the edge of West Mountain
and Bear Mountain

View while descending the T-T trail.
Facing north towards the Hudson and Anthony's Nose.
Bear Mnt Bridge can be seen crossing the river.

Better zoom of the Hudson River, Anthonys Nose,
and the Bear Mountain Bridge.