Pine Swamp Mine Loop

Harriman State Park
Orange Co, NY

Hiking Trails:
Arden-Surebridge Trail: Red blaze
Dunning Trail: Yellow blaze
Long Path: Green blaze

Total Time: 1:50 hour
Estimated Distance: 3.3 Miles

Pros: Nice view, historic mine, scenic lake
Cons: None
Hike Type: Loop
Level of Difficulty: Difficult

Google Maps of Parking:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/dzohiYwYQRNbCtyd8

Hiking Partner:
Yehudah Koblick

The Pine Swamp Mine is a very large hole like a cave that you can go all the way into. It's a great place for a historical understanding of Harriman State Park and its mining history. We parked at the Lake Skanatati and took the Arden-Surebridge Trail up, and then we took the old trail up the scramble to the Pine Swamp Mountain view (no longer on the trail and since rerouted.)

We then went back to the Arden-Surebridge Trail to Dunning Trail at the the Pine Swamp Mine, which is a complex of many pits and dumps, including a very large hole that we went all the way into. There is a path up the hill by the dumps that goes to the complex. We then continued along the Dunning Trail to the Long Path, which we took back to our car.

Lake Skanatati from the Parking Lot

Pine Swamp Mountain View

Pine Swamp Mine Pit

Pine Swamp Mine Big Hole

Inside the Pine Swamp Mine

Pine Swamp

Green Pond Harriman Late Fall

Harriman State Park
Orange Co, NY

Hiking Trails:
White Bar Trail: White blaze
Dunning Trail: Yellow blaze
Island Pond Woods Road: Unblazed

Total Time: 1:20
Estimated Distance: 2.8 miles

Pros: Quiet scenic area
Cons: None
Hike Type: Out and back
Level of Difficulty: Figue 8 Loop

Google Maps of Parking:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HtuExHDEghmKXfcV9

It was late fall and the weather was colder than usual, with heavy winds. In fact I found out after that the area was under a high wind advisory. I had meant to go on a longer hike and visit the Boston Mine, but due to the uncomfortable wind conditions I opted to make the hike shorter.

Green Pond is a very scenic area of the park. It's in a remote, quiet part, and is a small, natural lake surrounded by foxtail phragmites. Over the ridge to the west of Green Pond is a nice view facing West towards Sterling Forest. 

I parked on Kanwauke Road at the White Bar Trailhead, and took the trail north to the Dunning Trail. The Dunning Trail goes alongside the northern and western flank of Green Pond, with rocky overlooks and an interesting rock overhang. The trail then climbs up the western ridge and ends at the White Bar Trail, which has been parallel. I took the White Bar Trail a short distance north to the overlook, and then took the White Trail back on its parallel route to the Dunning Trail to Island Pond Road. Island Pond Road is a woods road that ends right near Kanawauke Road when its connects with the White Bar Trail. I then continued along the White Bar Trail back to my car at the trailhead.

Map of the Route

Hunting Information for the New Hunting Policy in the Park

Map Route at the Trailhead

Greenery on White Bar Trail

Green Pond

View Near Valley of Boulders

Hemlock and Rhododendrons on Island Pond Road

RBBN Hike to Hogencamp Mountain

Harriman State Park
Orange Co, NY

Hiking Trails:
Hogencamp Mine wood road: Unblazed
Dunning Trail: Yellow blaze
Long Path: Green blaze
Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail: Red blaze

Total Time: 3:30 hour
Estimated Distance: 5.2 Miles

Pros: Quiet area, historic mine, great views
Cons: None
Hike Type: Out and back
Level of Difficulty: Slightly difficult

Google Maps of Parking:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4St3wbcUwjXuFnGDA

Hiking Partners:
RBBN Members

I took the Rockland Business to Business Network (RBBN) on a hike on this beautiful fall day, at the peak of foliage. Hogencamp Mountain is one my favorites in Harriman State Park, with its unique exposed rock faces and great view. We parked at Lake Kanawauke Picnic area and walked along Kanawauke Road towards Little Long Pond.

We took a short detour to the peninsula jutting into Little Long Pond that affords amazing lake and mountain views, and then headed back to the road where we took the old woods road that goes to the Hogencamp Mine complex. We met the Dunning Trail and walked past the mine pits and dumps, and walked up the hill where we met the Long Path. We continued our ascent on the Long Path eventually reaching Times Square, a busy intersection of trails, and we took the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail up the last leg of the mountain to the top of Hogencamp Mountain, which affords a great view of the surrounding area.

Map of the Route

Lake Kanawauke

Path on the Little Long Pond Peninsula

Little Long Pond

New Sign About Recent Hunting In Harriman State Park

Hogencamp Mine Wood Road

RBBN Hiking Group

Hogencamp Mine Pit

Rock Formations on the Long Path

Rock Cave

Times Square

Ascending the Final Stretch of Hogencamp Mountain

Hogencamp Mountain Summit