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

Stahahe High Peak and Green Pond

Harriman State Park
Orange Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
White Bar Trail: White blaze
Island Pond Road: Unblazed
Stahahe High Peak Trail: Unblazed
Nurian Trail: White blaze
Dunning Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 1:55 hour
Estimated Distance: 3.9 Miles

Pros: Scenic lake and pretty area
Cons: Parking can fill up quickly
Hike Type: Reverse Lollipop Loop
Level of Difficulty: Difficult

Google Maps of Parking:
https://goo.gl/maps/NBN41jEjsZhVG6YK8

It had been a very long time since I was at Stahahe High Peak (almost 13 years!) It was a nice spring day, in fact somewhat cool with a strong breeze at the top of the mountain. I parked at the trailhead at the White Bar Trail on County Route 106, and took the White Bar Trail for a short distance to Island Pond Road.

I then was on the lookout for the trail intersection with the Stahahe High Peak Trail, which is unblazed. I found it at the cairn, and took it up the top. The path is unofficial and isn't as well marked but it can be easily followed to the view. I then turned around back to the intersection of the Island Pond Road, taking it to the Nurian Trail for a short period and then to the Dunning Trail.

The trail crisscross with the White Bar Trail and intersects it twice. At the second intersection, where the Dunning Trail ends, I took the Dunning Trail alongside Green Pond. This is a highly scenic part of the park, where the trail scrambles and goes underneath a rock overhang. I then took the Dunning Trail back to the White Bar Trail and then back to my car.

Map of the Route

Island Pond Road

Path to Stahahe High Peak through the Mountain Laurel

Approaching Stahahe Peak

Stahahe High Peak View

View Above Lake Stahahe

Large Rock on Island Pond Road

View Past Green Pond

Nurian Trail & Dunning Trail Intersection

Approaching Green Pond

Green Pond

Overhand by Green Pond

Green Pond and Boston Mine Late Foliage

Harriman State Park,
Orange Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
White Bar Trail: White blaze
Arden-Surebridge Trail: Red blaze
Nurian Trail: Yellow blaze
Island Pond Road: Unblazed

Total Time: 2:30 hour
Estimated Distance: 3.2 Miles

Pros: Quiet area, scenic pond, old historic mine
Cons: None

Hiking Partners:
Shimmy Rosenberg
Morty Roseberg
Elad Hillman
Paul Krieger

This was a great fall foliage hike. Although the foliage was past-peak, it was still very attractive with excellent weather conditions and relatively warm weather. The main White Bar Trailhead parking area was full, so we drove a bit further down the road and parked where the White Bar Trail goes north. We took a short detour to the small waterfall right down the road from the trailhead. This is a seasonal waterfall, and with all the recent rains it was quite strong.

We took the White Bar Trail north, to the Nurian Trail, where it turns towards Green Pond. Green Pond is a small, but very scenic natural body of water with a very distinct round shape. The trail goes along the northern and western part of the pond, with an interesting rock formation and climb on the western side. There are great views of the pond here from the cliffs above the pond. We then went to the end of the Dunning Trail, back to the White Bar Trail which we took a short distance north to the view above the Valley of Boulders. We then turned around back on the White Bar Trail, parallel to the Dunning Trail right near where we were previously, and then took the trail to the Boston Mine.

The Boston Mine is a very old mine worked for iron ore. We entered the mine area and looked around, and climbed out from the back up the hill back to the Dunning Trail. We then bushwacked back down cutting across to the White Bar Trail, and then continued along Island Pond Road back to the parking area.

Map of the Route

Shimmy & Morty Rosenberg at the Beginning of the Hike

Small Waterfall at the White Bar Trail

Zoomed Out to the Waterfall

Me at the Waterfall

Morty Swinging on a Forest Vine

Shimmy and Elad on the Trail

Green Pond Swamp Area

Green Pond

Me on a Rock on Green Pond

The Round Green Pond

L-R: Paul, Morty, Elad, and Myself

The Same Crew Above Round Pound

Round Pond Foliage

Colors on the Side of Round Pond on the Nurian Trail

The Nurian Trail under a Hanging Rock

Western View of Round Pond

Me at the Western View at Round Pond

Me on the Rock above Round Pond

View of Round Pond from the Above Rock

Nurian Trail and Fall Colors

View Above Valley of Boulders

Same View Facing North

Shimmy at the Above View

Boston Mine Entrance

Inside the Boston Mine

Morty Inside the Boston Mine