Route 6 To Stockbrige Mountain Loop

Harriman State Park
Orange Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Long Path: Green blaze
Menomine Trail: Yellow blaze
Nawahunta Fire Road: Unblazed

Total Time: 2:20
Estimated Distance: 5.2 miles
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Level of Recommendation: Recommended
Points Of Interest: Cave Shelter, Stockbridge Shelter, Lake Nawahunta
Pros: Less traversed part of the park, points of interest
Cons: View is not that great

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map

When I had hiked the Long Path to Long Mountain several weeks ago, I had determined to also hike the Long Path going south from this point up Stockbridge Mountain. So this was my oppurtunity, and I did a loop going down the Menomine and then taking the Nawahnunta Fire Road back. I parked  at the Long Mountain semicircle trailhead, and took the Long Path south through the deep valley, up Stockbridge Mountain, and then along the ridge. Near the top of the ridge is the "Cave Shelter" a rock formation with a few small caves and passageways formed from fallen rock.

Just a short distance after is the top of Stockbridge Mountain, which affords a slightly overgrown view and a shelter. I met some hikers at the shelter making a fire and cooking a late breakfast. From here there is a short scramble down, where the trail meets the Menomine Trail. I took the Menomine Trail down the mountain to Lake Nawahunta, and then took the unmarked but well-maintained Nawahunta Fire Road. The Nawahunta Fire Road meets back with the Long Path, and I continued north upon reaching the Long Path back to my car.

Map of the Route.
Harriman/Bear Mountain Trails - Northern Map

Long Path sign on Interesting Tree,
White Ascending  Stockbridge Mountain

Cave Shelter.
Note the  People Climbing up on the Long Path

Another View of the Cave Shelter

Rock Atop the View Area of Stockbridge Mountain

Fallen, Horizontal Tree on the Summit of Stockbridge Mountain

Group of People Camping at the Shelter Making a Fire

View Atop Stockbridge Mountain

Nice Pine Forest on the Menomine Trail, near Lake Nawahunta

Approaching Lake Nawahunta

Lake Nawahunta

Lake Nawahnunta

Lewis Mine

Stockbridge Mountain

Harriman State Park,
Orange County,
New York

Trails:
Menomine Trail (Yellow Blaze)
Appalachian Trail (White Blaze)

Total Time: 1:50 hr
Estimated Distance: 3.3 miles

Hiking Partner:
My Father-in-law Dr. Morris Schulgasser

Stockbridge Mountain is one of the lesser-traveled areas of Harriman. This hike is a little-known yet beatiful hike. The weather condition was very foggy which really restricted any views. We started in the Silvermine parking area off 7 Lakes Drive, and took the Menomine trail west. Near the beginning of the hike the trail is parallel to the road, and for the first time after being here many times actually noticed an old cemetary that the trail passes right through. There are some restore plaques stating that members of the Lewis Family are buried here.

Continued along the trail alongside Lake Nawahunta, and started the ascent up Stockbridge Mountain until the intersection with the Appalachian Trail. Headed north on the Appalachian and up the shelter, and then started descending to the "Cave Shelter". The Cave Shelter is a rock formation of massive boulders that are stacked and forming caves and passageways that you can actually squeeze through quite deeply. Its a highly recommended place to check out.

From the Cave Shelter took the unmarked trail which is shown on the Trail Conference Map, though I must say this trail is pretty worn out and hard to keep track of. After hitting the Menomine Trail again we continued the descent, and at the bottom veered off the path to check out the Lewis (Dunn) Mine and explore the pit. From there headed back on the Menomine and back to the car.

Map of the Route.

Plaque at the Lewis Cemetery along the Menomine Trail.
Note this cemetery is not mentioned on the maps.

Lake Nawahunta in the fog. North shore.

Lake Nawahunta in the fog. Stockbridge Mountain
rises from behind but is covered in the fog.

Ascending the AT before the shelter at the top
of Stockbridge Mountain.

Me at the final ascent before the shelter.

Stockbridge Mountain shelter.
The fog was even more thick at the top.

Think Passage in the Cave Shelter

Rock Formations at the Cave Shelter.

One of the exits at the Cave Shelter.
I crawled out from under the left, barely making it through.

Main shaft of the Lewis (Dunn) Mine.

Sterling Mine Ski Area/Lewis Mine

Harriman State Park
Orange County,
New York

Trails:
Ski Trail: Unmarked
Menomine Trail: Yellow blaze
Nawahunta Fire Road: Unmarked

Hiking Partner:
David Bernstein

Total Time: 2:00 hr
Estimated Distance: 3.25 Miles

I had scheduled to meet with David Bernstein and go explore the Lewis Mine (also known as the Dunn Mine). This is an old abandoned iron mine and it was a while since I was last there. I had gotten to the parking area a bit early so decided to climb the abandoned Ski Trail before David arrived. I climbed up the left Ski trail to the top of the mountain, and bushwacked down the side down towards the Menomine Trail on the shore of the lake, and then back to the parking area where I encountered David. From there David and I took the Menomine trail the other way, west, across 7 Lakes Drive and we veered off on the Nawahunta Fire Road.

The Lewis Mine is only about a 1000 feet from the start of the Nawahunta Fire Road, and its right off the trail on the right. We went in and explored a bit, then continued further along the Fire Road for a short while and then turned around and looked for the upper portion of the mine, which is a bit further off the trail and hard to find. From there we bushwacked up the top and then back down towards 7 Lakes Drive, and back to the parking area where we started.

Map of the route

The Ski Trail from the parking area.
There is about half inch of snow on the ground.

Looking down towards the parking area
while climbing the ski trail

Looking north towards Bear Mountain
from the Silvermine Summit

Descending Silvermine Mountain
bushwacking towards the lake

Silvermine Lake from the shore. The Lake is frozen.

Silvermine Lake from the Menomine Trail

The Lewis Mine

Strange Icicle Formations growing inside the mine.

The hidden upper part of the Lewis Mine.