Harriman Hiker: Harriman State Park and Beyond: Nordkop Mountain

Showing posts with label Nordkop Mountain. Show all posts

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Nordkop Mountain Suffern Fall Hike

Harriman State Park
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 1:10 hour
Estimated Distance: 2.0 Miles

Pros: Short, sweet hike with good climb and good views
Cons: Sound of nearby highways and urban view, and walk on road
Hike Type: Loop
Level of Difficulty: Slightly Difficult

Google Maps of Parking:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/68PLdzf2Yc25Xdn99

Hiking Partner:
Yehudah Koblick

I have been to Nordkop Mountain many times, and this was a particularly crisp and clear early fall day, with the foliage just beginning to peak. We parked on Chestnut Street, right near Route 202, and we walked under the Thruway overpass on Route 59 and took the trail up. The trail is very steep and rocky, but it's short. We reached the first view, and then continued to the second view, and then took the woods road to Hemlock Lane, to Pavilion Road, and then Route 202 and Chestnut Street back to our car.

Map of the Route

Trailhead Sign at the Beginning of the SBM Trail

Ascending the Trail

Approaching the First View

First View, Facing Route 287 and the (now closed) Sheraton Crossroads

Manhattan Skyline from the First View

View of Suffern, from the Upper View

Thruway View on the Descent

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Nordkop Mountain Evening Hike

Suffern,
Harriman State Park,
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 0:35 hour
Estimated Distance: 1.1 Miles

Pros: Short and sweet climb with good view
Cons: Parking and walk in urban area, lots of garbage at the beginning

Google Maps of Parking:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.1168255,-74.1575092,16z

I took the opportunity after work, on my way home, to do a quick hike along the way. I pass Nordkop Mountain every day on the way to work, and with the good weather I went up this mountain for a quick hike. I parked on Route 202 next to the Sheldon Apartment building in downtown Suffern, and walked up Route 202 to Route 59, crossed under the large overpass for the Thruway/Route 287 Junction, and then took the Suffern-Bear Mountain trail up the mountain to the first view. I then turned around and went along the same route back.

Map of the Route, Through Suffern and up the Mountain

Beginning of the Trail on Route 59

Plaque at the Beginning of the Hike

View of Suffern and Mahwah from the View

Thruway / I 287 Interchange and Hooge Kop Mountain from the View

Another Perspective from the View

Me at the First Nordkop Mountain View

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Nordkop Mountain Sunset Hike

Harriman State Park,
Rockland Co.
New York

Hiking Trails:
Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 0:45 hour
Estimated Distance: 1.2 Miles

Pros: Good short hike with a good climb and good views
Cons: Lots of trash, noise from highway

After many days of rain, this was a beautiful day, and I took the opportunity to do a quick hike on my way home from work. I parked in downtown Suffern on Lafayette Ave, right near Route 202, and took Route 59 north underneath the wide overpass to the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail trailhead. I climbed up the steep route to the first view, and then continued to the second view. I then turned around and went down, though kept the route on the rocky area directly south of the trail, back down to the road and back to the car.

Map of the Route

New Sign at the Trailhead on Route 59 in Suffern

Trailhead Marker for the S-BM Trail on Route 59

Ascending Nordkop Mountain, with the Moon in View

From the First Viewpoint, Looking at Route 287 and the Sheraton Crossroads

Selfie at the First Viewpoint

View from the Upper View, Facing South

Looking South Towards Suffern

From the Upper Viewpoint Facing South

View of Downtown Suffern

Good Sam Hospital, Facing East, and the Moon

Sunset over the Horizon, Facing Northwest

Selfie at the Sunset View

On the Large Rock Face on Descent at the Thruway Overpass

Monday, April 25, 2016

Nordkop Mountain Summit,
Harriman State Park

Suffern,
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Suffern-Bear Mountain (SBM) Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 1:30 Hours
Estimated Distance: 2.5 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Slightly difficult
Level of Recommendation: Highly Recommended

Points of Interest: Rocky climb and Excellent Views
Cons: Highway traffic and built up area, trash and graffiti

Hiking Partner:
Shimmy Rosenberg

Nordkop Mountain juts up out of Suffern and has two excellent views of the area. I have hiked up Nordkop Mountain many times, and have noticed that the true summit is further north on a rocky promenade. I had been meaning to go there and check out the true summit for quite some time, but never got around to it.

We parked on Chestnut Street in Suffern right before Route 202 (there is a 2 hour streetside parking available here), and walked along Route 202 to Route 59, underneath the wide Thruway/I-287 overpass. The Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail starts shortly after on the right side off the sidewalk. We started the rocky climb up, but instead of going straight on the SBM Trail, we veered towards the left northward, climbing the mountain over large rocks and scrambling up. We noticed that there is an unofficial route marked by pink strings climbing the mountain, and we took this path to the summit. We passed the gas pipeline, and afterwards a steep rocky incline towards the summit. There is an excellent view here, but unfortunately it is covered in graffiti.

We then went past the summit and veered east, bushwacking easy terrain for a short distance to the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail. We then went on the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail back down the mountain, passing the two viewpoints along the way. The higher viewpoint is terribly filthy, littered with trash and fouled by graffiti. We continued down along the trail to its terminus at Route 59, and then walked along the road back to our car.