Rockland County,
New York
Hiking Trails:
Pine Meadow Trail: Red blaze
Stony Brook Trail: Orange blaze
Kakiat Trail: White blaze
Raccoon Brook Hills Trail: Black blaze
Reeves Brook Trail:White blaze
Total Time: 2:30 hour
Estimated Distance: 5.5 miles
Level of Difficulty: Slightly difficult
Level of Recommendation: Recommended
Points Of Interest: Scenic gorge, good climbs and views
Pros: Very scenic, varying terrain and flora
Cons: Beginning part of trail is always very busy
Google Map of Parking:
View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map
The weather was unseasonably cold for late May, and I had even considered bringing a light jacket. In the end I wore just short sleeves, and was indeed cold. I parked in the busy Reeves Meadow parking area, and took the Pine Meadow Trail to the Stony Brook to the Kakiat Trail. The water level was very impressive due to the excess rains, and the Cascade of Slid was particularly fierce.
I continued up the Kakiat Trail to its second intersection with the Raccoon Brook Hills Trail, and took the Racoon Brook Hills Trail to the Pulpit. From there continued to the Reeves Brook Trail, where I took this trail in its entirety back to the trailhead parking area.
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| Map of the Route. Map: Southern Bear Mountain Harriman State Park Trails. |
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| Small cascade right before the gas line crossing |
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| The raging Stony Brook |
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| Cascade of Slid |
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| Waterfall by Cascade of Slid |
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| Pine Meadow Brook above the Cascade of Slid, with the Washed Out HTS Trail Bridge |
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| Large Blueberry Meadow atop the Raccoon Brook Hills Trail |
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| Gas Line from the Raccoon Brook Hills Trail. Facing east towards Kakiat Park |
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| View from atop near the end of the Raccoon Brook Hills Trail. Note the Manhattan Skyline in the Distance |
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| Another View Facing South. |
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| Washed Out Part of the Trail near the End of the Raccoon Brook Hills Trail. There Was No Way to Avoid the Water |
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| View near the Pulpit Viewpoint. Facing South. |
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| Me near the Pulpit Viewpoint |
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| Waterfall Along the Reeves Brook. This is usually a trickle, but the heavy rains made this quite impressive. |
