Harriman Hiker: Harriman State Park and Beyond: Rockhouse Mountain

Showing posts with label Rockhouse Mountain. Show all posts

Sunday, March 27, 2022

Lake Skanatati Rockhouse Mountain Loop

Harriman State Park
Orange / Rockland Counties,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Arden-Surebridge Trail: Red Blaze
Red Cross Trail: Red Blaze
Hasenclever Road: Unblazed
Rockhouse Mountain Trail: Unblazed
Beech Trail: Blue blaze
Long Path: Green blaze

Total Time: 1:25 hour
Estimated Distance: 1.9 Miles

Pros: Scenic lakes, quiet area of park
Cons: None
Hike Type: Loop
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Hiking Partners:
Yehudah Koblick
Shimmy Rosenberg

Google Maps of Parking:
https://goo.gl/maps/3gGnoiiuxn42D76e7

It's been a while since I did a good Harriman hike. I had not been on some of these trails in quite some time, so this hike afforded that opportunity. It was quite cold, considering the weather had been generally much warmer, and we bundled up (although Yehudah was wearing just short sleeves, as he tends to do.)

We parked at the Lake Skanatati parking area, and took the Arden-Surebridge Trail up and over, and then took the Red Cross Trail down and across Seven Lakes Drive. We took a short spur to the scenic peninsula at the north end of Lake Askoti, and continued along the Red Cross Trail to the view facing Hogencamp Mountain, where we had a rare encounter with a Golden Eagle. We continued along the the trail until reaching the unblazed Hasenclever Road.

We took the Hasenclever Road to the Rockhouse Mountain trail. This is an unofficial trail that is marked with a cairn at it's start, as well as read blazes. We took the trail to the end, reaching the Beech Trail, which we took past Kanawauke Road until the Long Path, passing some rock formations along the way. We then took the Long Path back north, crossing Kanawauke Road again, and then taking it to the Lake Askoti dam and then to Lake Skanatati parking where our car was parked.

Lake Skanatati

Lake Askoti Peninsula

Me Looking at the Golden Eagle

Golden Eagle Flying

Observing the Golden Eagle

Me and Yehudah

Mountain Laurel Greenery

Rockhouse Mountain Trailhead

Exploratory Mine Pit on the Beech Trail

Rock Formations on the Beech Trail

Lake Askoti

Lake Skanatati

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Rockhouse Mountain Bushwack

Harriman State Park,
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Beech Trail: Blue blaze

Total Time: 1:08 hour
Estimated Distance: 1.8 Miles

Pros: Remote area and good view
Cons: Bushwack is a bit difficult, walk along the road at the end

It's been a full week since I left the office during the Coronavirus pandemic, and had been working from home all week and avoiding people outside my immediate family. After a full work day working at home, I took the opportunity to get out for a short hike in Harriman State Park as the weather was beautiful and around 70 degrees.

My goal was to pick a short hike that is isolated from other hikers. Harriman State Park has been very busy on the popular trails during the Coronavirus outbreak because people are feeling the need to get out, but they are staying too close in the popular hiking area. I've seen this driving through the park and seeing the main trailhead areas. This hike is very quiet and off the beaten path.

I parked on Kanawauke Road at the intersection of the Beech Trail, and took the Beech Trail east. I then bushwacked up the hill to the top of ridge and then along the top of the ridge to the peak of the mountain. This is the highest point in Rockland county, but it is hard to get to this point as there is no official trail and it is overgrown with brush. I continued west along the ridge to the view along Rockhouse Mountain, and then went down the steep part of the mountain to Kanawauke Road, and then walked along the Road back to the car.

Map of the Route

Beech Trail at the Foot of Rockhouse Mountain

Ridge Along Rockhouse Mountain

Large Rock at the True Summit of Rockhouse Mountain

View Atop the True Summit of Rockhouse Mountain

Me at the Rock at the True Summit of Rockhouse Mountain

Another View on the Rock at the True Summit of Rockhouse Mountain

Walking Along the Ridge at Rockhouse Mountain

Kanawauke Road at the Foot of Rockhouse Mountain

View from Rockhouse Mountain, Facing South

View of Rockhouse Mountain, Facing West

Another View, Facing West

View Towards Lake Kanawauke From Rockhouse Mountain

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Beech Trail - Hasenclever Mine

Harriman State Park
Rockland Co.,
New York

Trails:
Beech Trail: Blue blaze
Hasenclever Road: Not blazed
Red Cross Trail: Red blaze

Total Time: 2:15 hr
Estimated Distance: 4.5 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Level of Recommendation: Slightly ecommended
Points Of Interest: Quiet area, historic cemetary, and ancient iron mine

Hiking Partner:
Shimmy Rosenberg

Google Maps of Parking:

View Hiking Blog Localities in a larger map

We parked on County Rt. 106 after Lake Welch, where the Beech Trail crosses the road, and headed north on the Beech Trail. We passed the old historic cemetary in the woods and continued to the intersection of the Hasenclever Road. We planned on turning on the road but Shimmy found a geocache nearby so we took a small detour on the foot of Nat House Mountain to find the geocache. We then climbed the short climb up Nat House Mountain, then bushwacked down back to the Hasenclever Road towards the Hasenclever Mine.

The Hasenclever Mine was an ancient iron mine from the 1700's, and it is one of the oldest mines in the park. It was mined for Magnetite and Pyrhottite which are iron ores. There is one large water-filled pit and one smaller one, and an extensive overgrown dump. From the mine we took the Red Cross Trail for a brief time towards the path to Lake Askoti, and from there to the unmarked Rockhouse Mountain Trail. We sort of got lost on the unmarked Rockhouse Mountain Trail and ended up having to bushwack to the top of Rockhouse Mountain and then over to the road, and we walked on the road for a short duration.

Map of the route

Old Tombstone in the Cemetary

More Tombstones in the Old Cemetary along the Beech Trail

Shimmy Searching for the Geocache on Nat House Mnt

Shimmy Finds the Geocache at this rock.

Main water-filled pit of the Hasenclever Mine

The mine dumps. Hasenclever Mountain in the Background.

Rockhouse Mountain, the tallest point of Rockland.
Along our bushwack.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Rockhouse Mountain
and Lake Welch

Harriman State Park,
Rockland County,
New York

Trails:
Took unmarked trails and bushwacks

Total Time: 0:20 hr
Estimated Distance: 0.6 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Difficult but very short
Level of Recommendation: Recommended
Points Of Interest: Highest Point in Rockland County, Nice View

Google Maps of Parking:

View Hiking Blog Localities in a larger map

My time has been very short this time of the year and I lacked the time to take lengthy hikes. So I will post several shorter hikes for the next several weeks. Before hiking up Rockhouse Mountain I stopped at Lake Welch right after the Causeway on Route 106 for views of the Lake. The trees have just slightly started changing color and this could officially count as the first fall foliage hike.

Rockhouse Mountain is officially the highest point in Rockland County at 1,283 feet tall. There is no trail going up this mountain. There is somewhat of an overgrown path, but the hike is pretty much a bushwack. I had hiked this area for the first time in early April of this year. I decided to explore a bit more with the green on the trees, and also needed a very short hike, which this afforded. Although I didn't hit the actual summit, which is further east/northeast, I came close and made the view.

I parked on Lake Kanawauke Rd (County Route 106) after it winds along the side of Rockhouse Mountain on a side pull-off near the Long Path trail, and climbed the mountain on its western flank, which is full of rocky boulders. Climbed to the view and summit, went a little more along the ridge, and then bushwacked down the steep slope back to the road slightly before the bend and then hiked back along the side of the road.