Bald Mountain and Doodletown Foliage

Bear Mountain / Harriman State Parks
Rockland County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Cornell Mine: Blue blaze
Ramapo Dunderberg Trail: Red blaze
1777 Trail: Red blaze
1777E Trail: Red blaze

Hiking Partner:
Debbie Koegel

Total Time: 2:30 hours
Estimated Distance: 5.5 miles
Level of Difficulty: Difficults
Level of Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Points Of Interest: Very good climb with amazing views, historical ghost town

Google Maps of Parking:

View 2012 Hiking in a larger map

Bald Mountain is really the western peak of Dunderberg Mountain. It has sweeping views north and east, and requires a scenic and challenging hike to get to it. we parked at the Cornell Mountain Trailhead on Route 9W, right near the road to Iona Island. The first part of the trail starts by a small cascading waterfall, and this part of the hike is very scenic. After a few minutes, to the right, is another very scenic waterfall. The trail continues on a relatively mild ascent until it hits the foot of the mountain, where it then zigzags steeply up. Near the top is the intersection with the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail, which we took west towards the view. There are some small mining pits in this area, remnants of the larger Cornell Mine which is a several hundred feet below the view.

At the view, one can see points north from the Hudson at the Bear Mountain Bridge, Anthony's Nose, Bear Mountain, West Mountain the west, and The Timp to the south/southwest. From the view we continued along the trail, slightly descending until the 1777 Trail. The 1777 is a wide trail that follows the path of an old woods road. As it continues descending, it eventually enters Doodletown, which is an old ghost town that the state purchased in the 1960's and forced everyone to evacuate. Markers label the historic sites in the old ghost town, and its an interesting walk. Continued at the split on the 1777E Trail (the 1777 trail splits into the 1777E and 1777W Trails), and eventually back down to Route 9W at the trailhead.

Map of the Route

Cascade at the very beginning of the hike.

Waterfall known as the "Ten Footer"

View Atop Bald Mountain, facing north
towards the Bear Mnt Bridge spanning the Hudson River.

Beautiful Fall Foliage surrounding and atop Bear Mountain. Facing North.

Facing west towards West Mountain from the Bald Mnt View.

Me at the view.

More Foliage

Fall Foliage. Facing east/northeast.

Timp Brook

Bright Foliage Colors

 

Beautifully colored tree in Doodletown

View of Bald Mountain from below in Doodletown

Debbie Reading the Doodletown Legend

Doodletown Legend

Tree at the Reservoir in Doodletown

End of the Trail at Iona Island and its swampgrass

Wildcat Mountain

Wildcat Mountain
Harriman State Park,
Orange County,
New York

Trails:
Wildcat Mountain Trail: White Blaze

Total Time: 1:30 hr
Estimated Distance: 2.5 miles
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Recommendation: Recommended for a relatively short hike to a good viewpoint.
Points Of Interest: Wildcat Mountain Viewpoint

Hiking Partner:
Rachel Friedman

Google Map of Parking:

View Wilcat Mnt in a larger map

This is a trail in Harriman I have never taken before, and it is the only trail in Harriman on the other side of Route 17 and the Thruway. It is a very short ascent to the view of Wildcat Mountain, and the views are good. We parked in the park-and-ride at the intersection ramp of Route 17 and 17A, where the trail starts, and climbed this short and somewhat steep stretch to the view. After the view we continued several thousand feet further climbing hoping for another view, which was not to be found, so we turned around and headed back the same route.

Map of the Route

View above Wildcat Mnt. Facing South
toward Route 17 and the NYS Thruway

At Wildcat Mnt View facing east.

At view facing south.

Rachel with the blooming rhododendrons.

Bald Mountain/ Cornell Mine

Bear Mountain State Park,
Rockland County,
New York
Trails:
Cornell Mine Trail: Blue Blaze
Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail (R-D): Red Blaze

Total Time: 2:20 hr
Estimated Distance: 3.0 Miles

Hiking Partner:
Shimmy Rosenberg

This was a beautiful spring day, of which we had few due to the incessant rains and cloudy skies. We parked along Route 9W at the Cornell Trailhead, and took this trail but veered off towards the "10 footer waterfall. After the waterfall, we bushwacked back towards the Cornell Mine Trail, and took another short bushwack to get a glimpse of the Edison Mine, which was an exploration pit of iron ore and graphite from Thomas Edison. After exploring this small abandoned mine hole we went back to the Cornell Trail, and started climbing the steep ascent up towards Bald Mountain. This is a very solid climb, and apparently the trail has some new switchbacks blazed due to erosion.

Bald Mountain is really part of the Dunderberg Mountain, and is usually referred to as the western viewpoint near the opposite side of The Timp. Near the top of the climb the Cornell Mine Trail ends at the intersection of the R-D Trail. There are small mine workings of the Cornell Mine along this trail until the viewpoint of Bald Mountain. The Bald Mountain viewpoint is one of the best in the entire area, with an outstanding three-directional view facing north, west, and south. From the top of the view we bushwacked north a little bit to the main opening of the Cornell Mine, which contains a small deep mine hole through the mountain. From there we bushwacked back to the R-D Trail, then took the Cornell Trail back throughout its entire length back to our car.

Map of the Route.

The "10 footer" waterfall near Doodletown.

The Edison Mine at the foot of Dunderberg Mountain.

Me at the top of Bald Mountain.
Facing northwest with Bear Mountain behind me.

Me facing north with the Bear Mnt Bridge and the Hudson River
and Anthony's Nose behind me.

Facing northwest towards Bear Mountain

Shimmy Relaxing at the View

View southwest facing The Timp and
the southern portion of West Mountain.
The Timp Pass is the valley in-between.

The upper workings of the Cornell Mine.
Shimmy is above for scale.

The main shaft of the Cornell Mine.
A pretty impressive cut into the mountain.
Shimmy is on top again.

Small cascade along Doodletown Brook at the
end of the hike at the end of the Cornell Mine Trail.