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

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

Beech Trail Hasenclever Red Cross Loop

Harriman State Park
Rockland and Orange Counties,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Beech Trail: Blue blaze
Red Cross Trail: Red blaze

Total Time: 1:50 hour
Estimated Distance: 4.3 miles
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Level of Recommendation: Slightly recommended
Points Of Interest: Waterfalls, historical mine
Pros: Very quiet area of the park
Cons: Lack of view, Muddy Areas in the rain

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map

This was the first Sunday that it was raining in a long time. It was a soft steady rain all day long, so I decided to go hiking despite the weather in my waterproof rain gear.

I parked on Lake Tiorati Road at Beech Trail Trailhead. I took the Beech Trail southbound, where it passes alongside a stream. Due to the rain, the stream was very swelled, and had several pretty waterfalls and cascades. At the intersection of the Hogencamp Road I turned off the trail and took this woods road to the Hogencamp Mine, which is one of the earliest iron mines in the region. At the mine the Red Cross Trail intersects, and I took that trail, crossed the road, and took the trail along to the Beech Trail. This section contains numerous large blueberry bushes, so I will make an attempt to come back here in July. I took the Beech Trail back to the trailhead where I had parked.

Map of the Route

Greenery and wetness in the forest along the Beech Trail

Small Waterfall set off the Beech Trail

The Sliver Cascade in the Above Picture

Another Waterfall off the Beech Trail

SameWaterfall Different Angle

Newt Crawling Along the Trail.
There were lots of these out because of the rain.

Intense Green Along the Hogencamp Road

Water-filled Pit at the Hogencamp Mine

Red Cross Trail Crossing Tiorati Brook

Pole Brook Mountain and Barnes Mine

Harriman State Park
Rockland County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Beech Trail: Blue blaze
Long Path: Green blaze

Total Time: 1:45 hours
Estimated Distance: 3.8 miles
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Level of Recommendation: Not Recommended
Points Of Interest: Interesting mine, historical area

Hiking Partner:
Shimmy Rosenberg 

Google Maps of Parking:
 
View 2012 Hiking in a larger map

We parked on Kanawauke Road (Co. Route 106) at the Beech Trail trailhead, where the trail crosses the road a little bit past the Lake Welch Parkway underpass. We took the Beech Trail southwest past some large blueberry groves, which were in their final seasonal stages, along the north side of the Green Swamp. We took the trail to its terminus at the Long Path, and then took the Long Path across Lake Welch Parkway, and then took the unmarked trail after that back into Johnsontown.

We walked a little bit on Johnsontown Road and took an old path through a ruined foundation, and past some other ruins in the deep grass. We then crossed Lake Welch Parkway again going up the hill and then turning towards the Barnes Mine. The Mine is on a hill called Pole Brook Mountain. The trail conference map shows an unmarked path here to the mine, but it is totally overgrown and requires a bushwack. This old mine was an iron mine and features some cuts with a larger, water-filled hole that now has quite a few frogs calling it their home. From there went a short distance to the Long Path, and then traced this back the same way we came returning to the Beech Path and back to our car.

Map of the Route

Interesting Rock Formation on the Beech Trail.

A Ruined Foundation on the Long Path on Pole Brook Mountain

Shimmy on the Long Path, At the Veer Off Towards Johnsontown

Me Bushwacking Towards a Ruin in Johnsontown

Barnes Mine Cross Cut

Barnes Mine Water Filled Shaft