Harriman Hiker: Harriman State Park and Beyond: bobcat trail

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Storm King Mountain North Point Fall Hike

Storm King State Park
Orange Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Bobcat Trail: White blaze
Howell Trail: Blue blaze
Stillman Spring Trail: White blaze

Total Time: 2:20 hour
Estimated Distance: 3.8 Miles

Pros: Great views, scenic area, good climb
Cons: Parking space is limited
Hike Type: Lollipop Loop
Level of Difficulty: Difficult

Google Maps of Parking:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HjvFWVphzE295fmK9

Hiking Partner:
Yehudah Koblick

This is one of the most scenic hikes in the area. I figured that I had not done this hike in a long time, and with the foliage beginning to peak, this would be a great time to hike here. I parked in the small trailhead parking area on Route 9W. It was almost full but luckily we got a spot (tip if you plan hiking here on a weekend: arrive early as the parking fills up fast.) The weather was cold and very windy. On the top there were very high wind gusts.

We took the short Bobcat Trail to the Howell Trail, which we climbed upwards to the summit of North Point. We then climbed down and over the ridge, towards the area of North Ridge, and then descended steeply towards Pitching Point and to Route 218. We then took the Stillman Spring Trail up to the Howell Trail, which we took back to the Bobcat Trail and then back to our car.

Map of the Route

Ascending towards North Point

Butter Hill from North Point

North Point

Breakneck Ridge from North Point

Scenery Along the Howell Trail

View from Pitching Point

Route 218

Small Waterfalls at Stillman Spring

Bobcat Trail Crossing the Brook

Sunday, July 17, 2016

North Point Storm King Loop

Storm King State Park
Orange Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Bobcat Trai: White blaze
Howell Trail: Blue blaze
Stillman Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 3:45 Hours
Estimated Distance: 5.1 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Very difficult, especially due to heat
Level of Recommendation: Highly Recommended

Points of Interest: Great views

Hiking Partner:
Shimmy Rosenberg

This was a brutally hot and humid day. In hindsight this strenuous hike was not the best choice for a day like this one. We did want a good workout, but this really pushed us to the limit. We parked at the Bobcat Trail trailhead parking off Route 9W near North Point. We took the short Bobcat Trail to the end at the Howell Trail, and climbed up to North Point. This area is full of good views, and lacks tree cover. Instead, there is a huge blueberry patch here in this was just the beginning of the blueberry season.

After reaching the top of North Point and the view before the descent, we turned around and went back down from where we came from, descending along the Howell Trail into the valley, crossing it over, and then ascending up Storm King. This part up climbs the mountain and is quite difficult. We went off the Howell Trail to the Stillman trail, which kind of plateaus at a certain with only minimal climbing remaining, this giving us some good relief. We continued along the Stillman Trail to the summit view, which faces north towards the Hudson River and the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. We then met up with the Stillman Trail again, took it down towards the valley, and continued back along the same route we came, via the Bobcat Trail to the parking area.