Johnstown Road to Big Hill

Harriman State Park
Rockland County,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Johnstown Road Connector Trail: Unblazed
Long Path: Green blaze
Old Turnpike: Unblazed

Total Time: 1:30 hours
Estimated Distance: 3.3 miles
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Level of Recommendation: Recommended
Points Of Interest: Big Hill View 
Pros: Very remote area of park, nice view
Cons: Hike likes thrill

Google Map of Parking:

View 2013 Hiking Locations in a larger map

Big Hill is a nice view with a good climb, and a shelter on top. I have been here before but never taken this route nor this short stretch of the Long Path. I parked on Johnstown Road about 500 feet from the old Cemetery, and took the short Connector Trail which connects to the Long Path. I then took the Long Path until Big Hill, where it climbs up the Mountain. The Long Path route up Big Hill is much less exciting and not as dramatic as the other route up where the trail is combined with the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail. I came down that Route, and then went along the Old Turnpike, which follows closely parallel to to the Long Path, and then at the intersection with the Camp Road took the Long Path back to the Connector Trail and back to my car.

Map of the Route.
Harriman/Bear Mountain State Park Southern Map

Large Wooden Bridge Across Swamp Outlet on the Long Path

Looking Into the Swamp From the Bridge

The Other Side of the Bridge

Shelter Atop Big Hill

View from Big Hill.
Facing East Towards Horse Chock Mountain

View from Big Hill, Facing Southeast.
The NYC Skyline was Faintly Visible in the Distance.

Confluence of the Long Path And Suffern-Bear Mnt Trail Atop Big Hill

Jackie Jones Tower in View While Ascending Big Hill

Stony Brook and Gas Line

Harriman State Park,
Rockland County,
New York


Trails:
White Bar Trail: White blaze
Kakiat Trail: White blaze

Total Time: 1:05 hour
Estimated Distance: 2.1 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Level of Recommendation: Somewhat recommended
Points Of Interest: Good views on Gas Line

Hiking Partner:
Shimmy Rosenberg


Google Maps of Parking:

View 2012 Hiking in a larger map

This hike was really going to be an extension of the hike we took last week, but we ran out of time and didn't have the time for a long hike this time either. So this was a good but short hike and kind of a continuation of last week. We parked at the Johnstown Road Trailhead dead end (same place as last week), and took the White Bar up to the Kakiat, and header east on the Kakiat Trail. This area goes through some old foundations and stone walls, which adds interest to it. The bridge where the Kakiat crosses to the Stony Brook Trail was washed out last year during Hurricane Irene, and is yet to be rebuilt. Instead of crossing where the bridge once spanned, we stayed on the other side of the brook without crossing it, and walked along the edge on the side of the steep embankment. We walked until the gas line, climbed up the steep incline on the gas line and then over and down back to the trailhead and back to our car.

Map of the route.
Note that the map is old, and Johnstown Road is now the trail
and the road is 7 Lakes Drive which is parallel to the trail.

Me walking along the White Bar Trail.
Note the plants turning green.

Note about washed out bridge on the Kakiat Trail

Foundation at the Kakiat Trail, between the White Bar and Stony Brook

Washed out bridge on the Kakiat Trail.
Note the trail markers across the brook.

Shimmy Walking along Stony Brook.

Climbing the gas line.

Me atop the hill on the gas line.
Behind me is North Hill. Facing south.

Another view of the gas line towards North Hill.

Me descending the gas line on the other site,
with Daters Mountain straight ahead.
We had climbed that cliff right in front of us the week before.