Hike Recommendations

Posted February 28th, 2009 by webmaster

Where should you hike today? Where is a good swimming hole? Are the Mountain Laurel out in Harriman yet? Try searching our hike database but if you don't find the perfect hike, try asking here.

public transportation hike

On July 30th, 2010 jeffs says:

to answer kara, i would choose the AT. there are many spots that you can access by bus.one of them being the greenwood lake area near the ny/nj border. feel free to email me at jeffstoveken@yahoo.com.

Schunemunk preferences

On July 7th, 2010 RichardL says:

Which way do you like better, and why? To ascend from the tracks, via the: Jessup Trail, or, Tressle Trail? To descend the: Dark Hollow Trail, or, Sweet Clover Trail? Thanks, Richard

Overnight Hike Bear Mtn Inn to West Mountain Shelter

On July 2nd, 2010 DragonBall says:

Hi, I am going on an overnight hike tomorrow from Bear Mountain Inn and camping at the West Mountain Shelter; and then hike out on Day 2 heading south east on the Timp Torne to finish on the west side of US9W south of the intersection with Old Ayers Rd. Q1: Do you think it's feasible to go over Bear Mountain (via Major Welch) and south on the AT to reach West Mountain Shelter in a day (we going to start at about 10.30am since we are taking the ShortLine Bus). Or, should we take the S-BM trail instead and avoid going over Bear Mountain? [We are two relatively fit people in early 30s with some hiking experience]. Q2: Is there any water en route? ie from the brook running southwest from the Doodletown Reservoir that crosses the S-BM and Timp-Torne? Or, where is the closest water stop? Q3: At the end of the Timp-torne trail, does the Short Line bus stop to pick up passengers (bound for NY) at the intersection with Old Ayers Road (which leads to Jones point) and US 9W? The Shortline bus service have given me mixed answers! Thanks for your help.

Yes, you should be able to

On July 3rd, 2010 Paul_A says:

Yes, you should be able to go over Bear Mountain and still reach the West Mountain Shelter in the time frame you've suggested. Don't forget, the days are long and daylight extends into the evening. And if that's not long enough, carry a headlamp or other light, and finish your hike after dark.

Labyrinth/Lemon Squeeze (Gunks) hike route

On June 22nd, 2010 denali2001 says:

Planning to ride bikes to Mohonk Preserve area and do the Labyrinth/Lemon Squeeze hike. I understand there is a carriage road approach to the climb. Any route description I can find online? Also, any good place to lock up our bikes before the hike? Thanks.

Hudson hiking

On June 14th, 2010 JROGG says:

Storm King just north of West Point is a good one, Trail map 113. Another idea is to follow The Long Path from the GW bridge. Much of it follows the Hudson.

Need hike recommendations

On June 11th, 2010 bpickard1@twcny... says:

I am new to this site and to the hiking trails. I am looking for easy to moderate hiking trails near the hudson and/or views of the Manhattan skyline. I am about 3 hours away, so I'd like it to be a day adventure. Thanks.

The Long Path is along the

On June 12th, 2010 Paul_A says:

The Long Path is along the top of the Palisades and the Shore Trail is at the bottom of the Palisades, right along the west bank of the Hudson River. You can find the map you need at www.nynjtc.org/product/hudson-palisades-trails

See NYNJTC Hudson Palisades Map Set

On June 12th, 2010 PVPatrick says:

HIke along the top of the Palisades or the shores of the Hudson River from George Washington Bridge or many parking spots along the route to the NY NJ state line.

High altitude easy to moderate hike

On June 11th, 2010 hschil says:

I have been suffering from tension headshakes and it seems that high altitudes helps relieve the pain sometimes. I am not new to walking, but I am new to hiking would appreciate recommendations within 60 miles or so to NYC. Thanks, Howard

High altitude hike

On June 14th, 2010 JROGG says:

I "highly" recommend Peekamoose Mountain in the catskils. It's a 2 hour drive from northern jersey and well worth the drive. Take exit 19 off the thruway to rt 28 then 28A then to rt 42. Parking was easy and kudos to the maintaineer who recently went through (I was there yesterday). The south to north route elevation starts at 1300' then a gradual 3 mile trek to 3800'. Although I haven't yet done the north to south route from Denning Road that looks like it might be more to your liking since it seems to start at 2300' elevation. The drive looks to be much longer to go around to the north side though. Get the trail map #43 in the catskill set. Believe me you'll love this hike.

High altitude hike

On June 16th, 2010 hschil says:

thanks for the recommendation. I will try it within the next few weeks.

The highest hill in the Catskills is only just over 4000 feet

On June 12th, 2010 PVPatrick says:

The highest hills in Harriman State Park are less than 2000 feet, so there is no real high altitude within 60 miles of NYC.

Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail

On June 8th, 2010 Michael K7 says:

I hiked the entire SBM trail yesterday, north to south, and would highly recommend the experience to anyone looking for a challenge/all-day hike. I would suggest figuring out a way to start early however, as getting off the bus at 10:15 does not leave a lot of time for resting during the hike if you want to finish before dark. It took me 10.5 hours to finish, and i had to make the ending descent to the trailhead in Suffern in darkness. Thankfully, i had my flashlight :)

Also, there is some STEEP descending on rocks in the northern part of the trail. If you are not comfortable scrambling down at steep angles, i would not recommend trying this hike.

I would also like to say thanks to all the maintainers of this trail for their great work- it helped to make the hike very enjoyable.

Water

On June 9th, 2010 PVPatrick says:

Did you carry your water or filter/resupply along the route?

Carried

On June 9th, 2010 Michael K7 says:

I carried 2.5 liters of plain water, and 2 quarts of Vitamin Water (for electrolytes). Drank all of the VW, and about 85% of the plain water.

Hiking with 12-year-old nature enthusiast

On May 30th, 2010 jmoran says:

I am looking to take my son hiking. I vaguely remember hiking the Green Pond Boston mile loop in college. (Loooong time ago) The description says it is 4.3 miles. Is that the whole loop? Would the steep sections be too much for him? thanks ! Jen :D

Green Pond/Boston Mine Loop

On June 1st, 2010 jmoran says:

Well, we did it! I took my 12 and 8-year-old with me. While it was definitely challenging, we made it. I wouldn't recommend this loop to young hikers. It was quite steep and rocky. By the end of the hike, they were quite done, but certainly not complaining. We saw an abundance of wildlife and took on the beauty of the area. It was a great day!!

camping in the dark?

On May 26th, 2010 miharbio says:

My group and I are leaving Friday evening for catskills, after everyone gets out of work. The problem is we have a nearly three hour drive to our destination (the end of denning road), which will likely mean that we will arrive at dusk if not darker. I told everyone to just bring a good flashlight and that we'd set up camp not too far from the car. We'll also have a fairly full moon with us. I've never actually been in this area though so I have no idea what to expect. Any advice?

camping in the dark?

On May 27th, 2010 srtmaintainer says:

We talked about this on the phone last night ,correct?

also fishing?

On May 27th, 2010 miharbio says:

can someone just quickly give me some information about fishing, I can't find a solid yes or no on whether or not I need a permit. I've read that I only need a permit if I fish in the reservoirs, but streams and rivers don't require a permit. Is this accurate?

also fishing?

On May 27th, 2010 srtmaintainer says:

You will need a NY fishing license. The permit for NYC reservoirs is in addition to having the NY license.

yeah i forgot to ask you

On May 27th, 2010 miharbio says:

yeah i forgot to ask you about that, thanks for the help again!

Camping at Slide

On May 23rd, 2010 pcooper9 says:

We're trying to find a good place for primitive camping at Slide mounting for memorial day weekend. Does anyone have a recommendation? Thanks

the end of denning road

On May 26th, 2010 miharbio says:

I've never actually been in this area before, but the area I am frequently recommended is the junction at the end of denning road. You'll need a map to make the best decision on what is best for your group, but there are a lot of options. There is also a number of parking areas along branch road (or rt 47), that is probably your best bet for a short hike near slide.

majeed-ur-rahman Thanks.

On May 19th, 2010 majeedrahman@ho... says:

majeed-ur-rahman Thanks.

Teatown lake via OCA

On May 17th, 2010 majeedrahman@ho... says:

majeed-ur-rahman I want to walk to the Tea town lake reservation. I have already walked from Croton Hormon RR station to the croton dam via the aqueduct trail. I don't know the rest of the route; may be via the briarcliff-peekskill trailway? Can anybody guide me? Thanks. majeed rahman.

Teatown vis OCA

On May 17th, 2010 Jane Daniels says:

To get to Teatown from the Croton Harmon RR station, you have to use OCA to reach the dam. Go south on the Briarcliff Peekskill Trail BPT)which brings you to Teatown after crossning Blinn Road. You can take the BPT through Teatown and south to Ryder Road. at the southern terminus, walk west downhill to the Ossining RR station.

I would recommend you get a road atlas of Westchester County. Public transportation information the parks in Westchester is listed in Walkable Westchester. When there are long hkes to get to a park, the book says none available.

backcountry and fishing

On May 9th, 2010 miharbio says:

Hello all, I am about to purchase the Harriman and Catskils mapset, and was wondering if there was any other trails that I should consider. I'm from new jersey, but from what I've read that wouldn't be the best option for backcountry hiking?. Can anyone recommend some backcountry trails with the option of fishing? I've never gone backcounrty on the east coast so I'm not sure exactly what to expect, or how much different it would be from the west. (I'm wondering about fires?) Would it be possible to actually catch and eat fish? I was looking at the prices for fishing licenses in NY, and they weren't bad so if anyone knows any more information I would appreciate it.

BackCountry

On June 3rd, 2010 flyguy says:

Sounds like you'd be happier heading to the Dacks, Harriman all warm water fish, Except - Island Pond & Askoti Don't plan on camping at the LT's - There party house's Catskills - there's a lot of good places - Grab a VO (Venture out) map

Requesting a clarification

On June 10th, 2010 sknyjohn says:

re: "LT's" in your post; what are the "LT's"? Thanks!

Backcountry and fishing

On May 9th, 2010 srtmaintainer says:

If you want to be off the marked trails you may want to check out the east branch of the Neversink River in the Slide Mountain Wilderness area. Catskill map 143 in the new Catskill map set, map 43 in the older map sets. Yes fires are permitted, you will find all the regulations for that area on the back of the map. Andy

Are you allowed to set up

On May 9th, 2010 miharbio says:

Are you allowed to set up camp and fires off the marked trails? Or are there specific shelters and marked locations? Is all this in the trail maps?

Catskill Preserve camping

On May 10th, 2010 srtmaintainer says:

The rules are on the maps, 150' from water, trails and roads. you won't have to worry about roads. It has been many years since I have gone to that spot. Used to be primitive sites with rock fireplaces as you went up the fisherman path, the red dotted line that crosses the creek several times on its way up. Andy

my maps came in

On May 13th, 2010 miharbio says:

But I am a little confused. For one, I didn't realize catskills was so big. I have no idea where to begin. Another thing is the 'rules'? I saw one of the maps had the rules you just mentioned but not all of them, does that mean it only applies to that part of the catskills? Also the rules don't mention anything about fishing? I assume if you have a permit there is no problem? Is there any information on where there might be some good spots?

Catskills

On May 13th, 2010 srtmaintainer says:

I emailed you.

Backpacking Trails Accessible by Public Transportation?

On May 7th, 2010 kasuncion6 says:

Hello, I'd like to try doing an overnight hike in the area, but do not have a car. Can anyone recommend any trails that allow camping and are accessible by public transportation? I'm in good shape and enjoy rock scrambling, but will need a trail that has decent flat areas for camping. Many Thanks, Kara

SBM Trail

On May 8th, 2010 Michael K7 says:

If you have the Harriman/Bear Mountain Map set, you could hike the entire Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail. Metro-North goes to Manitou (but only on weekends and holidays), and NJT stops at Suffern. There are 2 shelters along the trail, and the southern one has a flat open area behind it that you could easily set up a tent if that's what you want. I haven't been on the northern part of the trail yet, but in a few weeks i plan on hiking the entire thing in one day, so if you're still looking for info at that point, i'll let you know what i find. I don't know if you are allowed to camp on the trail other than at the shelter areas.

Backpacking by Public Transportation

On May 7th, 2010 Paul_A says:

Let me suggest either Harriman State Park or The Appalachian Trail. You can find details for public transportation at www.nynjtc.org/content/you-dont-need-car

I forgot to mention that I

On May 7th, 2010 kasuncion6 says:

I forgot to mention that I am coming from NYC. Thanks, Kara

Garrison

On May 4th, 2010 paulhenryg says:

I plan to hike the trails around Garrison tomorrow, but I'm confused by the description of the trailhead location. Can I pick it up at southern end of train station parking lot or do I need to take the road? If the road, which ones? Thanks for any help.

Sugarloaf Hill and Osborn Loop Trail

On May 6th, 2010 Walt Daniels says:

The hike description is primarily for doing the hike from the Castle Rock Unique area parking lot. The only comments about doing it from the train station are in the Train instructions. The instructions there are insufficient for finding your way up to the hike described. You really need to have Map 101 and follow it. The hike description page also has some alternate instructions for doing the hike from the parking lot with fewer turns. Looking at the map should make this clear.

If you read the description of the following hike, http://www.nynjtc.org/hike/arden-point-and-glenclyffe-garrison-ny you will understand better what happens if you start from the train station.

Bottom line: No matter how good the description, having the right map is always better.

Garrison trails

On May 4th, 2010 Estelle says:

This might help you, it was a previous hike of the week. If not, please email estelle55@optonline.net and I'll find someone who is familiar.

http://www.nynjtc.org/hike/east-hudson-highlands-5

Garrison

On May 5th, 2010 paulhenryg says:

Thanks, but I have seen this hike description. It's what I find confusing. It first states that trail leads from southern end of parking lot to trailhead, but then states you need to retrace your steps along the road. Which road? What steps am I retracing? Not helpful!

Garrison Trails

On May 5th, 2010 srtmaintainer says:

I do believe what Daniel meant was that you would go back to the fork in the road that you just drove past getting to the parking lot with your car. The trail from the train station is a separate trail, the train station parking is not the same parking lot as the trail head parking. Andy

Garrison

On May 6th, 2010 paulhenryg says:

Ah, that makes sense now. I hiked the Osborn Loop yesterday, starting from Garrison train station. I know now that local trails lead fairly directly from the southeast end of the train station parking lot through Marcia’s Mile to the parking area and the Sugarloaf trail head. It is obvious from the train station parking lot where the trails start and Marcia’s Mile is well marked. However, the way through Marcia’s Mile to the Sugarloaf trail head is not. I had map 101, which gave me and idea of which way I should be going, and, fortunately, the assistance from fellow hikers as I went. Otherwise, I would never have found the trail head. Trailblazers would help because I’m not sure anyone could write a description that would make sense. Nice trails though!

Buffalo

On April 27th, 2010 dick wilson says:

I am going to the Buffalo area for the next few days and wonder if anyone knows of a loop hike (half day) up there. I have a half day before the flight home. Thank you

Great Hike

On April 19th, 2010 wizzer103 says:

Yesterday I hiked the entire Breakneck Ridge trail to the Casino trail and down to Mt. Beacon park. What a spectacular hike! It was very strenuous in some sections, but the views of the Hudson that you get are well worth the effort. We used two cars one at Breakneck and the other at Mt. Beacon park.

That is a great one!

On April 20th, 2010 Michael K7 says:

I did something similar a couple of weeks ago, but i started in Cold Spring. Took the Washburn Trail to the Notch Trail, and picked up the Breakneck Ridge Trail from there. It's a perfect hike if you use Metro North, but the walk from the end of the Casino Trail to the train station in Beacon is pretty long. The scrambling before you get to the fire tower, and the tower area itself are two of my favorite spots in NY.

Black Flies

On April 12th, 2010 BackcountryLawyer says:

I am planning a trip to the Bald Rocks area of Harriman State Park for the weekend of April 24. I have never been to Harriman in the spring, and I was wondering if Harriman has a black fly problem like the Catskills or the 'Dacks. If so, when do they typically starting coming out to strike? Thanks.

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