Dater Mountain Nature Park
Directions
Take N.J. Route 17 north to the New York State Thruway and take the first exit, Exit 15A (Sloatsburg). Turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto N.Y. Route 17 north, and continue through the Village of Sloatsburg. Just past the village, turn right at the traffic light, following the sign for Seven Lakes Drive/Harriman State Park. Cross an overpass over railroad tracks and continue along Seven Lakes Drive for 0.7 mile, passing under the Thruway. Just before reaching a large sign "Entering Harriman State Park," turn left at a sign for Johnsontown Road, immediately reaching a T-intersection. Turn right and continue for 0.3 mile to a small parking turnout on the left side of the road, at a light green sign for the "NYS Environmental Protection Fund."
- Trailhead for orange-blazed trail in Dater Mountain Nature County Park. GPS Coordinates: 41.171444, -74.176796
Parking is also available at the end of Johnsontown Road in the “Circle in Harriman State Park” parking area.
- Trailhead for blue-blazed trail in Harriman park which in 0.45 mile meets with the Kakiat (white), leading southwest (left) towards Dater Mountain Park to meet with the orange-blazed trail. GPS Coordinates: 41.180004, -74.163786
Park Overview
The Nature Park, which is located adjacent to the southwest border of Harriman - Bear Mountain State Park, is heavily wooded with steep inclines and rocky slopes and consists of a number of mountaintops and valleys, crossed by several small streams.
Trail Overview
An orange-blazed trail leaves from a small roadside parking area (on Johnsontown Road) to the crest of a hill where it connects with a blue-blazed trail. This trail heads left to a viewpoint at Sleater Hill, where it turns right to end at the orange-blazed trail. Here, one can either turn right to loop back to the parking area, or turn left to join the white-blazed Kakiat Trail into Harriman - Bear Mountain State Park.
See "Directions to Trailhead" on this site. Johnsontown Road continues into Harriman-Bear Mountain State park to a cul-du-sac and parking area. A blue-blazed trail (different from the aforementioned one) leads to the Kakiat (white), turning left will head towards Dater Mountain Nature County Park. Staying on this trail in Harriman leads to a viewpoint with the name "Almost Perpendicular."
All this will become clearer using the Web Map link on this website.
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Park Description
Dater Mountain Nature Park
A view of the Village of Tuxedo, The New York State Thruway, and Orange County may be seen from the high elevations, some rising 940 feet above sea level. Dater Mountain Nature Park contains eight federally designated wetlands and provides habitat for two NYS endangered species (the Northern Cricket Frog and the Allegheny Woodrat) and one threatened species (the Timber Rattlesnake).
Dater Mountain Nature Park has many local tribal and family histories. The Munsee Indians once inhabited the property. It is the westerly part of the Spence Patent, one of four grants given to officers of the British Army by George III in 1775. Dater crossing brought the locality into contact with Route 17 and Tuxedo. The area was extensively logged in the later 1700's and into the 1800's; trees were burned in pits to produce charcoal for the smelting of iron ore. Many of these pits can be found throughout the property.