Park Reviews

06/26/2016 - 9:01am
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Thanks!
Margie
For the id and link of this beautiful rock and now I found the hike in the Circuit Hikes in Harriman book too.  Will be hiking these trails soon I hope, thanks again!!
06/25/2016 - 11:04pm
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Hike to Claudius Smith Rock
Daniel Chazin
The overlook shown in the photo above is Claudius Smith Rock.  Here is a link to a hike tha will get you there:  http://www.nynjtc.org/hike/Claudius-Smiths-Rock  
06/25/2016 - 4:28pm
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Overlook on this page above
Margie
Can anyone tell me what trail to get up to the overlook as pictured on this page?   I have been exploring around the beautiful harriman-bear mountain a couple of times this spring only,
07/01/2013 - 10:42am
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Private property near Sterling Forest State Park
Georgette Weir

The visitors center mentioned appears to be the one at Sterling Forest State Park. A number of private parcels continue as in-holdings in and around Sterling Forest State Park. These pre-date creation of the park and are not part of the park.

17 buildings near Sterling Lake  and the adjacent visitors center were part of the Sterling Forest Corporation and became park property when Sterling Forest State Park was established. These  houses and the land around them continue to be leased and are marked “private, please keep out.”

Questions about where fishing, with a valid NY fishing license,  is permitted in any park should be addressed to park managers:

Sterling Forest State Park: 845-351-5907

Harriman State Park: 845-786-2701

06/29/2013 - 8:46pm
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Private property
playerone
Someone please explain to me how there is so much PRIVATE land in a public state park? My wife and I just went to try to go fishing.  But it seems every lake in the park is private.  And surrounded by private property.  Such that there is no where that we are allowed to park, no where where we are allowed to fish.  Except [deleted] lake(welsh).   Isn't the entire thing sustained by taxes?  How is it that we are not allowed to fish at any lake?  How are these lakes reservoirs?  Only to supply water to these private residences in this place [deleted]  You can't even swim in these lakes?  Who is paying for all this? HOW ARE THERE PRIVATE RESIDENCES ON PUBLIC LAND? Not only that, but why is it that the vast vast majority of the land is private?  Roads, private? [Deleted] isn't this a public park?  Camping costs money?  How the hell does that work?  We stoped by at this seculded visitor center this afternoon.  Huge place.  Airconditioned.  1 employee. I'm certian we are the only visitors that have been in there... maybe in months?  This space is more massive than any house I've lived before, and some [one] gets paid to sit around in it with his massive diarama, for tax dollars?  Who is paying for all that and we can't even fish?  This is a sad sad joke. Of course no one even cares, because the only people in these areas are the ones who SOMEHOW live here.  The entire NYS managed park system is a glorified dog walking facility.
09/26/2012 - 2:26pm
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New bridge over Pine Meadow Brook
Phil McLewin
A newly built bridge is now in place for the Pine Meadow [red blaze], Kakiat [white],  and 7-Hills [blue] trails over Pine Meadow Brook
12/07/2011 - 1:18pm
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AT Relocated on West Mountain
Georgette Weir

A long-awaited relocation of an Appalachian Trail section on West Mountain in Harriman State Park has been completed. The new route follows a more gradual climb up (or down) West Mountain, replacing a steep section that was subject to severe erosion and was often muddy. It also incorporates a short section of the 1777W and truncates a section Fawn Trail--in the area just south of the AT’s crossing of Seven Lakes Drive, between West and Bear Mountains, and 0.85-mile of newly built and blazed trail.

Find details about the trail changes at /news/appalachian-trail-rerouted-west-mountain-harriman-state-park

08/17/2011 - 12:52pm
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second that
qwist04
Was camping just outside the Stockbridge shelter this past weekend and a bear decided to come visit our tent. It wasn't aggressive but also didn't seem too bothered by us. Definitely remember to hang your food any time you're not using it and cook well away from your tent.
08/05/2011 - 9:50pm
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Be careful of bears when camping at Harriman
carrotcob
My boyfriend and I just camped at Stockbridge shelter at Harriman. We hung our food and garbage in a tree overnight and were awoken in the morning to find a black bear climbing up the tree and eating our food. The bear seemed familiar with this camp spot and was not afraid of us. We made some loud noises but it seemed unbothered by us. We moved to higher ground to wait until the bear left and reported the incident to the rangers. The rangers said they've had a lot of occurrences in the park this year with bears. Please make sure you DO NOT have food in your tent if you plan to camp.  
08/03/2011 - 11:33am
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Bus Routes and Times
not all of trailways routes are on the web.  They have a Kingston, NY to Poughkpieseee, NY.  Limited? I also think Newburgh, NY is also on this route?
07/31/2011 - 11:08am
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Bus Service

I did some checking at both the Trailways and Short Line sites and could not find any direct route, but you might explore these sites yourself to find an alternative.

07/30/2011 - 7:44pm
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Bus Service
Is there bus service from Kingston NY to Harriem, NY???? There is a Traiways bus station in Kingston, NY.
11/02/2010 - 11:08am
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Hunting in parts of Harriman
Phil McLewin
Hikers should be aware that hunting is allowed in 2010 in the area of Harriman west of Route 87 and into Sterling Forest State Park. Other areas of Harriman-Bear Mountain are not open to hunting.

Link: http://www.nynjtc.org/news/deer-hunting-dates-new-york-and-new-jersey-2010

09/01/2010 - 1:08pm
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Western End of Major Welch Trail Closed.
Phil McLewin
The western end of the Major Welch Trail -- from the Perkins Memorial Tower on the summit of Bear Mountain to its former terminus on Perkins Drive -- has been permanently closed. The Major Welch Trail now terminates at the Perkins Memorial Tower. The trail remains open from its trailhead at Hessian Lake to the summit of Bear Mountain.

Crews are at work this summer building a new stretch of the Appalachian Trail on the south side of the mountain, which will incorporate the views of the closed section of the Major Welch Trail. The focus is on relocating the Appalachian Trail off of Perkins Memorial Drive and into the woods, providing a more "backcountry style" of trail. Trail workers aim to complete this project in early September and open it to the public soon after.

Source: Official TC newsrelease

 

01/12/2010 - 3:34pm
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Winter Road, Parking Closures
Phil McLewin

Date: 2010, January 6

Source: John Mack, West Hudson South Trail Chair

Though Route 106 in Harrimian State Park is reopened (see news item), we remind trail users that several roads in the Harriman/Bear Mountain Parks regularly are closed in winter. These include Tiorati Brook Road, Lake Welch Drive, and Perkins Memorial Drive. (Winter road closures are identified by bold, black astericks on our trail maps.) These roads were closed on December 1. They are scheduled to be reopened April 1, though inclement weather and road conditions at that time could prompt a delay.

Also currently closed is the south parking lot at the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area. Official dates for this closure are not available. Note that many trails remain accessible from the north parking area.

The ramps leading from the Palisades Interstate Parkway to the Recreation Area and back to the Parkway in both directions remain open.
12/30/2009 - 10:27am
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Route 106 Reopened in December
Georgette Weir
Route 106 in Harriman S.P. reopened in December, so all trailheads are now accessible from NY Route 17 and 7 Lakes Drive.
11/24/2009 - 2:06pm
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Hunting in some sections of Harriman Park
Phil McLewin

Hunting in Sterling Forest and Harriman State Parks have been expanded to include essentially all park areas west of NY Route 17.  The regular (firearms) hunting season began on November 21 and ends on December 13, 2009.  Bow season will resume December 14 to December 22 (as was published in the November-December Trail Walker).

10/15/2009 - 11:55am
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Trail updates
Phil McLewin

From the October 2009 Trail Walker newsletter:

 

Victory Trail

Several hikers have reported that a section of the Victory Trail, which is a utility road, was barely noticeable until recent work. Construction of a road accessible to large utility trucks was begun by the park after the utilities advised that without the road development, the lines to park facilities would not be serviced.  As of the September 2009 deadline for this newsletter, clearing and construction of a widened dirt road over the trail, extending from a short distance north of Lake Skenonto, south to the terminus of the trail, was nearly complete.  Culverts have been installed for drainage at some low spots. 

            The Trail Conference has requested that low spots be filled in and the road and adjoining surfaces be made as neat as reasonable before departing the project. During an early September field trip to the site, the Victory Trail remained blazed adequately to follow.  Maintainers Seth Schwartz, Janet Waegel, and Wayne Miller planned to attend to the trail by the end of September.  

            We thank the several hikers who reported and questioned this major trail disruption. Trail users are often the first to be aware of trail issues and we encourage your eyewitness reports. To report a trail issue or problem go to our website, click on the Community tab and choose Report a Trail Problem; or call 201-512-9348.

 

Blue Disc Trail

A large number of the blue disc-on-white trail blazes were removed this past summer by persons unknown, who not only damaged and removed blaze tags, but hacked off painted blazes from the trees.  Re-blazing has been accomplished for the eastern two-thirds of the trail and, as of September, is adequate to follow the entire trail length.

 

Nurian Trail

As of late September, the bridge over the Ramapo River, between Route 17 and the Southfields Pedestrian Bridge over the NY State Thruway, was impassable. Watch our website for news of the bridge reopening.

            Also on the Nurian Trial, of the two low bridges across Stahahe Brook, the more eastern one had collapsed and Trail Conference volunteers have removed it; at this time the park is unable to provide materials to replace it.  The almost adjacent western bridge has sagged but is currently crossable though slippery.  Both stream crossings are quite easily achieved without use of the bridges.

            Parking Note:  Parking is not allowed at the defunct Red Apple Rest or on surrounding private property.  Parking is available about 0.8-mile northwest of Route 17 on Hall Drive from Orange Turnpike, but would entail a road walk.  Parking should also be allowable at the Southfields Post Office during hours that it is not open--but never in the adjacent privately owned lot. The difficulty of parking in this location may also affect hikers who would otherwise plan to connect with other trails, such as the Stahahe Brook, White Bar, and Dunning Trails.

           

Kanawauke Lake and Route 106

Route 106 remains closed between Lake Kanawauke and Little Long Pond, due to deterioration of two bridges.  Repair has begun on one of them and is expected to be completed and the road opened by winter.  The lakes are being drained to allow the repair work to be accomplished and for some weed control.  Parking on 106 from 7-Lakes Drive is available at Lake Kanawauke, and from Route 17 the road is also passable to the closed bridge, providing access to parking for the Parker Cabin Hollow and White Bar Trails, Island Pond Road, and Victory and Ramapo-Dunderberg Trails .

 

 

 

08/29/2009 - 1:16pm
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Camping in Harriman
Phil McLewin
For a lengthy exchange about camping in Harriman Park click on the title below.  Click for a reply that was especially detailed.

 

hike to a campsite

On July 26th, 2009 miharbio asked:

Hello, I am looking to bring a few inexperienced friends on a hiking/camping trip. Basically I'd like to have the group hike for most of the day and camp at our final destination. I'm looking for at least two to three miles and it would be great if the hike back to the car the next day was a different trail. There seems to be a great number of trails to chose from, but I'm not sure if we'll be able to set up camp on all of them, can anyone provide some information as to how that works? Thank you