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  1. #1

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    Sub 24 Overnight Harriman NY

    I've seen a few inquiries here about 'easy' hikes in the NY area, so I'll share mine from this past weekend. It's a variant of hike #35 in the NY-NJ Trail Conference book, Hike of the Week. Most of my camping trips are designed as s24O, meaning I leave home, complete the trip and return home again within 24 hours, so it is not disruptive to my domestic life. This hike starts at the Tuxedo Metro North RR station, so city dwellers can get here without a car. It's also a parking lot that does not over-crowd compared to other lots serving the park.

    The trail head is a short road walk from the RR station into a residential neighborhood and , BAM, there's the trailhead.



    It is a steady uphill, rocky, walk to the first viewpoint overlooking Tuxedo...



    After about an hour you arrive at Claudius Smith Rock



    From there you have a few trails to choose to get you moving toward some nice lakes. I chose to hike toward Sebago, which rewarded me with nice foliage.



    My camp for the night. Not pictured, the heavy rain that started at 10p and lasted until 5a!



    For people unfamiliar with Harriman:
    It's rocky. Annoyingly so. Probably not the place for trail runners, but definitely a place where the hammock pays for itself.
    Water can be scarce. Maps show streams but they are often dry. So people tend to route past one of the lakes.
    There are two shelter sites, Fingerboard and Bald, that have bear activity. So maybe don't stay there and be careful with your food!
    Most of the trails are well-marked. Except where the marker is on a tree that fell over! So redundancy is important. Bring a paper map and something on your phone/GPS.

    I made the bone-headed decision to hang my sweaty hiking clothes (it was 76 and humid on Sunday) over my suspension lines, put in earplugs (noisy insect life) and go to sleep because the sky was clear. Only to awaken to heavy rain and saturated clothes! Live and learn.

  2. #2
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    That’s pretty spectacular, it is nice having somewhere close by to hike.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Dirtbaghiker's Avatar
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    Nice. I love Harriman! I use trail runners only.. All good. Yes rocky and roots.. Lol. Some great trails in there. Thanks for posting.

  4. #4
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    That's a fine little trip, many of which I do in Harriman since I live right across the river in Ossining.

    It's funny that I've hiked pretty much every inch of Harriman and parked in every trailhead lot except the one you mentioned. I most frequently use Silver Mine Lake, Elk Pen and Skannatati.

    Like Dirtbaghiker I use trail runners only, except when there's more than about 4-5" of snow, which has been very scarce the last few winters. I use Altra Lone Peaks mostly, and Lone Peak RMS is okay for cold and some moderately nasty trail conditions, combined with Kahtoola Microspikes for ice.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  5. #5
    Senior Member MikekiM's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    That's a fine little trip, many of which I do in Harriman since I live right across the river in Ossining.

    It's funny that I've hiked pretty much every inch of Harriman and parked in every trailhead lot except the one you mentioned. I most frequently use Silver Mine Lake, Elk Pen and Skannatati.

    Like Dirtbaghiker I use trail runners only, except when there's more than about 4-5" of snow, which has been very scarce the last few winters. I use Altra Lone Peaks mostly, and Lone Peak RMS is okay for cold and some moderately nasty trail conditions, combined with Kahtoola Microspikes for ice.

    ^^^^^
    Yeah... all of this.. Exactly
    Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
    Bob's brother-in-law

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    That's a fine little trip, many of which I do in Harriman since I live right across the river in Ossining.

    It's funny that I've hiked pretty much every inch of Harriman and parked in every trailhead lot except the one you mentioned. I most frequently use Silver Mine Lake, Elk Pen and Skannatati.
    I’ve used and like Silver Mine. My last departure from Elk Pen almost didn’t happen because it was overcrowded, and that was before the pandemic. There are more people in the park now particularly on weekends and parking can be a bit of a dumpster fire. I really was aiming for some trails out of Anthony Wayne, but that’s closed.

  7. #7
    Senior Member MikekiM's Avatar
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    Silvermine is a good jumping point at the north and Skannatati from the south. I've never been locked out of either. Reeves Meadow is a real challenge if you don't get there early (EARLY!). Elk Pen is the same. Ramapo Eq has been good to me, but the trail options are more limited.

    Kind of all moot for me this year... torn meniscus has me doing nothing more than some car camping and backyard excursions.
    Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
    Bob's brother-in-law

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by MikekiM View Post
    Silvermine is a good jumping point at the north and Skannatati from the south. I've never been locked out of either. Reeves Meadow is a real challenge if you don't get there early (EARLY!). Elk Pen is the same. Ramapo Eq has been good to me, but the trail options are more limited.

    Kind of all moot for me this year... torn meniscus has me doing nothing more than some car camping and backyard excursions.
    What about Kannawauke Road? I see that mentioned a lot in the NYNJTC guides as having a parking spot but I can see nothing more than a double car patch of dirt on Google street view.

    And is there legit hiker parking at the equestrian center—-leave car overnight—or is it day-use only?

  9. #9
    Senior Member jeff-oh's Avatar
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    Last time I was in Harriman I ended up sleeping on the ground using the remains of the hammock as a ground cloth. That NY state granite is sharp and cut right through the not quite hung high enough fabric. Beautiful country. Thank you for the trip report.

  10. #10
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bobonli View Post
    What about Kannawauke Road? I see that mentioned a lot in the NYNJTC guides as having a parking spot but I can see nothing more than a double car patch of dirt on Google street view.

    And is there legit hiker parking at the equestrian center—-leave car overnight—or is it day-use only?
    Yes, there's room for about 6-8 cars at Kanawauke (where red R-D trail crosses) depending upon how sloppily they're parked. Easy access to Bald Rocks which is a favorite with BSA so better get there very early on weekends, although use of Bald Rocks shelter and camping is not permitted now due to bear activity.

    Overnight parking is permitted at Ramapo Equestrian Center. Route options really open up when you hit the junction of Pine meadow trail and Suffern-Bear Mtn trail.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
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