Where should you hike today? Where is a good swimming hole? Are the Mountain Laurel out in Harriman yet?
Try searching our Hike Finder but if you don't find the perfect hike, try asking here.
Try searching our Hike Finder but if you don't find the perfect hike, try asking here.
re: closer than catskills
There's also the AT that runs along the NY/NJ border. There are a number of shelters along the way, but I have no first-hand knowledge for you. I'm guessing you'd be looking in Wawayanda SP, but I don't know much about that area. It's still NJ, so no fires. The Trail Conference sells the North Jersey Trails map set that would cover that area.
re
re: shelters
As I mentioned earlier, there are no permits, reservations or fees for staying in or near these shelters. The shelter sleeping platforms are on a first-come-first-served system. Given our current economy and the summer season, the shelters are busy. There is a decent chance the sleeping platform in the shelter will be full, so make sure your party has enough room in the tent(s) to accommodate everyone.
If the shelter's sleeping platform is full or you'd rather sleep in a tent, you are allowed to setup a tent near the shelter. When you get to a shelter area, it is pretty obvious where the tenting area is. Because the shelters (and surrounding tenting area) are the only legal place to camp, you will normally find many established tent sites near the shelters. I have always found a site to setup my tent in the shelter area, even on very busy weekends.
re: hike to a campsite
Since you are looking for a backcountry trip, I'll assume you know how to purify water and that your group has adequate gear. Remember that this is still black bear country, so hang your food, cookware and toiletries before you go to bed.
Before knowing exactly what you're looking for, I'm guessing that you'll end up in Harriman State Park, about an hour north of the city. In that case, you'll need to buy the Harriman/Bear Mountain map set. You can purchase them on this website, or from a local outfitter (EMS, Paragon, Campmor, etc.). You'd also be well advised to purchase the Harriman Trails book as it provides a wealth of knowledge and history on the trails in Harriman. I don't see the book available on the TC website at the moment, but most of the local outfitters should have it. It's by Myles.
There are a number of loop hikes that would fit your description. Let us know what area or park you're looking at and I'm sure we can be of better help.
re
Slide Mt.
Well we all live in the
re: hike to a campsite
Regarding Slide Mtn (Catskills) v. Harriman, I'd suggest Harriman. The Catskills are gorgeous, but based on the skill level of your party and distances requested, you might want to try something a little closer and a little less rugged.
You can backpack and camp in Harriman without a permit. Camping is allowed ONLY at the shelters, or in a tent near the shelter. Stealth camping is forbidden and could result in a hefty fine. If you want a fire, you can have one in New York (unlike New Jersey). Fires should be built small and in existing fire rings at the shelters. Use only downed and dead wood. During the summer months, don't expect to find much wood around; bring a stove to cook on.
As far as where to go, you have a few options based on your requirements of a 2-3 mile hike in. On the western side of the park, you could try Dutch Doctor (around 18T571400 4561050). For your mileages, I'd park at the Tuxedo MetroNorth station (it should be free to park there on weekends). You could then take the TMI trail past Claudius Smith Den to the shelter, then hike down White Bar to Kakiat and check out the view from the top of Almost Perpendicular. That last climb is challenging with full packs on since it's more of a scramble, but there's a nice reward on top.
My favorite shelter is Bald Rocks (near 18T572800 4566170). You can park on 106 at the RD intersection, then have a nice hike up and on the ridgeline. A unique formation called the Lemon Squeezer isn't too far away from there, and there's a reliable water source near the shelter.
Another option is closer to Bear Mountain in the northern section of the park. You'd park at the Anthony Wayne Recreation Area, hike along the ridge of West Mountain to the West Mountain shelter (near 18T583000 4570700). My only hesitation in recommending this shelter is the lack of reliable water sources close to the shelter. There's usually a small stream at the southern base of the mountain, but that trail has scrambles and is straight elevation gain/loss. If you decide on West Mountain, bring plenty of water for the hike in, cooking and the hike out. On clear nights, you can see the lights of the Manhattan skyline from the shelter. If you head past the shelter toward the Timp, it might be a little tough on the less experienced members of your group; it's a pretty rugged area with lots of ups and downs.
There are about 10 shelters in the park, so I won't go into all of them, but I think this should give you a decent start on trip planning. Generally speaking, the shelters on the east side of the park tend to be drier than those on the west. The shelters on the west are reputed to be less busy than those in the east, but at this time of year, they can all be busy.
If you decide on Harriman, get a map set. Once you've had a good look at the maps, I'd be happy to answer and other questions you may have on the park.
Obviously, there is no trash service at the shelters, so pack out your garbage. There's no toilet facilities either, so bring TP and a trowel so you can dig catholes for your waste.
thanks!
re: thanks!
For stoves, if you already have a pot and are looking for something cheap, simple and light to boil water, it's hard to beat MSR's Pocket Rocket. It's a canister-type stove (so not great in freezing temps). Looks like Campmor has them for about $35 at the moment. It can be a stable stove, so long as it used on level ground and isn't overloaded. At the very least, I'd steer clear of white gas stoves for warm-weather cooking--canister stoves are easier to use for less experienced hikers.
Good luck and have a great hike!
hike up sugarloaf hill
You could walk up and back
sugarloaf from train
South Gully parking
Parking at South Gully
South Gully -- thanks andy!
i just did the gully on a hike yesterday (saturday). the gully trail is really amazing, i highly recommend it to everyone. it has fared well in all the recent deluges. thanks to everyone for doing such a great job on it. i am such a big hemlock fan :)
here are some pictures of the 8-hour hike i took (some of it, not the gully part, with a friend). you'll find pictures from almost all of my hikes at the same site:
http://picasaweb.google.com/moosevan/SouthGullyAndSamSPoint
nick
South Gully
SRT!
by the way, do you know anything about the Hickok Brook multiple use area, near barryville? (20 miles up the delaware from port jervis, and right near where i live!). there are some old overgrown DEC-blazed trails there. was curious of their history.
nick
Hickok Brook multiple use area
Prospect Mountain, Lake George, NY