New York, NY: Southern Harriman Loop

Breath easier in over 50,000 acres of protected forest, located just a short train ride from Manhattan.

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Use public transportation to reach this 16-mile overnight loop that skirts undeveloped lakes, unique boulder formations, open ledges, and a waterfall. Take in views of New York City while keeping your eyes peeled for deer, wild turkey, and if you’re lucky a black bear or timber rattlesnake.

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Trail Facts

  • Distance: 25.6

Waypoints

Ha001

Location: 41.194199, -74.184341

Cross the train tracks just north of Tuxedo station. Follow East Village Road under I-87 and make a left onto Grove Drive.

Ha002

Location: 41.194931, -74.180374

See the trailhead on your right. Take the red-blazed Ramapo-Dunderberg trail, passing under maple, birch, hickory, and other deciduous trees.

Ha003

Location: 41.199057, -74.172929

Turn right onto the red-blazed Tuxedo-Mt. Ivy trail.

Ha004

Location: 41.198193, -74.168937

Come upon the Claudius Smith Den, an overhanging rock cave named for a notorious Revolutionary War-era thief.

Ha005

Location: 41.19233, -74.143059

Touch down on the southern shore of Lake Sebago – swimming is prohibited but fishing is allowed with a New York state license.

Ha006

Location: 41.190914, -74.140313

Cross over the bridge on Seven Lakes Drive and duck under the guardrail, remaining on the Tuxedo-Mt. Ivy trail.

Ha007

Location: 41.18984, -74.138282

Make a right onto the orange-blazed Hillburn-Torne-Sebago trail, which contains vast patches of mountain laurel.

Ha008

Location: 41.180632, -74.13644

Slight detour to the top of Diamond Mountain.

Ha009

Location: 41.180843, -74.136243

Look for blueberry bushes and soaring turkey vultures. Descend on the yellow-blazed Diamond Mountain-Tower trail.

Ha010

Location: 41.178933, -74.133399

Skirt Pine Meadow Lake on the red-blazed Pine Meadow trail.

Ha011

Location: 41.174324, -74.119286

Bear right onto the white-blazed Conklins Crossing trail.

Ha012

Location: 41.169044, -74.112611

Go left on the yellow-blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain trail.

Ha013

Location: 41.169028, -74.110272

Views of New York City from the aptly named Egg.

Ha014

Location: 41.170207, -74.107912

Spend the night in or around the Stone Memorial shelter.

Ha015

Location: 41.16546, -74.11686

More views of New York City.

Ha016

Location: 41.159496, -74.1207

After going south on the Suffern-Bear Mountain trail, make a right onto the white-blazed Kakiat trail.

Ha017

Location: 41.165646, -74.138076

Detour up a boulder field and onto the ledges of the black-blazed Raccoon Brook Hills trail.

Ha018

Location: 41.17168, -74.138006

Hang a right back onto the Kakiat trail.

Ha019

Location: 41.175441, -74.148092

Eat lunch or relax by a waterfall.

Ha020

Location: 41.176494, -74.15207

Traverse the stream on a wooden bridge.

Ha021

Location: 41.175883, -74.153992

This time, prepare to ford the stream without the help of a bridge (it was destroyed during Hurricane Irene).

Ha022

Location: 41.18309, -74.158914

Cross Seven Lakes Drive again. Stay on the Kakiat trail rather than the similarly marked White Bar trail.

Ha023

Location: 41.182994, -74.171462

Summit Dater Mountain on the blue-blazed Blue Disc trail.

Ha024

Location: 41.193072, -74.168456

Remove your pack for the so-called Elbow Brush. Crawl under a pair of boulders and then squeeze through a narrow crack in the rocks.

Ha025

Location: 41.197628, -74.167821

Intersect with the Tuxedo-Mt. Ivy trail and exit the way you came in.

Tuxedo Station

Location: 41.19489, -74.184515

The train and bus drop you off just a short distance from the trailhead.

Deer

Location: 41.197257, -74.178379

A white-tailed deer forages along the Ramapo-Dunderberg trail.

Ledge

Location: 41.197838, -74.175889

Two hikers look out onto the valley below.

Claudius Smith Den

Location: 41.198216, -74.168744

This rock formation once housed a Revolutionary War-era outlaw.

View1

Location: 41.197877, -74.167585

A view from the top of the Claudius Smith Den.

Stream

Location: 41.197683, -74.152694

A small stream crosses the Tuxedo-Mt. Ivy trail.

Mountain Laurel

Location: 41.191725, -74.14263

Mountain laurel blooms along the southern shore of Lake Sebago.

Lake Sebago

Location: 41.191661, -74.142609

Clouds fill the sky over Lake Sebago.

View2

Location: 41.180858, -74.136161

A view from the top of Diamond Mountain.

Pine Meadow Lake

Location: 41.177547, -74.129734

Lily pads dot the shallows of Pine Meadow Lake.

Stone Structure

Location: 41.175666, -74.123254

An abandoned stone structure remains standing on the shore of Pine Meadow Lake.

Two Boulders

Location: 41.169052, -74.112487

Two boulders mark the intersection of the Conklins Crossing trail and the Suffern-Bear Mountain trail.

Ladder

Location: 41.168058, -74.134884

A ladder helps to navigate a particularly steep section of the Raccoon Brook Hills trail.

View3

Location: 41.167872, -74.134498

A view from Raccoon Brook Hill.

Rapids

Location: 41.175327, -74.147608

Pine Meadow Brook begins to speed up before it goes over a waterfall.

Bridge

Location: 41.176464, -74.151878

A wooden bridge goes over Pine Meadow Brook right before it intersects with Stony Brook.

View4

Location: 41.184539, -74.171298

A view from the top of Dater Mountain.

Elbow Brush

Location: 41.19313, -74.168165

Hikers must take off their packs to crawl underneath these two boulders.

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