Harriman State Park
- Thread starter soco7tyx7
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frytz
New member
soco7tyx7 said:
Here is a group that hikes every Friday, usually in Harriman, or nearby! There are also impromptu hikes on many other days!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/harrimanhike/
Fred
Jay H
New member
Nope, not really. They do have a deer "problem". Go drive through Seven Lakes drive in the early morning and you'll see half a dozen of deer grazing on the side of the road, completely oblivious to you. 
The couple of times I've camped there, I've just hung the bags from the small creatures.
Jay
P.S. You might want to watch out for unleashed dogs though.
The couple of times I've camped there, I've just hung the bags from the small creatures.
Jay
P.S. You might want to watch out for unleashed dogs though.
John Graham
New member
There have been scattered reports of bears in the park, but they keep getting hit by cars. They haven't been around long enough to learn the bear bag retrieval tricks, so a simple tree hang should suffice.
Artex
New member
Bears
About 6 months ago, a friend of mine saw a mama bear and her cub along the side of the road near Bear Mountain. They are supposed to be relatively rare inside the park though.
About 6 months ago, a friend of mine saw a mama bear and her cub along the side of the road near Bear Mountain. They are supposed to be relatively rare inside the park though.
frytz
New member
charlos said:maybe they were visiting the zoo!
If they weren't on leashes, the park authorities would have issued summonses!
one more quick question for now, has there been any confirmed crime reports in the park other than car break ins if even that? i ask cuz i'm planning a solo trip when it gets a little warmer before i go home and my pop is a little wary of me going alone (i'm 18, which seems old enough to me).
frytz
New member
soco7tyx7 said:
There have been car break-ins that seem to come in spurts. Certain areas are more prone to vandalism, so, if you decide on a spot or two, post here, and I will email you off-board as to their safety. No sense letting the fox know where the chickens are going to be!
Fred
i'm not gonna be taking a car, so break in's arent really of any concern to me. i was more curious about maybe overnighters being harassed or anything along those lines. personally i'm not too worried, but i need to reassure the old man. also, are there many campsites along the trails, or does one need to make there own?
frytz
New member
soco7tyx7 said:
There are a number of shelters that can be troublesome, depending on who shows up! For the most part, camping is at least frowned on by the "authorities" and since I don't camp, just hike, I am no judge! Jay can be of better help there!
Fred
John Graham
New member
I wouldn't say there is too much danger of crime, but you do run a better chance of running into creeps at lean-tos, as they tend to be a**hole magnets. I would give a wide berth to anyone you encounter on an ATV, as by being there illegally, they are already flaunting their outlaw status. I once had a gang of guys throw pack of fire crackers in my lean-to and I did hear of yahoos throwing someone's pack off a cliff at West Mountain Lean-to. That being said, I would be more afraid in the Port Authority Terminal than Harriman. Just use common sense, if rowdy types show up at your shelter, leave, that's what they usually want you to do. If you are really paranoid, practise stealth camping and camp without a fire, out of sight from the trail.
woodstrider
New member
Overnighting in Harriman
I have had many a memorible overnighter in Harriman State Park. Most have been very enjoyable. I live in NYC and I have made many a trans-Park overnight trip using a combination of available public transportation, like metro-north, Shortline bus and NJ transit.
I love these trips as I find the Park an interesting place to explore in it's own right and for me, living in NYC, it is an excellent and close place to go on a quick trip. But I do pick my times.
I don't go on Holiday weekends
I avoid the leantos, except in the winter once in awhile
I avoid the summer months
I try to go mid week, avoid the most popular places and leantos, and avoid the most popular months (summer) when the idiot factor runs high.
I do stealth camp and practice NLT. I pride myself on being able to camp so as not to be seen or found. This is hard- but here are a few good ideas on the subject of stealth camping
Do not camp next to the pretty lake
Do not camp below the trail, camp above the trail
Do not build a fire
When buying gear, choose natural colors, if possible.
Avoid places that seem to have been used repeatidly- chances are that it
it is someones favorite site and it is a well known place to camp.
Avoid the leantos, especially on the AT during the height of the thru-hikers
season
Avoid the pretty scenic viewpoints
Camp on either hard, durable surfaces (a nice flat boulder will do) or camp
on a deep layer of soft leaves that will cushion your impact. The best is
a flat boulder coverd in leaves.
Be discrete. Afterall, it is illegal to camp at any but the designated
campsites in the park. If a ranger finds you, you will be fined.
I guess I will be chastised by writing what I have, so be it. But as a solo camper and as a female I feel justified in breaking the law- it's not such a serious law, afterall, and meant to protect the Park lands and to protect the camper. I feel much safer camping where no one can find me, and I would challenge anyone to detect where I laid done my camp. Bonus points if you can.
And, yes, I have had a few bad experiences in the park- mostly greepy naked guys, but once I had a very bad time in the middle of the night at the Stone Memorial shelter when a group of guys showed up in the middle of the night and partied. Since then I mostly avoid the Leantos. I think a tent is best anyway- it affords much more warmth and protection from insects like ticks.
Anyway- have a good trip
I have had many a memorible overnighter in Harriman State Park. Most have been very enjoyable. I live in NYC and I have made many a trans-Park overnight trip using a combination of available public transportation, like metro-north, Shortline bus and NJ transit.
I love these trips as I find the Park an interesting place to explore in it's own right and for me, living in NYC, it is an excellent and close place to go on a quick trip. But I do pick my times.
I don't go on Holiday weekends
I avoid the leantos, except in the winter once in awhile
I avoid the summer months
I try to go mid week, avoid the most popular places and leantos, and avoid the most popular months (summer) when the idiot factor runs high.
I do stealth camp and practice NLT. I pride myself on being able to camp so as not to be seen or found. This is hard- but here are a few good ideas on the subject of stealth camping
Do not camp next to the pretty lake
Do not camp below the trail, camp above the trail
Do not build a fire
When buying gear, choose natural colors, if possible.
Avoid places that seem to have been used repeatidly- chances are that it
it is someones favorite site and it is a well known place to camp.
Avoid the leantos, especially on the AT during the height of the thru-hikers
season
Avoid the pretty scenic viewpoints
Camp on either hard, durable surfaces (a nice flat boulder will do) or camp
on a deep layer of soft leaves that will cushion your impact. The best is
a flat boulder coverd in leaves.
Be discrete. Afterall, it is illegal to camp at any but the designated
campsites in the park. If a ranger finds you, you will be fined.
I guess I will be chastised by writing what I have, so be it. But as a solo camper and as a female I feel justified in breaking the law- it's not such a serious law, afterall, and meant to protect the Park lands and to protect the camper. I feel much safer camping where no one can find me, and I would challenge anyone to detect where I laid done my camp.
Bonus points if you can. And, yes, I have had a few bad experiences in the park- mostly greepy naked guys, but once I had a very bad time in the middle of the night at the Stone Memorial shelter when a group of guys showed up in the middle of the night and partied. Since then I mostly avoid the Leantos. I think a tent is best anyway- it affords much more warmth and protection from insects like ticks.
Anyway- have a good trip
Jay H
New member
I've camped a couple times off-peak season, Once off the Beech Trail near Lake Welsh on a full moon... This past winter, I camped on the summit of Pyngyp and I've camped a few other places. Like Woodstrider, I've never camped at a leanto but have gone by most of them. And the times I've camped have been either in late fall/early winter or winter so you tend to have less of the party crowd.
I've never had my car vandalised before at Harriman or otherwise, but I have read a bunch of reports on the NYNJTC forums, they seem to go in spurts, like a whole slew of activity and then it dies down. Probably the same small group of crimnal moving around.
Avoid the Visitor's Center at Reeves Meadow!!! I don't understand why everybody wants to park there. Drive by it on a nice summer weekend and it's like Port Authority.
Jay
Jay
I've never had my car vandalised before at Harriman or otherwise, but I have read a bunch of reports on the NYNJTC forums, they seem to go in spurts, like a whole slew of activity and then it dies down. Probably the same small group of crimnal moving around.
Avoid the Visitor's Center at Reeves Meadow!!! I don't understand why everybody wants to park there. Drive by it on a nice summer weekend and it's like Port Authority.
Jay
Jay
i'm trying to plan around mid april and/or early may given weather conditions. is this a good/bad time to go to avoid crowds? i wasnt really planning to stay at any lean-to's so that shouldnt be a problem. i am however, planning on avoiding any and all pricks that might be out. how is the area around Bear Mountain Inn? i'm thinking of taking 1777 to Ramapo Dunderberg around Dunderberg Mt. to Suffern-Bear Mountain, which should take me back to the lodge. i estimated between 15-20 miles. is this a good/bad plan? this will be my first solo overnighter and i wouldnt like for it to be my last, so any and all advice is welcome. if anyone has any other suggestions let me know. thanx again.
John Graham
New member
I've been hiking and backpacking in Harriman for thirty years, and I don't know of any backpacker who has been killed or seriously assaulted. I don't know why you would fear to be the first. The kind of Yahoos we are talking about are a nuisance, and could be a danger if confronted, but at worst they are hooligans, not serial killers.
The route you refer to starts at the most crowded entry point in the park, but the 77 trail, the RD and the SBM are not too heavily used. The outmost leg of your loop, where I presume you would camp, would have you some where around West Mountain or Cats Elbow, an area with few reliable water sources. Also the RD going from Timp Pass to the Cat's Elbow is obscure and hard to follow.
Most backpackers using public transportation prefer to start from the trailheads along Rt 17 served by the Short line Buses. The entry point I would reccommend would be the Elk Pen on Arden Valley Rd. The bus drops hikers off at the AT crossing at the junction of Arden Valley Rd and Rt 17 and hikers walk a half mile along the road to the parking area at the Elk Pen. From here there are numerous possible loops you could make, with many possible ways to shorten or lengthen your route and many more potential camping spots. The route you outlined is arduous in it's later stages and offers no way to shorten it if you find it is too much for you.
The route you refer to starts at the most crowded entry point in the park, but the 77 trail, the RD and the SBM are not too heavily used. The outmost leg of your loop, where I presume you would camp, would have you some where around West Mountain or Cats Elbow, an area with few reliable water sources. Also the RD going from Timp Pass to the Cat's Elbow is obscure and hard to follow.
Most backpackers using public transportation prefer to start from the trailheads along Rt 17 served by the Short line Buses. The entry point I would reccommend would be the Elk Pen on Arden Valley Rd. The bus drops hikers off at the AT crossing at the junction of Arden Valley Rd and Rt 17 and hikers walk a half mile along the road to the parking area at the Elk Pen. From here there are numerous possible loops you could make, with many possible ways to shorten or lengthen your route and many more potential camping spots. The route you outlined is arduous in it's later stages and offers no way to shorten it if you find it is too much for you.
Jay H
New member
The cat's elbow is very easily missed when coming off of West Mountain! It requires one hand drop and is awkward but doable with a full pack. When I camped at Pyngry, I started on the 1777W trail from the small dirt lot just east of the Palisades and went down the SBM over west mountain, basically straight to Pyngyp. Pyngyp is a great place to camp (probably illegal but there are at least 4 campsites there with established firerings and ATV tracks (probably coming from Haverstraw or the area). Like John says, if it's a one night backpack, I'd just bring as much water as you'll need. I brought a 70oz platypus and 2 bike bottles full of water and had plenty for dinner and breakfast as well as hydration.
On the way back, I took the red cross trail after bushwacking on one of the many fireroads, past the Addyson-Boyce camp to the TimpPass, then the TimpPass road to Doodletown and then back to the 1777W. That whole Timp Pass is a bit confusing as I planned on taking the blue trail back over West Mountain but somehow the markings were changed and my old map didn't reflect that so I wound up just taking the TimePass road which is not a good trail for those with weak ankles to Doodletown.
Jay
On the way back, I took the red cross trail after bushwacking on one of the many fireroads, past the Addyson-Boyce camp to the TimpPass, then the TimpPass road to Doodletown and then back to the 1777W. That whole Timp Pass is a bit confusing as I planned on taking the blue trail back over West Mountain but somehow the markings were changed and my old map didn't reflect that so I wound up just taking the TimePass road which is not a good trail for those with weak ankles to Doodletown.
Jay
markmtn
New member
Like any place you just have to be smart.
Harriman is a great place with lots of possibilites to enjoy. The ATVs tend to be near the gas, power lines and some of the old access roads, especially on the east side of the Park.
For remote sites, look at any of the mountains that do not have a trail and you will probably be unseen. Remember camping is illegal.
As far as crime, etc, the most action is at the picnic grounds and such, especially weekends.
I have camped in Harriman since the mid 60's and have always enjoyed it. I hike there 4-6 times a week because I also live in the village of Harriman.
Getting the hang of the trails and markings is about the only real problem for new people in Harriman. Make sure you have the latest edition (check NYNJ Trail Conference website).
If you are still sketchy about where to spend a night, check this out.
Check out some of the books too, this place has some amazing history and you still see stuff from colonial days.
Harriman is a great place with lots of possibilites to enjoy. The ATVs tend to be near the gas, power lines and some of the old access roads, especially on the east side of the Park.
For remote sites, look at any of the mountains that do not have a trail and you will probably be unseen. Remember camping is illegal.
As far as crime, etc, the most action is at the picnic grounds and such, especially weekends.
I have camped in Harriman since the mid 60's and have always enjoyed it. I hike there 4-6 times a week because I also live in the village of Harriman.
Getting the hang of the trails and markings is about the only real problem for new people in Harriman. Make sure you have the latest edition (check NYNJ Trail Conference website).
If you are still sketchy about where to spend a night, check this out.
Check out some of the books too, this place has some amazing history and you still see stuff from colonial days.
