Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail

As a kid I had considered doing this hike as a 2.5 day overnight. Now that I'm older and "wiser" I want to try and do it in a single day. Has anyone done it end to end? What is the total elevation gain like.

I haven't hiked in Harriman since I was in High school, how would the trails compare to the Adirondacks, cats, etc... as far as footing, trail conditions, mud, grades, etc...

Also, is there any snow down there?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike

I have done it end to end in one day. It gets kinda boring towards the southern end, I thought. I have no idea the gain. Great fall foliage or mud season hike.

I think the highest elevation in Harriman is about 1300 feet. The rises are easy -- 100 or 200 feet here and there. Recall it was all farmland at one point. Trails are rocky. I think the biggest climb is over West Mntn. Hard to compare to Adirondacks or Catskills. Think Hudson Highlands. Ambling over hill and dale. Rocky underfoot on climbs. Lots of acorns and slippery oak leaves to contend with. Best experienced during the mountain laurel bloom, IMHO.

I've done a few weeklong winter backpacks in Harriman as well, great camping and zero people. Amazing considering its proximity to NYC.

Big North Face Endurance Run going on there mid May -- might want to avoid it that weekend.

Check with Banjolady on Rocks on Top -- she is the list-mistress of a hiking group down there, bet you could score some good beta and maybe even a spot.

I've done the S-BM in a day as well as the Ramapo-Dunderberg (twice). Easy, rolling hills with no more than 400 or so feet of sustained elevation gain at a time. If you're used to hiking in the Catskills or Adirondacks, Harriman is a breeze. I just did the R-D last weekend and there was a little bit of snow in the shady areas but no need for snowshoes or traction.

I just did the gain in mapsource, looks like it is 5k-6k feet of gain over the 24 miles.
I'm hoping that it will be more reasonable than some of the day hikes i've done in the Adirondacks (5 dix in a day, habasa, Allen, etc...)

Thanks again for the help!

PS: If anyone is interested in doing the hike with a key swap, I was thinking about doing the hike this weekend.

the S-BM gets a little dull towards Suffern, but there are southerly views off the escarpment though. the R-D, on the other hand, almost gets better at the end, a lot of open viewpoints and kind or ridge/slab walks, the R-D is longer though....

The trailhead at the southern end is also somewhat.. OK very obscure to find, as it just spits you out on a sidewalk almost across from the park and ride and the train station. No sign, I think there is a blaze but not totally obvious, no parking right there either.

I've done both the R-D and SBM as a dayhike, I've done the SBM twice actually and I did the R-D with the Swede...

P.S. Although I think the R-D is longer and harder, I enjoyed the R-D more, perhaps because if you go north to south, the views on the southern R-D are great and you pass the miles faster this way. Probably the worst part of the R-D is crossing Seven Lakes drive cause the trail goes through a dumpsite where there are signs about not drinking the water near there!

Jay

Is S-BM better north to south or the other way around? I've hiked both ends but not the middle.

Both times, we did the SB-M, we did it North to South. Most of the elevation gain/lost is in the northern part (west mtn area). I think we stopped for lunch at Big Hill (along the LP), by jacky jones firetower... The SB-M is a bit more popular in the north so you really don't others that much for the entire day when you start at 6-7am... I think I remember the southern part not being blazed terribly well, very very open woods, along with some fireroads and a steep descent right before the end.

At the end, we walked to the Irish pub just north of the southern trailhead. for some food.

Jay

I agree with Jay. The S-BM sort of runs along the edge of Harriman while the R-D runs right through the heart of it. The R-D is chock full of views. Southbound is nice because you've got these bald, glacier-scraped hills towards the end which are nice but if you do it Northbound, you inch closer and closer toward the majestic Hudson River. Very fine views from Dunderberg Mountain at the northern end.

Yes, Dunderberg Mtn is really neat. I think when I did the R-D for the first time, it was my first time on Dunderberg. I've since gone back and just hiked up there for the views but that is a pretty nice hill and some interesting railroad remnents, including scary tunnels, views of Indian Point Nuclear PP, and of course, the hudson as it meanders south and turns the corner, across from Annsville Creek and the town of Peekskill.

Jay

Having done it S-N and N-S several times, I prefer going S to N eventhough this gives you the climbs at the end of the day. It is not an easy trip.

The local AMC chapter usually runs this hike as a day trip in the spring. Rich Seigelman has lead it for years. finishers are (or were) awarded patches. It helps as they coordinate the car shuttle and a mid way water drop.

The also had RD end to end dayhikes listed.

Yes, I got my patches from a friend of mine who got them from Rich...

Jay

Jay H said:

Yes, Dunderberg Mtn is really neat. I think when I did the R-D for the first time, it was my first time on Dunderberg. I've since gone back and just hiked up there for the views but that is a pretty nice hill and some interesting railroad remnents, including scary tunnels, views of Indian Point Nuclear PP, and of course, the hudson as it meanders south and turns the corner, across from Annsville Creek and the town of Peekskill.

Jay

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That's a really interesting old area, I really liked the part right on the river across from Indian Point. Isn't there an old abandoned village there? I can't help but think "Dunder Mifflin" when I think of that trail!

If I were to do the SBM again, I would go go S to N this time around.

Did someone mention *patches* ??

Doodletown? It's just south of Bear Mtn/Perkins tower, a village that I believe was deeded to the state when the park was created.. I have a book on it, very interesting.

Jay

Jay H said:

Doodletown? It's just south of Bear Mtn/Perkins tower, a village that I believe was deeded to the state when the park was created.. I have a book on it, very interesting.

Jay

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That's it!!! Is it in the Dunderburg Mntn area? Its been a few years since I've hiked in Harriman, I may be blurring memories.

Speaking of which, I am planning to make my annual pilgrimage to the Hudson Highlands for the mountain laurel show early May - probably will hike the Fishkill Ridge down to Breakneck. Would be nice to see some NY VfTTers!

A couple of corrections and my take:

The R-D is shorter than the SBM. According to the New York Walk Book 7th edition 2001, the SBM is 23.5 miles, while the RD is 22.0 miles. According to William Myles - Harriman Trails Guide 1992 first edition RD = 20.95 while the SBM= 23.3.

As for direction, I prefer northbound. Growing up at the base of the now defunct Sherwood Path, ED Stone Shelter was home and a stop en route to my favorite teenage swimming hole of the 60s - Pine Meadow Lake. So those early miles on the SBM is like following an old favorite trail past Valley of Dry Bones, Grandma & Grandpa Rocks, The Egg which as a 12 year old my friend and I renamed The Elephant's Butt. I also like the views in the northern section and yes there are a couple of good scrambles early in the second half going up Pyngyp, Cats Elbow & Fire Escape. But these come when you start getting tired and perk you up. However, the last four miles is all down hill from the summit of West Mountain (other than a minor rise over a shoulder of Bear Mtn.) and this is nice when you are wiped out at the end. By the way take the spur off the SBM on the T-T (blue marked) to the West Mountain Shelter (worth the Hudson River view including the NYC skyline) and one of the oldest stone shelters in the AT corridor.

As for long distance one day hikes along one continuous trail. My favorite death march is the Devils Path in the Catskills, but that is a theme for another thread. Jay H. of course is the master of these as he used to lead for VFTT these crazy hikes. By the way - are you still doing these and what are we doing this year and when?

And Doodletown is to the north of Dunderberg Mountain. Some historic group put signs through there that describe all the old historic houses along the main road thru there. I was impressed with the historic research in the book and then put up on the trail/road in there. It reminds me of another locale in Vermont which the state put up historic signs about all the families that lived in the woods on the historic trail in Little River State Park which I found quite fascinating. That also was worth visiting. Just northwest of Waterbury and due north from Camels Hump.

hey--banjolady here--as a slowpoke i cannot do the SBM in one day but i have done it all numerous times in sections, and i would concur that S to N is the prettiest if not easiest way to do it. i do an 8 mi shuttle hike from gate hill to cats elbow which i think has some of the nicest parts, such as the irish mt, "dreaded" pingyp, pines, horn hill and cats elbow. then there is an evil downhill from west mt--after that nothing terrible. compared to dacks and cats it is no big deal. no snow now except a few patches in little traveled areas. however it is cold and windy. i also like the section between pine meadow trail and big hill, panther mt has some lovely views and pretty woodsy paths thru laurel and nice rocks.

the RD is beautiful and fun as well with exception of the part crossing 7 lks dr. north of tiorati. there is a nice little side trail from the RD up the dunderberg along the "trail of views" which shows a very fine view of iona island and the hudson river. it is an unofficial trail which ends up at the bockberg, another old unmarked trail and the RD. on the TC harriman map it is a dotted line to the north of the main RD trail that begins after the white blazed small trail to the first viewpt. after the eastern trailhead of the RD at jones pt.

una i think the mt laurel comes out in june, not may-but i would love to see you when u come down. are u bringing your doggies? are u doing the trail run? this is may 8 and 9. most of us locals hate this race since the company does not always make sure the litter is picked up and we have to deal with it for weeks afterward. i used to run marathons but am too old fat and slow now--would be fun to do that 50 miler tho...
banjolady susan

Askus3, you do know the R-D has gone through a bunch of trail changes, not sure about the SB-M, I'm do know of some weird redirections I think around the Timp area, but the book distances might all be out of whack with all the changes to them... In any case, I'm sure Fred H has actual trail GPS tracks...

As far as my long distance hikes, haven't done one of those in a few years, having made trips out west and stuff... Maybe I'll do a Poached Egg traverse someday again (I did it before... after a full day of work, no less!)..

Jay

I know they revamped the R-D north off Arden Valley Road bypassing Lake Tiorati and another is a diversion around the Timp, but I didn't think these added 1.5 miles so I still thought the SBM is the longest marked trail in Harriman (exluding the AT & Long Path) and that it did not get eclipsed. With your reference of the Poached Egg, someone suggested to me a one day traverse of the Poached Egg, Red Arrow & Lichen. Now is that doable without driving gaps in between?

banjolady said:

una i think the mt laurel comes out in june, not may-but i would love to see you when u come down. are u bringing your doggies? are u doing the trail run? this is may 8 and 9. most of us locals hate this race since the company does not always make sure the litter is picked up and we have to deal with it for weeks afterward. i used to run marathons but am too old fat and slow now--would be fun to do that 50 miler tho...
banjolady susan

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Early to Mid May is the annual hike that I take with my friend, Karen, and her Aussie Greta. We usually do something around Taurus/Breakneck/Sugarloaf -- I think she's on your list-serve but has never made a hike. She's my maid of honor so we need a long hike to discuss plans. And unfortunately I tried to enter too late to the North Face Race and only the 50k was open....too much too soon after The Boston.

I had forgotten about the Cats Elbow -- I had to lower my backpack down through that section once -- lots of good memories in Harriman.

una_dogger said:

Speaking of which, I am planning to make my annual pilgrimage to the Hudson Highlands for the mountain laurel show early May - probably will hike the Fishkill Ridge down to Breakneck. Would be nice to see some NY VfTTers!

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How about some CT VfTTers...?

My partner and I wanna get over to hike Breakneck w/full packs as part of our Rainier training. Shoot me a PM with the date you're thinking of coming down.