Quarry

Westchester County, Dept. of Parks Recreation & Conservation

Out of date map

Cluster/Park:

Park

Long before the county acquired the property in 1966, Native Americans had come to this shore to feast on oysters from the rich beds in the river. A century ago, brick makers had a major industry in the area harvesting the alluvial clay for their bricks and timber for their kilns.

The trails to the north link to Montrose Point State Forest, making a longer hike possible.

Take Route 9 to the Route 9A (Montrose) Exit. Head north on Route 9A for 1.3 miles. Turn left on Dutch Street and follow it 0.9 miles to where it ends at the entrance to the park.

Fees:

Some times and places; check with park

Nearby Parks:

Montrose Point State Forest

Modified By:

josh

Landowner:

County

Manager:

Westchester County Parks

Region - Maintenance:

EH - Westchester - Cortlandt-Teatown

Gurnee County Park

Historic:

*New* Hudson Palisades Trails Map

Complete:

Yes

View along the Long Path in Gurnee County Park - Photo credit: Daniela Wagstaff

NYNJTC maintained:

This park is an old quarry arena, having a 40 to 80 foot escarpment as a backdrop. The grounds are hard packed with traprock, and partly covered with brush and small trees.

Hiking

Dogs on leash

23 acres

Lat/Lon:

41.184431, -74.036303

Pomona

Rockland

Trail Map of South Mountain including Gurnee Park

Cluster/Park:

Park

The quarry provides opportunities for geologic study. It first began business in 1896 and continued for 34 years. Rock was removed by hand drilling and blasting. The crushed stone was shipped by rail from the former Mount Ivy railroad station. The high quality of the stone was used for driveway and roadbeds throughout eastern and southern New York. The westerly end of South Mountain Park lies just south of Gurnee Park and runs along the ridge eastward for almost two miles to Central Highway.

A segment of the Long Path passes through the park. Use the Web Map link on this site to view a trail map.

From Exit 12 Palisades Parkway travel north on Route 45. Entrance is on the right some 800 feet before the intersection of Route 202.

Public Transportation: Rockland Coaches

Rockland County Parks

Fees:

None

Nearby Parks:

South Mountain County Park

Mount Ivy Environmental County Park (Samuel G. Fisher Mount Ivy Environmental County Park)

Last Update:

06/26/2017

Modified By:

Phil McLewin

Landowner:

County

Granite Knolls Park

Historic:

Complete:

Yes

A almost house size glacial erratic Photo: Jane Daniels

NYNJTC maintained:

Site of a former quarry, Granite Knolls Park's claim to fame is the Giant Boulder.

Hiking

Mountain biking

X-C skiing

Dogs on leash

7 miles

200 acres

Lat/Lon:

41.312146, -73.829107

Yorktown

Westchester

TC Book:

Yorktown Parks & Recreation Dept.

Granite Knolls Park Map

Cluster/Park:

Park

The site of a small scale quarry operation, Granite Knolls Park's Giant Boulder sits among pieces of rock split from its side, which one would like to put the boulder together again. Along the ridge of the knoll are additional large rocks, not yet quarried. The Giant Boulder was pushed into its place by a glacier. But it is not an glacier erratic because it is of the same composition as the rocks in the area. Evidence of quarry operations are scattered through out the park: quarry pits, cables, and an old gear. The park is also former farmland.

The two types of trails are woods roads and narrow windy trails. The latter with their undulating route will delight skilled mountain bikers. Hikers can use those same trails to visit many small quarries and traverse the top of the knoll which gives the park its name.

Arthur's Ramble - yellow - 0.5 mile
Bruno's Run - red - 1.3 mile
Boulder Dash - purple 0.1 mile
Boulder Ridge Trail - blue - 0.9 mile
Circolara Trail - white - 1.2 miles
Dynamite Run - lavender 0.4 miles
Giant Boulder Trail - blue - 0.3 mile
Granite Knolls Trail - green - 1.2 miles
Happy Ending - orange - 0.4 mile
Pond Trail - yellow - 240 feet
Old Barn Trail - yellow -0.2 mile
Stark Hollow Trail - yellow - 0.25 mile
Stony Street Trail - orange - 0.2 mile
Taconic Bridge Trail - pink - 1.1 miles

Currently there is no parking at the park. The shortest access is from Woodlands Legacy Field Park. Take the Taconic Bridge Trail (pink) over the parkway from the ballfields parking lot, 0.2 mile. It is also accessible from the Yorktown Trailway. Enter at the end of Buckhorn Street in Shrub Oak and walk south one mile to the Taconic Bridge Trail. Follow the lavender blazes into the park,

No public transportation

Fees:

None

Nearby Parks:

Woodlands Legacy Field Park

EH - Westchester - Yorktown

Yorktown Trailway

Last Update:

11/09/2016

Modified By:

Jane Daniels

Landowner:

Municipality

Manager:

Town of Yorktown

Region - Maintenance:

Cranberry Lake Preserve

Historic:

Ruin

Complete:

Yes

Quarry at Cranberry Lake Photo: Jane Daniels

Crusher Wall at Cranberry Lake Preserve Photo: Jane Danielsr

Along the shore of Cranberry Lake Oreserve Photo: Jane Daniels

NYNJTC maintained:

Watershed lands are on two sides of Cranberry Lake Preserve. This quiet oasis in suburban Westchester County is also the site of the quarry operations to supply stone to build the Kensico Dam, completed in 1917.

Hiking

No dogs

6 miles

190 acres

Lat/Lon:

41.075128, -73.756070

Valhalla

Westchester

TC Book:

Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation

Hiking map

Cluster/Park:

Park

Cranberry Lake Preserve

The trail system at the preserve is designed with a novice hiker in mind. The Red and Yellow trails at are loops which allow visitors to follow only one color and return to their starting point. The History Trail is also a loop, often co-aligned with one of those trails. The Blue Trail is no longer a loop because a boardwalk section across South Pond was removed when it became unsafe. Trails that start at the Nature Center lead downhill to the lake. Conneting trails are blazed white or orange.

From the Bronx River Parkway at the Kensico Dam in Valhalla, take Route 22 north. Once past the dam, make the first right turn onto Old Orchard Street and again the first right to enter the preserve.

No public transportation

Nearby Parks:

Bronx River Parkway Reservation

Last Update:

11/05/2016

Modified By:

Jane Daniels

Landowner:

County

Manager:

Westchester County Parks

Region - Maintenance:

EH - Westchester - South Central

Sylvan Glen Park Preserve

Historic:

Westchester County Region

Complete:

Yes

Sunset on the rocks at a quarry in Sylvan Glen Photo: Jane Daniels

NYNJTC maintained:

Old cables, discarded slabs of granite, and an shed which reportedly stored explosives are a few of the remnants along the trails in Sylvan Glen Park Preserve, the site of a former quarry.

Hiking

Mountain biking

Dogs on leash

6 miles

343 acres

Lat/Lon:

41.299779, -73.852517

Yorktown

Westchester

RegionURL:

Westchester

Region x:

TC Book:

Yorktown Parks & Recreation Dept.

Cluster/Park:

Park

Tucked away on a hillside in northern Westchester County, NY, Sylvan Glen Nature Preserve is the site of a former quarry which supplied a honey-colored granite for the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City. Some of the property was purchased in 1981 and was opened as a park when additional adjoining properties were acquired. Quarries of various sizes and remnents of the operations are located throughout the western portion of the park. Subsequent acquisition of adjacent land extended the park onto former farmland and provided another entrance to the park.

The trails traverse a variety of terrain, from steep climbs to gentle woods roads. Interpretive signs, near the quarry operations that ceased at the beginning of World War II, provide an insight into the Town of Yorktown's largest employer at the time. The trails through the former farmland offer a different perpective of land use, including a 0.25 mile riding ring and large ditches dug to drain wetlands.

Trails

Deer Hollow Trail (orange) 0.25 mile
Easy Way (purple) 0.1 mile
Grant Lookout Trail (red) 0.3 mile
High Quarry Trail (blue) 0.8 miles
Hillside Trail (purple) 0.25 miles
Old Farm Trail (green) 0.7
Ring Trail (yellow) 0.25
Quarry Drive Trail (orange) 0.08
Quarry Oak Trail (orange) 0.05
Seminary Ridge (white) 0.4
Snake Hill Trail (yelow) 1.3
Sylvan Glen Trail (red) 1.35
Taconic Bridge Trail (pink) 0.8 mile
Turtle Pond Trail (white) 0.9
Co-aligned trails -
- High Quarry and Sylvan Glen for 0.25 mile
- Taconic Bridge and Turtle Pond 0.25 mile

From the Taconic Parkway, take Exit 17A for US 202/NY 35 (Yorktown Heights) and turn west at the bottom of the ramp onto US 202/NY 35 (Crompond Road). Continue for 1.8 miles and turn right at a traffic light onto Lexington Avenue. In 0.5 mile, turn right onto Morris Lane and head downhill. It is 0.2 mile to the parking area at the bottom of the hill.

From the Taconic Parkway, take the Exit17B for Bear Mountain Parkway (Yorktown Heights) and turn north on Stony Street. At the top of the hill watch for an unmarked gravel driveway on the left (opposite 2820 Stony St and shortly before reaching Winding Court).

Westchester County

Fees:

None

Nearby Parks:

Granite Knolls Park

Last Update:

11/10/2016

Modified By:

Jane Daniels

Landowner:

Municipality

Manager:

Town of Yorktown

Region - Maintenance:

EH - Westchester - Yorktown

Turkey Mountain Loop #1

Waterfall along the Yellow Trail - Photo by Daniel Chazin

NYNJTC maintained:

Summary:

This loop hike follows woods roads and footpaths up Turkey Mountain, passing remains of old quarries.

4 hours

Moderate

5 miles

Route type:

Circuit

Allowed on leash

Historic feature

Views

Waterfall

Historic:

Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area

Pyramid Mountain Natural Historical Area

Morris County

Morris County Region

Morris

125 Jersey Highlands Trails-Central North

Morris County Highlands Trails Map

Morris County Park Commission Pyramid Mountain map

Morris County Park Commission map (available from kiosk at trailhead).

11/20/2008

04/18/2021

Driving:

Take I-287 South to Exit 47 (Montville/Lincoln Park) and turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto Main Road (Route 202). In 0.7 mile, just before reaching a fire station, turn right onto Taylortown Road and continue for 1.8 miles to Boonton Avenue (County Route 511). Turn right and continue for 0.7 mile to the entrance to the Pyramid Mountain County Park Natural Historic Area, on the left, opposite Mars Park.

Walk back to the entrance to the parking area and cross Boonton Avenue on a crosswalk just north of Mars Court. At a sign for “Turkey Mt. 100 Steps Trail,” the Yellow Trail begins. Follow this trail, which parallels the road at first, then crosses beneath overhead power lines. It bears right and follows a footpath through the woods, with the power lines on the right.

Sylvan Glen Park Preserve Shorter Loop

NYNJTC maintained:

Summary:

This loop hike explores the interesting remnants of an abandoned granite quarry which is now a local park.

2 hours

Easy to Moderate

4 miles

Route type:

Circuit

Allowed on leash

Bikes allowed

Historic feature

Views

Wildflowers

Historic:

Westchester County Region

Sylvan Glen Park Preserve

Westchester County

Westchester

Posted at kiosk

Buy Book:

01/18/2008

04/02/2023

Driving:

If coming from New Jersey or other points west of the Hudson River, take the Palisades Interstate Parkway to its end at the Bear Mountain Bridge, and cross the bridge. At the east end of the bridge, bear right and continue on US 202/US 6 East towards Peekskill. In 3.6 miles, you’ll reach the Annsville Circle. Take the first exit onto US 6/US 9/US 202, cross a bridge over Annsville Creek, and immediately reach a traffic light at a T-intersection. Here, you turn left onto the Bear Mountain Parkway. In about four miles, the Parkway ends at US 202/NY 35. Turn left onto US 202/NY 35 East and follow it for 0.8 mile to a traffic light, where you turn left onto Lexington Avenue. In 0.5 mile, turn right onto Morris Lane and follow it for 0.2 mile into the parking area for the Sylvan Glen Park Preserve.
If coming from New York City or southern Westchester County, take the Saw Mill River Parkway to the Taconic State Parkway. Continue for about 13 miles and take the exit for US 202/NY 35 (Yorktown Heights). Turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto US 202/NY 35 (Crompond Road). Continue for 1.8 miles and turn right at a traffic light onto Lexington Avenue. In 0.5 mile, turn right onto Morris Lane and follow it for 0.2 mile into the parking area for Sylvan Glen Park Preserve.

GPS address: 1750 Morris Lane, Mohegan Lake, NY 10547.

Sylvan Glen Park Preserve is the site of a granite quarry that opened in 1890 and was abandoned in the fall of 1941, just before the advent of World War II. In its heyday, it employed hundreds of workers, and its high-quality stone was used to construct such landmarks as the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan. Operations at the quarry were terminated rather abruptly, with the result that much of the machinery was left behind and still may be seen today. The trails in this 350-acre park are blazed with colored markers of the Town of Yorktown.

Reference/Source:

Bergen Record: Hike of the Week

Old Minnewaska Trail and Undivided Lot Trail

View of the Devil's Path mountains in the eastern Catskills from the Undivided Lot Trail - Photo by Daniel Chazin

View of the Catskills from the Old Minnewaska Trail - Photo by Daniel Chazin

NYNJTC maintained:

Summary:

This loop hike follows trails and carriage roads through less-used areas of the Preserve, as well as the popular Undercliff Road, passing many interesting rock formations and scenic viewpoints.

5 hours

Moderate to Strenuous

8 miles

Route type:

Circuit

Allowed on leash

Fees

Swimming

Views

Cliffs

Historic:

Shawangunk Mountains Region

Mohonk Preserve

Shawangunk Mountains

Ulster

105 Shawangunk Trails North

*New* Shawangunk Trails Map

Mohonk Preserve trail map (available at visitor center)

Buy Book:

Scenes & Walks in the Northern Shawangunks

04/22/2005

06/21/2018

Driving:

Take the New York State Thruway to Exit 18 (New Paltz). After paying the toll, turn left onto Route 299 and continue west through the Village of New Paltz. After crossing the bridge over the Wallkill River, continue ahead on Route 299 for another 5.5 miles until the road ends at a T intersection with Route 44/55. Turn right and follow Route 44/55 for half a mile to the Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center, on the right. Stop here to purchase a pass ($15 per person daily; $55 annual pass), obtain a free map and view the exhibits. Then continue ahead on Route 44/55, which makes a sharp hairpin turn and climbs to Trapps Bridge (a steel truss overpass). Continue for 0.5 mile past Trapps Bridge and turn right onto Clove Road. Follow Clove Road for one mile to Mohonk Preserve’s Coxing parking area, on the left.

Bus:

Bus service to New Paltz from New York City, Nanuet, Newburgh and Kingston is available via Adirondack Trailways, www.trailwaysny.com (800) 776-7548. Limited weekday bus service to New Paltz from Kingston and Highland is available via Routes R and H of Ulster County Area Transit, www.co.ulster.ny.us/ucat (888) 827-8228. Ulster County Area Transit also offers bus service from the Metro-North station in Poughkeepsie to New Paltz via their Ulster-Poughkeepsie Link. Taxi service from New Paltz to Mohonk is available from New Paltz Taxi, www.npztaxi.com (845) 255-1550.

From the parking area, cross the road and walk past a gate. Continue ahead along a gravel road, passing ruins of the Enderly barn on the right and their home on the left, and cross a wide wooden bridge over the Coxing Kill.

Reference/Source:

Bergen Record: Hike of the Week

HOTW Date:

Thu, 05/21/2015

HOTW Count:

Mohegan Quarry Ramble at Sylvan Glen Park Preserve

Discarded unfinished pedistal Photo: Jane Daniels

NYNJTC maintained:

Summary:

This hike along woods roads and trails passes remnants of early 20th-century quarry activities.

4 hours

Easy to Moderate

5 miles

Route type:

Circuit

Allowed on leash

Bikes allowed

Historic feature

Views

Historic:

Westchester County Region

Sylvan Glen Park Preserve

Westchester County

Westchester

Buy Book:

12/12/2011

03/18/2016

Driving:

Take the Taconic State Parkway to Route 202 and turn west. At 1.8 miles at the traffic light at Lexington Avenue, turn right. Drive 0.6 mile to Morris Lane. Turn right and go into the parking lot at the bottom of the hill.

Sylvan Glen Park Preserve is the site of a granite quarry that opened in 1895 and was abandoned in the fall of 1941 just before the advent of World War II. In its heyday, it employed 200 workers, and its high-quality stone was used to construct such landmarks as the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan. Operations at the quarry were terminated rather abruptly, with the result that much of the machinery was left behind and still may be seen today. The trails in this 408-acre park are blazed with colored plastic markers of the Town of Yorktown.

Long Path/Bike Path Loop from Landing Road

View across the Hudson River from the Long Path - Photo by Daniel Chazin

View of the Hudson River from Hook Mountain - Photo credit: Daniela Wagstaff

NYNJTC maintained:

Summary:

This loop hike follows the ridge of Hook Mountain, with many views, and returns via a bike path along the Hudson River.

5 hours

Moderate

7 miles

Route type:

Circuit

Allowed on leash

Historic feature

Views

Cliffs

Historic:

Cemetery