Where: Harriman State Park
Features: FEATURES: This loop hike at the southern end of
Harriman State Park leads to an expansive viewpoint from the summit of
the Ramapo Torne
Length: 5.2 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Time: About three hours.
How to get there: Take N.J. Route 17 north to the New York
State Thruway and take the first exit., Exit 15A (Sloatsburg). Turn left
at the bottom of the ramp onto N.Y. Route 17 north, and continue through
the Village of Sloatsburg. Just past the village, turn right at the
traffic light, following the sign for Harriman State Park. Cross an
overpass over railroad tracks and continue along the Seven Lakes Drive,
passing under the Thruway overpass, and soon entering Harriman State
Park. Proceed for another mile to the Reeves Meadow Visitor Center, on
the right side of the road. Park in the Visitor Center's parking lot.
Map: New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Harriman-Bear
Mountain Trails Map #3
Description: Just beyond the parking lot, you will find the
red-on-white blazes of the Pine Meadow Trail. Turn right, and follow the
Pine Meadow Trail as it heads southeast, parallel to the Seven Lakes
Drive. In 0.2 mile, as the Pine Meadow Trail makes a sharp right turn,
turn left onto the blue-on-white-blazed Seven Hills Trail, which begins
here. The Seven Hills Trail ascends moderately. After about a third of a
mile, it briefly turns left onto a woods road, then turns right, leaving
the road, and continues to ascend. Soon, the trail levels off, then
continues to ascend.
About a mile and a half from the start, the trail turns sharply left
onto a woods road and begins a rather steep ascent. The grade moderates,
then again steepens. At the top of the ridge, the Seven Hills Trail
reaches a junction with the orange-blazed Hillburn-Torne-Sebago (HTS)
Trail. Turn right here, and follow the HTS Trail as it runs along the
ridge of the Ramapo Torne, terminating in about a third of a mile at the
summit of the Torne. Here, there is an expansive view to the south over
Torne Valley, Hillburn and Suffern, with the New York State Thruway
visible below.
After spending some time enjoying the view, retrace your steps to the
junction with the Seven Hills Trail. Now continue ahead, following the
joint HTS/Seven Hills Trail along the ridge, blazed with both orange and
blue-on-white blazes. In 0.2 mile, at a high point on the ridge, the two
trails split. Bear left and follow the blue-on-white blazes of the Seven
Hills Trail, which descends steeply into a gully, then climbs back up to
reach a western-facing viewpoint, known as Torne View. From here, the
Ramapo Torne, which you just climbed, is visible to the left.
Just beyond Torne View, you will reach a junction with the
black-on-white-blazed Raccoon Brook Hills Trail (near the junction, the
Raccoon Brook Hills Trail is marked with a black R on white). Continue
ahead, following the blue-on-white blazes of the Seven Hills Trail,
which soon begins to descend.
At the base of the descent, the Seven Hills Trail reaches a junction
with the white-blazed Reeves Brook Trail. Turn left, leaving the Seven
Hills Trail, and follow the Reeves Brook Trail, which descends, first
rather steeply, then more moderately along a winding footpath. In a
little less than a mile, after passing a cascade in the brook, the
Reeves Brook Trail bears right and joins a woods road, continuing to
descend along Reeves Brook. When the Reeves Brook Trail ends at a
junction with the red-on-white-blazed Pine Meadow Trail, turn left onto
the Pine Meadow Trail and follow it a short distance back to the Reeves
Meadow Visitor Center parking lot.
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