Stone Memorial Loop by way of Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Might 21, 2023 – Ramapo, NY

Problem: Reasonable to strenuous

Size: Roughly 5 miles

Max elevation: 1,201 ft.– whole elevation acquire roughly 902 ft.

Route kind: Circuit

Purchase Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails Map #118

Free Map (Paper & Avenza): Harriman State Park Trail Map

Trailhead parking: City of Ramapo Equestrian Middle, 1152 Haverstraw Rd, Suffern, NY 10901

Pull-off parking – no bogs on website

Overview:

At 47,527 acres, Harriman State Park, situated in Rockland and Orange counties, is the second-largest park within the NYS parks system. It has 31 lakes and reservoirs, over 200 miles of mountain climbing trails, two seashores, two public tenting areas, a community of group camps, miles of streams and scenic roads, and scores of wildlife species, vistas and vantage factors. Harriman State Park’s main amenities embody Lakes Welch, Tiorati and Silvermine, the Anthony Wayne Recreation Space, Sebago Cabins and Beaver Pond Campgrounds.

Harriman State Park

The Stone Memorial Shelter was inbuilt reminiscence of Edgar Stone and his spouse, Jessie, who collectively based the Tramp and Path Membership of New York in 1914. The shelter was devoted in 1935 (Edgar died in 1932). The shelter is close to the jap boundary of Harriman State Park, simply northwest of the summit of Horse Steady Mountain, on the Suffern-Bear Mountain Path.

Stone Memorial Shelter – Harriman State Park

Apart from the marked mountain climbing trails, Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks, characteristic an intensive community of woods roads. Some are maintained by the Park as fireplace roads, whereas others aren’t formally maintained. Apart from a number of woods roads that are used for a part of their size by marked mountain climbing trails, these woods roads aren’t blazed. They will, nevertheless, be readily adopted by hikers geared up with a map and compass or GPS gadget, in order that they might be mixed with marked trails, to type fascinating and assorted loop hikes.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Parking:

Parking for hikers is out there alongside the size of the driveway main as much as the bridge, in addition to on the high of the driveway off of Route 202. Parking past the bridge has been restricted to folks utilizing the equestrian amenities. If you happen to park past the bridge, your automobile could also be ticketed and/or towed. We arrived on the Hiker Parking on the City of Ramapo Equestrian Middle at roughly 8:20 am on a Saturday. These had been the one autos there after we arrived. On the finish of the hike, Automobiles had been lined up the hill, virtually to the beginning of the doorway street at Route 202.

Hiker Parking – City of Ramapo Equestrian Middle

“MEMEBERS ONLY” Nobody spell checked the signal earlier than manufacturing it. You had one job!!

City of Ramapo Equestrian Middle

Trails Overview:

Please Be aware: This hike is completed utilizing previous unmarked woods roads and/or trails which might be now not discernible in sure spots. Those that aren’t assured of their route-finding capacity may want to select one other hike.

Sherwood Path ~ (1.6 miles) though now not an official path, runs alongside a woods street for its total size, and may be comparatively simply adopted. There are quite a few woods roads that cross or department off of it. Utilizing the Avenza Maps app will maintain you on the proper path. The Sherwood Path is an previous and eroded woods street that climbs steeply to a junction with the Suffern-Bear Mountain (S-BM) Path, gaining about 600 toes of elevation in 1.6 miles. Simply to the left is the Stone Memorial Shelter which sits on a ledge alongside the S-BM Path.

The Sherwood Path as soon as was a slender mountain path. It was first blazed in 1943 by Frank Place of the Tramp and Path Membership. He named it after Judson Sherwood, who owned the land by means of which the path ran. In 1963, the Park acquired the land above the Algonquin pipeline from Harold T. Sherwood, son of Judson Sherwood. In 1965, the Park widened the footpath to a 20-foot fireplace street, which later grew to become very a lot eroded.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Suffern-Bear Mountain (S-BM) Path ~ (0.8 mile) is a yellow blazed path that runs southwest to northeast, from Horse Steady Mountain to Catamount Mountain. The path has many brief ups and downs on the part between the Stone Memorial Shelter and the “junction” with the Pittsboro Path, gaining about 150 ft. in elevation throughout that span.

The Suffern-Bear Mountain Path is barely overgrown in spots. I might advocate lengthy pants and durable boots. The entire route is fairly rocky.

Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail - Harriman State Park

Suffern-Bear Mountain Path – Harriman State Park

First Pittsboro Path ~ (0.8 mile) is an previous woods street that’s extraordinarily tough to observe. The elements that bear any resemblance to a path, the leaves had been ankle deep. Sooner or later, telephone in hand with the Avenza Maps app working and following the black dotted traces on the map, we had been strolling by means of chest deep weeds and thorn bushes. I wouldn’t advocate this path and would counsel to simply proceed on the S-BM Path to the place it meets the Pine Meadow Path, and observe that again to the Equestrian Middle.

Pittsboro Path – Harriman State Park

Hike Overview:

I’m within the technique of finishing the Harriman Path Shelters Problem, which includes visiting 10 in a single day shelters which might be situated in numerous areas of the park. Final week we hiked to the Bald Rocks Shelter on Black Rock Mountain. That was the eighth shelter that I’ve visited within the park. The Stone Memorial Shelter would make quantity 9.

The primary a part of the hike is kind of fulfilling, however the part alongside the Pittsboro Path, was not. I might counsel that in case your aim is to achieve the shelter, the Sherwood Path is the shortest and most direct path to the The Stone Memorial Shelter, however I might bypass the Pittsboro Path. I might do that as an out and again or proceed north on the marked trails to type a loop.

This clockwise loop features 2/3 of the overall elevation inside the first 2 miles, because it arrives on the shelter.

Stone Memorial Loop by way of Sherwood Path

elevation profile – Stone Memorial Loop

The Hike:

Proceed down the street, crossing the bridge over the Mahwah River and proceed previous the horse corrals. Stroll alongside the white fence in your left, then flip left between the fence and the barn that’s behind it. Observe the mowed path alongside the fence, turning proper a brief distance later and also you’ll see three blazes on a tree. That is the beginning of the red-square-on-white-blazed Pine Meadow Path. Observe the blazes uphill for 0.1 mile to the fuel pipeline service street.

Hiker Parking – City of Ramapo Equestrian Middle

City of Ramapo Equestrian Middle

Begin of the Pine Meadow Path

Pine Meadow Path – Harriman State Park

After following the pipeline service street for about 0.7 mile, you’ll discover concrete limitations throughout the street. These limitations delineate a street that goes as much as the facility line (that is the route of the Sherwood Path). If this part is overgrown, you’ll be able to stroll across the finish of the limitations, cross Pittsboro Brook and switch proper into the woods on a faint footpath.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

After getting into the woods, the trail is considerably imprecise. There are some rock cairns to assist information you, however I might counsel utilizing the Avenza Maps app to maintain you entering into the proper course. As you proceed, the Sherwood Path turns into extra discernible and widens to a woods street.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

While you get to an intersection the place there’s a pink, overturned pickup truck diagonally to the proper, bear left to proceed on the Sherwood Path. Seek the advice of your Avenza, simply to make sure.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

wrecked automobile alongside the Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

The Sherwood Path now begins a gradual ascent, getting steeper as you go. Keep on this eroded woods street till you attain a junction with the yellow blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain Path.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Flip left on the Suffern-Bear Mountain Path and in a couple of toes, the path reaches the rocky knob on which the Stone Memorial Shelter is situated.

Suffern-Bear Mountain Path – Harriman State Park

This makes for a great place to take a break after the steep climb. You might have now hiked about 2 miles and gained roughly 600 toes in elevation.

Stone Memorial Shelter – Harriman State Park

The Stone Memorial Shelter was devoted on April 28, 1935 in reminiscence of Edgar D. Stone, who died on June 29, 1932. Stone was a mining engineer who, along with his spouse Jessie, based the Tramp and Path Membership of New York in 1914. Jessie Stone died in 1936.

Stone Memorial Shelter – Harriman State Park

Path shelters can be found on a primary come, first serve foundation. If the shelter is occupied, tent tenting is allowed inside 300 toes from the shelter solely. There are not any permits or charges required. Fires are solely allowed in fireplaces and already established rings. The Stone Memorial Shelter is provided with “bear hangs,” a cable system with hooks designed to maintain meals luggage out of an animal’s attain.

Stone Memorial Shelter – Harriman State Park

The shelter is a three-sided lean-to, fabricated from boulders, with a sleeping platform and fireside (has been sealed shut) that’s constructed right into a central column that helps the roof on the lean-to’s open aspect.

Stone Memorial Shelter – Harriman State Park

When you’re able to proceed, retrace your steps again to the junction with the Sherwood Path and head north on the yellow-blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain (S-BM) Path. After dipping down into the woods, the path now climbs steadily and, after a couple of minor ups-and-downs, emerges on the sting of the ridge at Hawk Cliff, with panoramic views. Alongside the way in which, the path passes by means of a lovely panorama.

Suffern-Bear Mountain Path – Harriman State Park

Hawk Cliff offers easterly-facing views of the encircling space. The land on the hillside under this cliff was as soon as terraced for the gardens of Albert and Grace Pitt, a mountain couple who lived in a shack close by.

Hawk Cliff - Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail - Harriman State Park

Hawk Cliff – Suffern-Bear Mountain Path – Harriman State Park

Wanting southeast, Horse Steady Mountain is seen to the proper.

Hawk Cliff – Suffern-Bear Mountain Path – Harriman State Park

Wanting northeast, the Hudson River is seen to the far left, with Cheesecote Mountain simply left of middle, with Little Tor and Excessive Tor simply past.

Hawk Cliff – Suffern-Bear Mountain Path – Harriman State Park

The path continues northeast and shortly begins a gradual descent. In roughly 0.3 mile from Hawk Cliff, The S-BM Path involves a “junction” with the 2 Pittsboro Trails.

Suffern-Bear Mountain Path – Harriman State Park

I used to be anticipating to see a woods street, however there was nothing distinguishable as a path, path or street. I used my Avenza to be sure that I used to be on the proper path. At occasions you might make out a street and there are some cairns that mark the way in which, however to be trustworthy, with out Avenza, this might have been far more tough to navigate. For probably the most half, the Pittsboro Path was a bushwack.

Pittsboro Path – Harriman State Park

Crossing the stream (it was dry) on the base of Catamount Mountain whereas on the First Pittsboro Path. I solely captured a couple of pictures alongside this stretch as a result of I used to be too busy making an attempt to navigate my approach by means of.

Pittsboro Path – Harriman State Park

When the path was noticeable, it was stuffed with ankle deep leaves, so we walked alongside the sting to maintain from sinking within the leaves.

Pittsboro Path – Harriman State Park

At occasions (for brief stretches) the Pittsboro Path made for a pleasing stroll, however quickly it disappears and it’s again to bushwacking.

Pittsboro Path – Harriman State Park

Once we reached a 4-way intersection, we continued straight forward on the grassy woods street, quickly passing a wrecked pickup truck alongside the path. Shortly after that, we crossed beneath the powerlines which was overgrown in each course. It was at this level, that with my telephone in hand and the Avenza Maps app working, we adopted the black dotted traces (woods roads) on the map, whereas strolling by means of chest excessive weeds and thorn bushes. I used to be sporting shorts, enjoyable occasions.

Pittsboro Path – Harriman State Park

After that brief, chest excessive bushwack, the Pittsboro Path appeared as a woods street once more and a brief distance later, reached the fuel pipeline service street and turned left.

Pittsboro Path – Harriman State Park

Now retracing our steps from the start of the hike, we adopted the fuel pipeline service street for about 0.7 mile to the junction with the Pine Meadow Path and turned proper. We adopted the Pine Meadow Path for 0.1 mile downhill, to the City of Ramapo Equestrian Middle, crossing over the bridge and again to the Hiker Parking, the place the hike started.

Sherwood Path – Harriman State Park

Pine Meadow Path – Harriman State Park

Terminus of Pine Meadow Trail - Harriman State Park

Terminus of Pine Meadow Path – Harriman State Park

City of Ramapo Equestrian Middle

Hiker Parking – City of Ramapo Equestrian Middle

Overview:

A pleasant hike, however I might not advocate the Pittsboro Path. As a substitute, proceed north on the marked trails to finish the loop. Beautiful panorama and frivolously trafficked space.

Professionals:

Stone Memorial Shelter, Suffern-Bear Mountain Path, Sherwood Path, scenic views.

Cons:

Pittsboro Path is a slog, Suffern-Bear Mountain Path is barely overgrown in spots, it might use some slicing again.

Take a hike!