Dater/ Pound MntClaudius Smith Den

Harriman State Park,
Rockland and Orange COunties,
New York

Trails:
Blue Disc Trail: Blue Blaze
Tuxedo-Mount Ivy (TMI) Trail: Yellow Blaze
Ramapo-Dunderberg (R-D): Blue Blaze

Total Time: 2.25 Hours
Total Distance: 3.3 Miles

Hiking Partner:
Yehuda Koblick


This hike was during the summer's hottest heatwave. The temparatures were in the mid 90's but this hike was mostly in the shade and the humidity was low so the weather was not too bad. This was a two car hike. We parked at the end of Johnsontown Road past Sloatsburg, and took the Blue Disc Trail up Daters Mountain to "Almost Perpendicular" (that is what it is called on the map), which is a nice short climb to a beautiful view and sharp cliff below. From there continued along the Blue Disc to Pound Mountain and the Elbow Brush, which is a crevice in the rock which you can scramble through.

From there we climbed up the Claudius Smith Den, which affords some outstanding views and interesting rock formations. At that point we took the TMI and then the R-D Trails back east towards Tuxedo, where we had left the return car at the trailhead of the R-D trail.

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Map of the Route

View from Daters Mountain
at "Almost Perpendicular".
Facing south towards Reeves Meadow center.

Yehuda atop Daters Mountain

Me at Daters Mountain above the cliff.
Facing east.

View from Pound Mnt.
Facing east.

The crevice at the "Elbow Brush"

Claudius Smith Den

Yehuda on top of Claudius Smith Den

Looking down the cliff at the people below
from the top of Claudius Smith Den

This is a really good shot of the cliff
at Claudius Smith Den

Large Black Rat Snake we met at Claudius Smith Den

Crossing the pipleline at the R-D Trail.