Bald Mountain/ Cornell Mine

Bear Mountain State Park,
Rockland County,
New York
Trails:
Cornell Mine Trail: Blue Blaze
Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail (R-D): Red Blaze

Total Time: 2:20 hr
Estimated Distance: 3.0 Miles

Hiking Partner:
Shimmy Rosenberg

This was a beautiful spring day, of which we had few due to the incessant rains and cloudy skies. We parked along Route 9W at the Cornell Trailhead, and took this trail but veered off towards the "10 footer waterfall. After the waterfall, we bushwacked back towards the Cornell Mine Trail, and took another short bushwack to get a glimpse of the Edison Mine, which was an exploration pit of iron ore and graphite from Thomas Edison. After exploring this small abandoned mine hole we went back to the Cornell Trail, and started climbing the steep ascent up towards Bald Mountain. This is a very solid climb, and apparently the trail has some new switchbacks blazed due to erosion.

Bald Mountain is really part of the Dunderberg Mountain, and is usually referred to as the western viewpoint near the opposite side of The Timp. Near the top of the climb the Cornell Mine Trail ends at the intersection of the R-D Trail. There are small mine workings of the Cornell Mine along this trail until the viewpoint of Bald Mountain. The Bald Mountain viewpoint is one of the best in the entire area, with an outstanding three-directional view facing north, west, and south. From the top of the view we bushwacked north a little bit to the main opening of the Cornell Mine, which contains a small deep mine hole through the mountain. From there we bushwacked back to the R-D Trail, then took the Cornell Trail back throughout its entire length back to our car.

Map of the Route.

The "10 footer" waterfall near Doodletown.

The Edison Mine at the foot of Dunderberg Mountain.

Me at the top of Bald Mountain.
Facing northwest with Bear Mountain behind me.

Me facing north with the Bear Mnt Bridge and the Hudson River
and Anthony's Nose behind me.

Facing northwest towards Bear Mountain

Shimmy Relaxing at the View

View southwest facing The Timp and
the southern portion of West Mountain.
The Timp Pass is the valley in-between.

The upper workings of the Cornell Mine.
Shimmy is above for scale.

The main shaft of the Cornell Mine.
A pretty impressive cut into the mountain.
Shimmy is on top again.

Small cascade along Doodletown Brook at the
end of the hike at the end of the Cornell Mine Trail.