Beech Trail - Hasenclever Mine

Harriman State Park
Rockland Co.,
New York

Trails:
Beech Trail: Blue blaze
Hasenclever Road: Not blazed
Red Cross Trail: Red blaze

Total Time: 2:15 hr
Estimated Distance: 4.5 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Level of Recommendation: Slightly ecommended
Points Of Interest: Quiet area, historic cemetary, and ancient iron mine

Hiking Partner:
Shimmy Rosenberg

Google Maps of Parking:

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We parked on County Rt. 106 after Lake Welch, where the Beech Trail crosses the road, and headed north on the Beech Trail. We passed the old historic cemetary in the woods and continued to the intersection of the Hasenclever Road. We planned on turning on the road but Shimmy found a geocache nearby so we took a small detour on the foot of Nat House Mountain to find the geocache. We then climbed the short climb up Nat House Mountain, then bushwacked down back to the Hasenclever Road towards the Hasenclever Mine.

The Hasenclever Mine was an ancient iron mine from the 1700's, and it is one of the oldest mines in the park. It was mined for Magnetite and Pyrhottite which are iron ores. There is one large water-filled pit and one smaller one, and an extensive overgrown dump. From the mine we took the Red Cross Trail for a brief time towards the path to Lake Askoti, and from there to the unmarked Rockhouse Mountain Trail. We sort of got lost on the unmarked Rockhouse Mountain Trail and ended up having to bushwack to the top of Rockhouse Mountain and then over to the road, and we walked on the road for a short duration.

Map of the route

Old Tombstone in the Cemetary

More Tombstones in the Old Cemetary along the Beech Trail

Shimmy Searching for the Geocache on Nat House Mnt

Shimmy Finds the Geocache at this rock.

Main water-filled pit of the Hasenclever Mine

The mine dumps. Hasenclever Mountain in the Background.

Rockhouse Mountain, the tallest point of Rockland.
Along our bushwack.