Harriman State Park
Rockland Co.,
New York
Hiking Trails:
Kakiat Trail: White blaze
Racoon Brook Hill Trail: Black blaze
Poached Egg Trail: Yellow blaze
Pine Meadow Lake Road: Unblazed
Pine Meadow Lake Southern Portion Path: Unblazed
Conklins Crossing: White blaze
Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail: Yellow blaze
Mountain Trail: Orange blaze
Total Time: 4:40 Hours
Estimated Distance: 8.2 Miles
Level of Difficulty: Very Difficult
Level of Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Points of Interest: Rough hike through Harriman, Good Views, and Scenic Lake
Cons: Pine Meadow Lake very busy on weekends
It's been a while since I hiked from Kakiat Park to Pine Meadow Lake. I also hadn't taken the unmarked trail around the southern part of Pine Meadow Lake in a very long time, and wanted to do that as well.
I parked at the Kakiat parking lot, crossed the Mahwah River, and took the Kakiat Trail at its trailhead. I climbed the Ramapo Escarpment up about 700 feet along the Kakiat Trail, and then up and down along several of the ridgelines, until the Raccoon Brook Hill Trail. I then climbed up the steep ascent to Raccoon Brook Hill, which has several good views along the way. Upon descending, I took the short Poached Egg in its entirety to Pine Meadow Lake Road, which I took to the west, approaching the Conklin Cemetery area, and then took the unmarked path until the Conklins Crossing Trail.
At this point, I went down to the eastern inlet of the lake and took some pictures, and over here got a terrible muscle cramp that required me to rest for about 20 minutes. I then continued along the Conklins Crossing Trail to the Suffern Bear Mountain Trail. I took the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail south, along several excellent views of Rockland County and the New York City Skyline, meeting up again with the Kakiat Trail. I then took the Kakiat Trail down towards the Mountain Trail, which I took past the power lines to the upper Kakiat View. I then went down the Mountain Trail along this steep portion at the bottom at the entrance of the park and the parking area.
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| Map of the Route. Harriman/Bear Mountain Trails, Southern Map |
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| Caution Sign at the Top Urging Non-Experienced Visitors to Turn Around and Avoid Getting Lost |
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| View on the Kakiat Trail Towards Ramapo Torne |
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| Large Rock on the Kakiat Trail Overlooking Ramapo Torne |
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| Praying Mantis Crawling on the Above Rock |
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| View on Kakiat Trail Towards Ramapo Torne |
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| View from Kakiat Trail Looking South |
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| Strange Rock Formation Along the Raccoon Brook Hills Trail |
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| Bedrock Exposures Along the Raccoon Brook Hills Trail |
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| Ladder Along the Raccoon Brook Hills Climb |
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| View Along Raccoon Brook Hills |
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| Another View Along Raccoon Brook Hills |
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| And One More View Along Raccoon Brook Hills |
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| View at the Descent of Raccoon Brook Hills |
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| Pine Meadow Lake, from the Eastern Tip |
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| Pine Meadow Lake, from the Eastern Tip |
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| And One Last View of Pine Meadow Lake, from the Eastern Tip |
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| Manhattan Skyline from the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail at Cobus Mountain |
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| Zoomed Out to the Above View |
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| Another View from Cobus Mountain |
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| Another View from Cobus Mountain |
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| View from Cobus Mountain Facing the Palisades |
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| Another Warning Sign Cautioning Inexperienced Hikers |
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