Harriman Hiker: Harriman State Park and Beyond: Phillips Pyrrhotite Mine

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Phillips Pyrrhotite Mine

Anthony's Nose (Mine Hill)
Hudson Highlands State Park,
Putnam Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Appalachian Trail: White blaze

Total Time: 1:30 hour
Estimated Distance: 1.6 Miles

Pros: Historical Mine
Cons: Difficult to find

Hiking Partner:
Josef Friedman

I had some extra time on July 4 to do some exploring. I have heard about the the Philips Pyrrhotite Mine for quite some time, but have never had the chance to give this mine a visit. The mine is not on any trail, and needs a small bushwack to get to. It's not so far off the road, but it did take us a bit more time than expected to find it. Once you find the mine, its impossible to miss. The dumps are enormous, spanning several acres.

The main ore of the mine was pyrrhotite, an iron sulfide which is slightly magnetic, which is roasted to produce iron. The area is littered with pyrrhotite, some of which is decaying into a white powdery substance. Other minerals at the mine include pyrite, apatite, and amphibole crystals. The mine hole is on the top of the hill and is fenced off, but the fence is broken on one of the sides. However, this is a dangerous mine, with no way out if you fall in. Extreme caution should be exercised in the vicinity of the mine. Beyond the main pit the road loops around passing several smaller mine pits.

We parked on South Mountain Pass road, where it meets the Appalachian Trail, and took the Appalachian Trail several hundred feet prior to bushwacking southeast towards the mine. Upon reaching the mine, we explored several levels and took some of the loop trails before heading down.

The images below were taken with my cell phone camera as I did not have my regular camera with me.