Popolopen Torne

Bear Mountain State Park,
Orange Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Timp Torne Trail: Blue blaze
Popolopen Gorge/1777/1779 Trail: Red blaze

Total Time: 1:45 hour
Estimated Distance: 1.6 Miles

Pros: Excellent climb with great views
Cons: None
Hike Type: 8 Loop

Hiking Partner:
Joseph Friedman
Elisha Friedman

Google Maps of Parking:
https://goo.gl/maps/X7MxMztRHdsh7y917

Popolopen Torne is one of my favorite hikes in the area. It's short and sweet. It's got a great climb, multiple excellent views, and is a great place to go for a short but intense hike. We parked in the trailhead parking on Mine Road, and went up the road to the northern part of the Timp Torne Trail, climbing steeply up the mountain on the rocky area to the summit. 

At the summit, there is an ever-growing pile of rocks and souvenirs that have been deposited over the years. We continued along the trail, looping around and then going down the mountain on the northern side. At the bottom we took an unmarked short connector to the northern part of the Timp-Torne Trail, crossing the road down to the combined Popolopen Gorge/1777/1779 Trail at the brook, and then crossing the new bridge at Popolopen Brook. We then turned around and took the combined Popolopen Gorge/1777/1779 Trail and then back up to the Timp Torne Trail and back to our car.

Map of the Route

Odd Carving at the Timp Torne Trail near the Trailhead

Ascending Up the Timp Torne Trail at Popolopen Torne

View on the Ascent of Popolopen Torne

Hudson River and Bear Mountain Bridge from Popolopen Torne

Me on Popolopen Torne, Facing Bear Mountain

Exposed Rock Face Ascending Popolopen Torne

Rock Climb up the Mountain on the Timp Torne Trail

View of the Bear Mountain Bridge near the Popolopen Summit

Final Ascent at Popolopen Before the Summit

View from Popolopen Torne Facing Northeast

View of the Hudson and Southeast from the Popolopen Torne Summit

View from Popolopen Torne Summit Facing Southwest

Me on the Popolopen Torne Summit

Me on a Large Exposed Rock on Popolopen Summit, View Facing West

Large Rock and Souvenir Pile at the Popolopen Torne Summit

Exposed Rock Boulders on the Popolopen Torne Summit

Me at the Top of Popolopen, Facing North

Northern View of Summit at Popolopen Torne

Me at the Northern View of Summit at Popolopen Torne

View at Popolopen Torne Before Descending

Popolopen Brook from the Bridge

Steel Bridge Across Popolopen Brook

Lucifer Falls and Upper Gorge Area

Robert H. Treman State Park,
Near Ithaca,
Tompkins Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Gorge Trail
Rim Trail

Pros: Highly scenic area and impressive falls and gorge
Cons: None
Hike Type: Loop

Google Maps of Parking:
https://goo.gl/maps/A1BeXkLZYT45pSj28

This was the last hike of my family camping trip. It was a short but very scenic hike. My phone was broken with water damage from my fall earlier in the day on my Taughannock Falls hike, so I couldn't track this hike on GPS.

I parked in the upper entrance of Robert H. Treman State Park, and took the Gorge Trail down at the beginning of the trail, through the narrow gorge and above the bridge, to the Lucifer Falls area. This is an enormous and highly scenic waterfall. Although it was very dry, with less water than usuall, it was still very impressive. I then took the trail to the bottom of the trail, where I took the bridge that crossed the brook to the Rim Trail.

The Rim Trail climbs steeply along the slope using hundreds of steep steps, where I was then above the falls. I continued along the rim trail to the end at the parking area.

Map of the Route

Entering the Glen with Steep Walls on Each Side

Me in Enfield Canyon Glen

Scenery Along the Gorge Trail

Natural Rock Formations in Enfield Creek

Me Crossing the Stone Bridge

Small Waterfalls prior to Lucifer Falls

Large Rock Formation in the Cliff

Enfield Creek Going Downstream

A Smaller Waterfalls Before the Main One

Trail Along the Steep Canyon Wall

Steep Cliff Above the Creek

Gorge Trail Alongside Lucifer Falls

First View of Lucifer Falls

Full View of Lucifer Falls

Lucifer Falls from the Bottom

Me at the Bottom Part of Lucifer Falls

Ascending up the Gorge on the Rim Trail

Lucifer Falls from the Rim Trail

View Across the Gorge Overlooking the Gorge Trail

Lucifer Falls and the Gorge Trail from Across on the Rim Trail

Taughannock Falls Gorge Trail

Taughannock Falls State Park,
Tompkins Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Gorge Trail

Total Time: 1:00 hour
Estimated Distance: 2 Miles

Pros: Walking along stream bed, large waterfall
Cons: Very busy hike
Hike Type: In and out

Google Maps of Parking:
https://goo.gl/maps/ggCgW5CaRaaKQ5WF8

Continuing on our camping trip to Taughannock Falls, I went with my younger children on this short hike through the base of the gorge to the foot of the waterfalls. We parked at the lower parking area on Cayuga Lake, and took the Gorge Trail past the lower falls. The bed of the creek was mostly dry and created a fascinating flat rocky area that you could walk along. We walked along the dry creek bed for most of the way until the falls, through the deep gorge, with steep cliff walls on both sides.

My footing was not good and I wasn't wearing my typical footwear with a good grip, and actually fell into the water. So my advice is to make sure to wear good footwear. The falls were quite dry but they were flowing. The previous day at the lookout from the top they were almost completely dry. So we were glad to see the actual falls flowing. We then returned back along the Gorge Trail, which is a wide and well-traversed trail.

Map of the Route

Map of the Route

Information Plaque at the Beginning of the Gorge Trail

Lower Falls at the Beginning of the Hike

Plaque at the Small Waterfalls

Another View of the Small Falls with a Pool Below

Rock Fave of the Mostly Dry Stream Bed Looking into the Gorge

Another View of the Rocky Floor Looking out to the Gorge Exit

Looking into the Gorge

Small Cascade in the Creek

Partially Dry Rocky Stream Bed

View of the Creek Bed and the Gorge

Cliff Wall at the Edge of the Stream

Along the Creek Bed and High Cliffs on the Side

Bridge Across the Creek with the Falls in the Distance

Plaque Before the Falls

Taughannock Falls Main Cascade

Taughannock Falls Tumbling Over the Gorge Walls

Me at Taughannock Falls at the End of the Gorge Trail

Taughannock Falls and Outlet

Plauque at Big Bend in the Gorge