Harriman Hiker: Harriman State Park and Beyond: Jackie Jones Fire Tower and Minisceongo Falls

Friday, September 24, 2021

Jackie Jones Fire Tower and Minisceongo Falls

Harriman State Park,
Rockland Co.,
New York

Hiking Trails:
Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail: Yellow blaze

Total Time: 1:35 hour
Estimated Distance: 2.6 Miles

Pros: Great view on tower, impressive waterfalls
Cons: Communication tower mars pristine view
Hike Type: Out and back
Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Hiking Partners:
Elisha Friedman

Map of Route:
https://goo.gl/maps/FfKqJasfhXcQ52tC6

This was a beautiful September day, and the air was clear with bright blue skies after getting several inches of rain the previous day. This was a great hike for a nice view as well as a good waterfall. We parked at the parking trailhead at the entrance to Harriman State Park at the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail, and took the trail up the mountain through the ORAK ruins. We climbed passed the Jackie Jones communication tower and then to the Fire Tower, and climbed to the top and took a small break at the top and took some pictures there. The sky was exceptionally clear and the 360 degree view from the top of the tower was remarkable.

We then turned around and took the trail down, and we took the unmarked trail parallel to the Minisceongo Brook down to the waterfalls. This waterfalls is, in my opinion, the largest and most impressive in Rockland County, and is really unknown, with no official trail and not being on the map. I hope it stays this way! With the large amount of rain, the waterfalls were quite impressive, with several small cascades and the main drop which has an upper and lower section. After descending to the bottom of the waterfalls we returned back to our car.