NY Appalachian Trail - Section 10 - Seven Lakes Drive to Palisades Parkway

November 15, 2014

Miles: 6.5 miles
Time:  4 hours 5 minutes 
Elevation gain: 2,217 feet
Year to date miles:  430.6

Rest rooms: None.

Parking: Dirt lot off of Seven Lakes Drive. Room for around 12 cars. This parking lot was packed, with cars very closely parked. If the parking lot is full, it is hard to turn around in. There were a few cars parked along the road.

N41 18.249

W074 00.954

Hike directions:

Look for the 1777 trail blazes in the parking lot.
Follow the 1777 trail, and then turn left onto the AT (also the 1777 trail).

The 1777 will leave to the right just before Seven Lakes Drive.

Follow the AT to Seven Lakes Drive.

Turn around, following the AT, which again will sometimes be the 1777 trail.

Pass the red F on white blazed Fawn trail.

Head uphill and walk along a ridge with several good views.

There will be blue blazes (Timp Torne trail) along with the white AT blazes.

Where the Timp Torne leaves left, stay right on the AT.

Head downhill and cross Beechy Bottom Road (woods road, marked as a bike trail).

Pass red on white blazed Ramapo Dunderberg trail.

Cross the Palisades Parkway and turn around.

Retrace your steps, turning left on the 1777 trail back to the parking lot.

Map: Harriman - Bear Mountain Trails (north map)

Hike description:

We really enjoyed this hike. The ridge has very good views. Leaves were pretty much off the trees, and there was some snow on the ground - though the trail was pretty clear. Leaves were pretty packed down on the trail, so not too much tripping today. I managed at one point to walk two dogs on leash & use trekking poles. This is definitely hike to do again - we'd like to do it when there are leaves on the trees.

Crossing the Palisades Parkway just took patience. There are two lanes, then a wide grass divide, then two more lanes. So, the most you'll have to cross is two lanes. I had to wait 5 minutes for one of the crossings - to wait for a break in traffic that was long enough for me to feel safe to cross. Glen did get honked at by one driver for not crossing fast enough.

Bear Mountain and Hudson River