Might 17, 2026 – Southfields, NY
Problem: Straightforward – Average
Size: Roughly 3 miles
Max elevation: 1,131 ft. – whole elevation achieve roughly 338 ft.
Route kind: Circuit
Purchase Maps (Paper & Avenza): 2023 Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails Map #119
Free Net Map: Harriman State Park Path Map 2023
Free Avenza App Map: Harriman State Park Path Map 2017
Trailhead parking: 1369 Kanawauke Rd, Southfields, NY, 10975
Gravel parking zone – no loos on website
Overview:
Harriman State Park is New York’s second-largest state park, encompassing greater than 47,000 acres of rugged mountains, dense forests, scenic lakes, and miles of streams within the Hudson Highlands. Positioned simply north of New York Metropolis, the park options over 200 miles of mountain climbing trails, together with sections of the Appalachian Path, together with quite a few lakes, campgrounds, historic websites, hearth roads, and panoramic overlooks. Recognized for its numerous leisure alternatives, Harriman attracts hikers, backpackers, anglers, paddlers, and nature lovers year-round, whereas its wealthy historical past contains remnants of outdated iron mines, deserted settlements, and early conservation efforts that helped protect this huge wilderness panorama.
With greater than 20 recognized mines scattered all through Harriman State Park, these historic websites make fascinating mountain climbing locations. The Boston Mine lies inside a magnetite-rich zone often called the Greenwood group of mines. It’s positioned alongside the Dunning Path, roughly three-quarters of a mile north of County Route 106, simply east of the outdated woods street referred to as Island Pond Street. Historian James M. Ransom famous that the mine was energetic round 1880, and the iron ore extracted there was transported to the Clove Furnace in Arden for smelting.
Trails Overview:
Please Notice: Path distances denoted beneath are in relation to this hike solely and never the overall distance of the paths.
A path map of the world north of the parking zone is posted simply throughout the street at the beginning of the White Bar Path.
White Bar Path (horizontal white bar – 1.1 miles) ~ The White Path descends from Automobile Pond Mountain and travels via the Hikers Parking Lot on CR 106, crosses the street and heads north via a large valley. The path runs primarily alongside an outdated woods street that narrows to a footpath in sure locations. In areas the place the path turns into extraordinarily slender, it’s barely overgrown. The path is nicely marked with the horizontal white bars and a few of the older blazes have “W-B” written on them.
Dunning Path (yellow – 0.62 mile) ~ The Dunning Path runs southeast to northwest, connecting the White Bar Path to Island Pond Street. The path runs over undulating terrain, quickly descending to the left of the Boston Mine simply earlier than reaching Island Pond Street. The path is nicely marked in most locations.
Island Pond Street (unmarked – 0.8 mile) ~ South of the Dunning Path, descends steadily via a quiet part of Harriman State Park towards County Route 106. As soon as used as a woods street serving the world’s mining and logging exercise, the route now offers hikers with a simple, gently graded stroll via combined hardwood forest.
Parking:
The White Bar Trailhead parking space, positioned alongside County Route 106 (Kanawauke Street), is a gravel hiker lot that serves as a place to begin for a number of trails and outdated woods roads, together with the White Bar Path, Nurian Path, and routes main towards Island Pond, Black Rock Mountain, and the Boston Mine. The parking space is pretty spacious, accommodating roughly 20–30 automobiles, although capability can differ relying on how vehicles are parked. As a preferred entry level for hikers, the lot typically fills up on weekends and through peak mountain climbing season, significantly in hotter months, so arriving early is often the most suitable choice.
I’ve seen this parking zone utterly packed, with automobiles lined alongside the appropriate facet, making it troublesome for others to maneuver out of their areas. If attainable, it’s a good suggestion to again right into a parking spot whenever you arrive, as backing out later may be difficult when the lot is full.
I’m unsure if they’ve points with theft right here, however I’ve parked right here quite a few instances and haven’t had any issues. Nonetheless, use frequent sense when parking anyplace that you just’ll go away your car unattended.
Hike Overview:
With temperatures anticipated to climb near 90°, I opted for a variation of a hike I did in 2022. The route is comparatively straightforward, with minimal elevation achieve and loads of shade beneath the forest cover, making it a good selection for a scorching day. The community of connecting trails and outdated woods roads within the space additionally affords quite a few choices for adjusting the space, issue, and route alongside the best way. In the long run, I performed it by ear primarily based on the warmth and settled on a reasonably straightforward 3-mile loop that includes a peaceable stroll via the woods with a short cease on the historic Boston Mine.
We started the hike round 9am on a Sunday morning. Once we arrived on the trailhead, there have been solely a few vehicles within the lot. Once we returned to the lot at about 11am, there have been about 1/2 a dozen automobiles parked there. Usually this lot fills up, so I used to be shocked that it wasn’t once we returned to our car.
This hike was accomplished as a counterclockwise loop starting on the Hikers Trailhead parking space on County Route 106 (Kanawauke Street). The route adopted the White Bar Path to the Dunning Path, with the return leg using Island Pond Street.
This hike entails some minor ups and downs, however is comparatively straightforward.
The Hike:
From the parking space, cross the street to enter the woods on the White Bar Path. The path angles throughout the roadway and is marked with white horizontal blazes, some labeled “W-B.” It then runs roughly parallel to the street for about 500 ft earlier than turning proper, crossing a stream through a steel culvert, and persevering with alongside an outdated woods street. A brief distance farther on, it bears proper at a fork—the left fork is Island Pond Street, which serves because the return route—however for now, keep to the appropriate and proceed to comply with the white blazes.
The White Bar Path was first marked in 1921-22 by the Boy Scouts.
The White Bar Path quickly crosses an intermittent stream on rocks, and a few quarter mile from the beginning, the white-blazed Nurian Path joins from the appropriate. Though each trails use white blazes, the Nurian Path is marked with vertical blazes, whereas the White Bar Path makes use of horizontal ones. Proceed forward on the woods street for roughly 500 ft to the purpose the place the 2 trails diverge. The Nurian Path veers left, however stay to the appropriate to remain on the White Bar Path because it continues alongside the woods street.
In 1922, this space was the positioning of the Boy Scouts’ Camp Deerslayer, part of their White Bar Path system. In 1926, Camp Deerslayer was moved to Parker Cabin Hole.
The White Bar Path heads north via a broad valley, alternating between an outdated woods street and narrower footpaths. In a number of sections, the path turns into fairly slender and barely overgrown. After crossing one other intermittent stream on rocks, the path climbs gently for a brief distance earlier than leveling off.
Roughly 1.1 miles from the trailhead, because the White Bar Path turns proper, it reaches a T-intersection with the yellow-blazed Dunning Path, which is available in from the left. Flip left right here and comply with the yellow blazes in a westerly path.
Please observe: This junction is simple to overlook if you’re not paying shut consideration.
In the event you see a yellow blaze over a white blaze, you went too far (see purple arrow).
The Dunning Path quickly descends right into a valley on a slender footpath earlier than climbing once more. Alongside this stretch, the path options a number of brief ups and downs because it winds via scenic woodlands dotted with scattered boulders.
Farther alongside, the path curves across the base of a big cliff, including a rugged and picturesque really feel to the hike.
The path then climbs to a ridge earlier than descending to the bottom of the Boston Mine. Close to the mine entrance, an ore dump may be seen to the appropriate of the path, a remnant of the world’s historic mining exercise.
An ore dump from the Boston Mine alongside the Dunning Path.
One can enter the open lower via an entrance close to its southwestern facet, however the northern finish and shaft are water-filled and harmful. The mine entrance is often fairly moist, and excessive warning needs to be exercised. (Don’t method the water-filled pit.)
The mine opening consists of a big open lower, about 100 ft lengthy, which extends north to south inside a low ridge. At its northern finish, the open lower turns into a shaft which extends into the rock ridge for about 30 ft.
In accordance with historian James M. Ransom, the Boston Mine was labored round 1880. The ore extracted from this mine was despatched to the Clove Furnace at Arden, New York to be smelted.
When you find yourself able to proceed, resume following the yellow-blazed Dunning Path, which continues instantly throughout from the mine lower.
In a number of ft, the Dunning Path reaches a T-intersection with Island Pond Street and turns left. Observe the yellow blazes alongside the large woods street for a brief distance.
The Dunning Path quickly departs to the appropriate, and shortly afterward the white-blazed Nurian Path briefly joins earlier than veering off to the left. Proceed straight forward to stay on the unmarked Island Pond Street because it continues south.
There are not any blazes to information you alongside this stretch of the street, however the route is evident and unmistakable.
As Island Pond Street continues south, an unmarked path branches off to the appropriate towards Stahahe Excessive Peak. The woods street then descends gently beneath the forest cover, following a large, straightforward grade with solely minor elevation modifications. This quiet stretch makes for a calming and nice stroll again towards Kanawauke Street (CR 106).
About 0.8 mile past the Boston Mine, the White Bar Path joins from the left, marking the beginning of the retrace again towards the trailhead. A brief distance later, Island Pond Street ends at a gate alongside Route 106. Right here, the White Bar Path turns left, parallels Route 106 for about 0.15 mile, then crosses the street and returns to the parking zone on the White Bar Trailhead, finishing the hike.
Overview:
This reasonably straightforward loop hike is a good way to expertise each the pure magnificence and historical past of Harriman State Park. The route travels via a peaceable forest with loads of shade, making it particularly gratifying on hotter days. The paths are nicely marked and straightforward to comply with, with solely mild elevation modifications alongside the best way. One of many highlights is the historic Boston Mine, an interesting reminder of the park’s iron-mining previous tucked away within the woods alongside the Dunning Path. Mixed with quiet surroundings, assorted terrain, and a way of native historical past, this loop affords a calming and rewarding hike appropriate for many ability ranges.
Professionals:
Nicely-marked trails which are straightforward to comply with, principally shaded route splendid for warm-weather mountain climbing, scenic forest setting with peaceable environment, historic Boston Mine provides distinctive historic curiosity, a number of connecting trails supply longer route choices, gratifying mixture of footpaths, woods roads, and stream crossings, appropriate for hikers of various ability ranges.
Cons:
No viewpoints, some slender and barely overgrown sections of path, parking zone can develop into crowded on busy weekends, minor muddy areas attainable in wetter situations, historic mine space is simple to overlook with out listening to the path route.
Take a hike!
Sources:
Lenik, Edward J.. Iron Mine Trails . New York – New Jersey Path Convention. Kindle Version.
Myles, William J.; Chazin, Daniel. Harriman Trails: A Information and Historical past . New York – New Jersey Path Convention. Kindle Version.
Harriman State Park
