Water sources in NY Section 12-8.

[vipahman]

I will be hiking NOBO for 41.4 miles from NY section 12 (Rt 17a) to section 8 (Canopus Hill Rd) in early to mid-Feb. Below are the water sources quoted in the trail guide. Are they reliable? Are there other options?

Section 12 - 12.0 miles
Mile 2.1 - Water from a spring at Wildcat shelter.
Mile 7.1 - Deli 0.6 mile west on West Mombasha Rd.
Mile 10.2 - Piped spring 0.5 mile south on Orange turnpike.

Section 11 - 5.5 miles
Mile 4.4 - Water from Lake Tiorati 0.5 mile east of Fingerboard shelter.

Section 10 - 13.1 miles
Mile 6.6 - Stream.

Section 9 - 5.8 miles
No listed water sources.

Section 8 - 5.0 miles
No listed water sources.

Besides Wildcat shelter at the start of my hike and the stream in Section 10 at 24.1 miles into my hike, are there any other water sources on or close to the trail? I hate the 0.5 mile one-way off-trips for water.

[bullseye]

I can't verify your sources in section 12 (didn't visit Wildcat or the deli, road construction when I crossed orange turnpike) but Fitzgerals Falls is reliable and you will pass Little Dam Lake. You also have the outlet to Island Pond in section 11. Lake tiorati is also viable. Hope this helps.

[Askus3]

A couple of other places to get water in NY are: Bear Mountain Inn and at the zoo. Trail goes right by there. When you cross the Palisades Parkway, go north .2 mile to the Harriman Park visitor center in the median of the road. It is open between 8 AM & 5 PM. There is a gas station/garage at the intersection of US 9 & NY 301 where the AT crosses or you can refill off the AT at the Greymoor monastery. You can obtain water there. Also note you would have to get water from the lake itself at Tiorati as the water spigot is turned off in the picnic area during the off season, thus not working in February. Wildcat Shelter has a small water hole/spring which is good except during droughts. Fitzgerald Falls is also good/purification required.

[K-Man]

I was out in Harriman this weekend and there was PLENTY of water to be had. I crossed a small stream about every mile. I suspect we will continue to get snow and snow melts and rain between now and mid feb, so these small streams will keep running. I wouldn't stress about finding water. If you stay at west mountain shelter, grab water on the way up from beechy bottom brook. The spring was running at Brien shelter also. I didn't go to Fingerboard, but I saw some water flowing at the lemon squeezer last weekend. Hope this takes care of Harriman.

[vipahman]

Thanks a lot everybody.

[A-Train]

yeah there is tons of water. Did a loop over West and Bear Mtn's on monday and passed water often. Beechy Bottom Brook near the Palisades Pkwy was running, and the stream about half mile south of Bear Mtn summit is running well. There should be no water issues now.

[Twofiddy]

There should be no water issues now.


Um, back in 2003, with all the rain, there was not alot of water between well, PA and CT.

That visitors center rest area, they have had water line breaks numerous times in the past few years. There have also been water line problems to the summit of bear mountain. That shelter by the palisades parkway, I would not drink the water from the well there if if was the last gulp of water on earth. I forget off hand the name of the other shelter that is off the AT to the west in the little field by the little building, that water has tested bad several times.

What ever you do make sure that you either treat or filter any water in NJ and NY, or actually you would be better doing both.

Before hiking the AT I used to think, what the hell if they build another house or road nearby. Then I hiked NJ and NY, no clean water to drink, now I almost consider my self a tree hugger. Stop building anything. Stop developement period. Stop polluting period!!

[BW2006]

If you have a filter there's tons of places to get water along that route. Lots of little streams and a few lakes/ponds.

[A-Train]

Um, back in 2003, with all the rain, there was not alot of water between well, PA and CT.

That visitors center rest area, they have had water line breaks numerous times in the past few years. There have also been water line problems to the summit of bear mountain. That shelter by the palisades parkway, I would not drink the water from the well there if if was the last gulp of water on earth. I forget off hand the name of the other shelter that is off the AT to the west in the little field by the little building, that water has tested bad several times.

What ever you do make sure that you either treat or filter any water in NJ and NY, or actually you would be better doing both.

Before hiking the AT I used to think, what the hell if they build another house or road nearby. Then I hiked NJ and NY, no clean water to drink, now I almost consider my self a tree hugger. Stop building anything. Stop developement period. Stop polluting period!!

Yep, I hiked in 03' also. Yep, tons of rain for sure, but no water problems for me at all, though I came thru early in the season. This time of year, there is no need to stress on water levels. As I said in my previous post, I was just out in that area and there was water every mile or so.

[stupe]

Just got back from Harriman tonight, I go up there multiple times a year, since I live in NYC.

Unless we get an unprecidented February dry spell, I think it's a good guess that the spring at Wildcat Shelter will be running at least til the middle/end of this month. I went by West Mombasha Road last June, and a trail maintainer told me the deli was closed.

I was about five miles south of the trail in Harriman just today, and there is water everywhere. It's true that the tap at Lake Tiorati is closed for the season. You might not have to filter lake water if the seasonal streams are flowing the way they have been. If the spring at William Brien is dry, there is a stream ( Bockey Swamp Brook ) down the Menomine Trail. ( Yellow blazes, runs north from the shelter, I've gotten water from there several times over the years, and would call it reliable).

North of Lake Tiorati, there should be water in Beechy Bottom, just past the Palisades Parkway, near the mountain bike trail. You won't hit another reliable stream northbound til just before the Bear Mountain Inn. There should be water fountains or at least the bathroom tap at the inn.

North of the Bear Mtn Bridge, I don't know. But I went through that area in September 2004, it was fairly dry weather, and I didn't have any water issues.

[orangebug]

The deli closed a couple of years ago, and it was a terrific stop for food and light resupply. There are numerous homes near the trail that might be a water source, as well as a small lake.