Does anyone have suggestions regarding the temperatures headed northbound from the GW Bridge at the beginning of May? Do I need to be prepared for cold? How bad are the bugs?

Is stealth camping possible anywhere from the GW Bridge to Nyack?

Also, any suggestions on getting from Albert Slater Road to where the trail picks back up on Sicklers Mountain in Section 26? What about the other gaps? Is it really necessary to do 10+ miles around a 0.5 mile gap at Verkeerder Falls???

Any other tips, suggestions, recommendations on resupply or restaurants, places to do laundry, take a shower?

Sections where there is no water?

I've got the 2005 guide from the NY NJ TC, but any advice would be much appreciated.

Does anyone have suggestions regarding the temperatures headed northbound from the GW Bridge at the beginning of May? Do I need to be prepared for cold? How bad are the bugs?

Is stealth camping possible anywhere from the GW Bridge to Nyack?

Also, any suggestions on getting from Albert Slater Road to where the trail picks back up on Sicklers Mountain in Section 26? What about the other gaps? Is it really necessary to do 10+ miles around a 0.5 mile gap at Verkeerder Falls???

Any other tips, suggestions, recommendations on resupply or restaurants, places to do laundry, take a shower?

Sections where there is no water?

I've got the 2005 guide from the NY NJ TC, but any advice would be much appreciated.

I've been hiking The Long Path for the past year and have completed most of the trail from The GWB to Kerhonkson, NY. I chose to hike the alternate AT route from Harriman Park, NY to High Point, NJ. This adds 30 miles +-, but eliminates a lot of road walking.

In my opinion, any stealth camping south of Harriman Park will get you arrested. The PIP Police seem to keep a close eye on things.

I hiked the section from Sams Point to Mud Pond just yesterday. The section north of Verkeerder Falls is open, blazed and recently maintained. There is no need to detour as indicated on the maps and NYNJTC website.

I'm a day hiker, so I'm not concerned about shelters and supplies. The LP does not have an extensive shelter network like the AT. Through the Catskills there are shelters, but you will encounter long sections with few road crossings. Those few crossings are also often very far from towns.

Black flies as I recall can become pretty irritating in May, but I've only encountered them in the Catskill Mountains.

STEVEM, thanks for the info! I really do NOT want to get arrested. Probably will just do the section below Harriman as a series of day hikes. I don't plan to use shelters but would prefer to avoid motels for the entire hike, especially ones 20 miles from my apartment. It sort of ruins the concept of a thru-hike but it can't be helped.

There doesn't seem to be many grocery stores on or very close to the trail, but plenty of Post Offices and enough restaurants to break up the eternal one-pot meals. I stocked up on freeze-dried meals when Mountain House had a sale on Marine Cuisine to lighten the load on the long sections.

Right now I am in the process of deciding whether to do the alternative AT route from Bear Mountain to High Point. They accept packages at the park headquarters at High Point. It would also be nice to re-hike part of the AT, but southbound. Roadwalking is no fun, either. That seems to be the route to take. There don't seem to be any disadvantages other than the extra 30 miles--but that's not a real disadvantage.

That's wonderful to hear about the Verkeerder Kills Falls section--at least half a day to get around a half-mile gap would be aggravating.

Do you have any info on the Sicklers Mountain gap? There appears to be a fairly straight-forward road walk around that section.

The NY NJ TC website does not appear to be current and there does not seem to be current information anywhere else on the internet. Actually, I can't find much information at all about the Long Path on the internet, up-to-date or out-of-date, so your information is extremely helpful.

Don't worry about stealth camping along the LP especcially if you are solo. If you hike fromm the GWB subway Sta its 12 miles to (BSA) Camp Alpine where you may be able to camp with permission. If you don't want to ask just go a little further on and the trail dips down and there are stealthy type campsites. Another day later you may be near Haverstraw and camp right on the river. Before you reach HSP there is a town (?) where LT resupply about a mile into HSP there is a shelter. Suggest you take the AT to High Pt to avoid RW. There is an excellent guide by Ed (?) Walsh which describes all resupply lodging and restaurants. Don't know if you tried this link http://www.nynjtc.org/trails/longpath/ havn't used it in a while but its probably up to date

There is an excellent guide by Ed (?) Walsh which describes all resupply lodging and restaurants. Don't know if you tried this link http://www.nynjtc.org/trails/longpath/ havn't used it in a while but its probably up to date

The Ed Walsh guide is now incorporated into The Long Path Guide by the NY NJ TC. The website is not up-to-date, as STEVEM has pointed out that a former gap in continuity is now blazed and maintained.

You're making me consider risking arrest to stealth!

I have no idea about section #26. My trail guide indicates a 1-mile closed section, but does not suggest an alternate route.
You probably already already have these. I have found them useful:

1. "The Long Path Guide" 5th edition NYNJTC
2. Hudson Palisades Trails 5-map set NYNJTC
3. Shawangunk Trails 3-map set NYNJTC
4. Catskill Trails 5-map set NYNJTC

The highlight of my hike so far is Sams Point and Minnewaska State Preserve. The scenery is amazing. There are viewpoints where you can see hunderds of square miles of NY,NJ,PA,CT, and MA. Verkeerder Falls and Rainbow Falls are beautiful.

The Ed Walsh guide is now incorporated into The Long Path Guide by the NY NJ TC. The website is not up-to-date, as STEVEM has pointed out that a former gap in continuity is now blazed and maintained.

You're making me consider risking arrest to stealth!

Remember, I said it was my opinion that you were risking arrest. This is based on my observation that the Palisades Park is very small and busy. It seemed to me that the park cops were everywhere. They do also enforce the 15 minute parking rules at the overlooks. It may be worth a call to them to see if there are any options for camping. I have never heard of any, but I'm not really looking either.
http://www.njpalisades.org/regulat.htm

More than likely that happens on weekends I've hiked that LP section twice once NB and once SB stealth camped at dusk or later never seen a cop never mind getting arrested. Very low risk for ''arrest''. Any thru-hiker worth his salt can stealth camp anywhere. I wouldn't worry about any continuity you should be able to find your way.

From GWB to Alpine is doable in one day, arrange camping of some sort.
From Alpine to BM is... something like 20 miles, you might be able to pull it off since it's not hard terrain. That doesn't mean I could pull it off :)

I have never seen the park police on The Long Path itself.

Need advice. I live in Manhattan and am seriously thinking about using the LP from the GWB to join the AT at Bear Mtn for a section hike down the DE Water Gap in May.
A) Should I buy the guide?
B) How far north of the GWB do I need to go before stealthing becomes a legit prospect?
C) Any other considerations I should bear in mind?

Thank you!

Need advice. I live in Manhattan and am seriously thinking about using the LP from the GWB to join the AT at Bear Mtn for a section hike down the DE Water Gap in May.
A) Should I buy the guide?
B) How far north of the GWB do I need to go before stealthing becomes a legit prospect?
C) Any other considerations I should bear in mind?

Thank you!

I think you should have started a new thread for this discussion.

Why not do your hike in reverse? Take the bus to DWG and walk home.

The LP joins the AT a little north of Lemon Squeezer in Harriman State Park. As I recall this is about 50 miles north of the GWB. I suspect that you'd be able to stealth camp north of the NJ/NY border. South of there the Palisades Interstate Park is probably less than a half mile wide between the PIP and the Hudson River.

I don't think you need the LP guide book, but you probably should have the NYNJTC Hudson Palisades Trails map set. And maybe the Harriman State Park maps.

Good Luck!

Stevem-
Thank you for the reply. I didn't want to clog up the forum with a new thread on the LP, but I'll keep your advice in mind for the future.
Thank you again for the advice re the hike. I think I'd start early enough to get far north of the NY/NJ border, but good to ask.