View Full Version : Harlem Valley Metro North station - help!
gsingjane
06-03-2005, 11:29
Hi, I will be hiking southbound on the southern portion of the AT in CT next week, and need to figure out how far it is from the trail in New York (Dutchess Cty.) to the Harlem Valley/Wingdale Metro-North station. Has anyone hiked to or from this station to the AT? Could you give me any tips on how to get there? Any help will be enormously appreciated!
Jane in CT
From Where The Trail Crosses Rt 55 At The Ny Border, The Station Is About A 4 Mile (probably)easy Hitch.
A Better Alternative Is To Continue Into Ny On The At For About 7 Miles To Rt 22 Where The Railroad Has A Station At The Trail Crosssing.
Not Sure Of The Schedule.
Lump
Kevin A. Boyce
06-03-2005, 13:35
According to the Metro North schedule at http://mta.info/mnr/index.html :
Leaves APPALACHIAN TRAIL ..............Arrive at GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL
2:41PM......................................... 4:35PM
4:41PM......................................... 6:35PM
6:35PM......................................... 8:34PM
Please refer to the website for the correct time for the dates you need... I checked them for Sat/Sun for the next two weekends and they show the same schedule. Double check for your own piece of mind...
Catch you later...
KevBoy
Cookerhiker
06-03-2005, 13:53
According to the Metro North schedule at http://mta.info/mnr/index.html :
Leaves APPALACHIAN TRAIL ..............Arrive at GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL
2:41PM......................................... 4:35PM
4:41PM......................................... 6:35PM
6:35PM......................................... 8:34PM
Please refer to the website for the correct time for the dates you need... I checked them for Sat/Sun for the next two weekends and they show the same schedule. Double check for your own piece of mind...
Catch you later...
KevBoy
Keep in mind that the AT station crossing on Rt. 22 is only serviced on Saturdays and Sundays. Other days you have to hitch to Wingdale (north) or Pawling (south). I'm section-hiking NOBO from Bear Mountain to Rt. 22 starting Sunday afternoon, expecting to arrive at Rt. 22 about noon Wednesday so I'll hitch to one of those towns for the ride back to NYC.
gsingjane
06-03-2005, 14:00
Thanks for the info about the "Appalachian Trail" Metro North station but that is actually a different station than the one I am asking about. I do know that the "Appalachian Trail" station only has service on the weekends and that is not the station I want. Someone who has to go into NYC is going to leave a car for me at the "Harlem Valley Hospital/Wingdale" station and that is the station I am asking about. From the topo map, it looks like there is a road leading right off the trail, into the hospital grounds (or at least around them), and then the station is on the other side of the hospital grounds. So, I would still appreciate hearing from anyone who has travelled either to or from this particular station (the Harlem Valley station, not the "Appalachian Trail" station) to the trail itself. Thanks!
gsingjane
06-10-2005, 06:10
I am going to answer my own question here, in case anyone else ever searches for this information on the site. The short answer is.... no, you cannot (or at least should not) do it. Even though it looks like you can do it on the map, what happens is that you will exit onto a dirt road (it's just a little bit past the famous "Gate of Heaven" sign in the middle of nowhere) but the road is posted every few feet, "no trespassing," "police patrolled," etc. etc. After about a mile you'll leave that road and enter the mental hospital property, which is even more forbidding (and a little bit scary, IMO). That is also posted all over the place and even though it was over 90 degrees as we hiked through it, we walked pretty darn fast, you betcha! Fortunately we didn't see anybody on the way out but I would definitely NOT recommend this as a way to anyone to begin or end a section hike on the AT.
going from the Gates of Heaven Cemetery into a closed up mental hospital (Isn't that the deserted set of building you drive by on NY 22?). Good reason to be a Nervous Nellie and not to recommend this alternative to a train station. Thanks for the report.
Another alternative is to hike the "Green Blaze" trail from the AT to Wingdale. The "Green" trail is marked on the official AT map and comes out not far from the Duchess Motor Inn and the Harlem/Wingdale train station.
By the way, if you want to stay at the Duchess Motor Inn & decide to get off the AT at Hoyt Rd, it's about a 4 mile road walk back to the motel!!!! Use the Green Trail!!!