Overnight with son in Harriman

[devil dog]

Hey everyone. Love reading about the AT and adventures on this site. I plan on taking my son (8yrs old) for a night in Harriman. I would love it anyone had any info on what shelters are good to camp near, trails to hike, how safe it is for him, etc ... I have lots of experience in NM, Col, and further upstate, but am unfamiliar with Harriman. Thanks in advance!! Take care!

[moose717]

Hi Devil dog ... pick up the Harriman maps from NYNJ trail conference. I love hiking in Harriman. Some of my favorite shelters are Tom Jones, Big Hill & Fingerboard. Fingerboard has a short 1.5 mile trail from Tiorati. I don't have my maps in front of me, but I think it's the R/D trail. I stopped at West Mountain about a month ago and there is a view of NYC (same with Big Hill Shelter). Fingerboard has some great tent sites (so does West Mtn) and last time we were there we heard coyotes overnight. It was great! Have fun & Welcome!

[Feral Bill]

Also nice: Dutch Doctor (woodsy, has a stream) and Bald Rocks (open rocky area with views) Wm Brien (a short hike from Tiorati Circle, can be a loop with AT and other trails)

[Another Kevin]

Harriman is a great starting place for an 8-year-old getting into hiking. Is it safe? Well, I took my daughter hiking there when she was that age. Only you know your own level of risk tolerance.

All the shelters are built to pretty much the same plan: they are stone huts built by the CCC. Most have fireplaces. The ones that don't, it's because the fireplaces were bricked over either because the chimneys fell or because they were abused. There are tent sites near all the shelters.

West Mountain, with its view of New York, is lovely in warm weather. It has no water source, and in colder weather, it's horribly windy.

If you're an experienced hiker, you will be familiar with all the dangers in Harriman. It's not remote anywhere: you're never more than a couple of hours' walk from suburbia. It's also not wise to go off-trail in Harriman unless you're familiar with where you're going. Before it became a park, the place was an industrial wasteland, and there are still such hazards as open mineshafts and wells, wreckage of old machinery, and similar man-made hazards. That said, exploring ghost towns is not without its charms, and Harriman offers several opportunities for that.

NYNJTC has the trail map that most hikers use for Harriman. Their web site http://nynjtc.org/view/hike_ny also has a whole lot of suggested hikes.

[Feral Bill]

All the shelters are built to pretty much the same plan: they are stone huts built by the CCC. Actually, many (such as West Mountain) were built well before the depression and the CCC,
Before it became a park, the place was an industrial wasteland, Mostly it was farms and forest, with some industry and there are still such hazards as open mineshafts and wells, wreckage of old machinery, and similar man-made hazards That there are. That said, exploring ghost towns is not without its charms, and Harriman offers several opportunities for that. An eight year old might like the old cemeteries

NYNJTC has the trail map that most hikers use for Harriman. Their web site http://nynjtc.org/view/hike_ny also has a whole lot of suggested hikes.

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[4eyedbuzzard]

http://www.myharriman.com/ Decent map for planning or perhaps even hiking purposes. Big download.

Remember the marshmallows/smores fixins!

[devil dog]

Thanks everyone. He is really psyched, I just want to make it as fun an experience as possible for his first real trip into the woods. My wife and I are heading up there in April so I think we will scope some spots out. Thanks again.