Breakneck to Mt Beacon

At the flagpole on Breakneck with Storm King in the background

Johnny Rocket making his way up Breakneck

Grassy ridge on Mt Beacon

Mt Beacon Fire Tower

Taurus, Breakneck and Storm King from Mt Beacon

Looking down Hudson towards NYC

The high grass on Sugarloaf

Johnny Rocket with Mt Beacon in the background

Newburgh-Beacon Bridge

Breakneck and Storm King from Sugarloaf


Johnny Rocket requested a hike with some good elevation gain in preparation for his upcoming White Mountains trip. Breakneck to the Beacon Fire Tower immediately came to mind. Especially considering I never ventured further than the flagpole on Breakneck.

The trail up Breakneck ridge is considered to be the most travelled trail in the U.S.A. It is quite possible. How many trails have it's own train station? And this one comes from by far the largest city in the U.S.

On this day, there were quite a few on the trail. Breakneck does live up to its name. It is quite steep and rocky. When the trail is wet it can be quite dangerous. The hands are constantly being used, which made my choice of walking up with a cup of coffee silly. Although the Rocket didn't break his neck, his previous venture to Breakneck resulted in a trip to the E.R. after knocking his head after a fall. If fortunate to not slip and fall there are great views of the Hudson River, Storm King, Sugarloaf and Bannerman's Island.

The crowds thinned out. But, we ran into a couple from Indiana. They were a bit lost, which is rather easy to do considering the numerous logging trails. They were loving their trip out. Dylan was telling me about one of the trails that had a lot of ruins. He seemed to think it was an old village. He walked at a fairly brisk pace and wore a pair of loafers!

The Rocket and I finally ascended Mt Beacon. Great views all around. On a clear day, the skyscrapers of NYC can be seen. On this day there was just a bit too much haze.

The walk from Mt Beacon to Sugarloaf was the best part of the day. A splendid walk through grassy areas was a bit different than the usual. Some nice stream crossings provided relief from the humidity. The summit of Sugarloaf provided some great views down to Bannerman's Island and the Hudson River. Sugarloaf also provided the single best view of the day, Breakneck and Storm King and its steep descents into the Hudson. All in all, a great day and a hike that will have to be repeated.