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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Sterling Forest State Park



Since starting this blog three years ago, I have been all over the Hudson Valley.  There are still a few pockets of good hiking spots that I have not reached.  Sterling Forest State park is one of those places. 

Located in southern Orange County just west of Harriman State Park, it includes 18,000 acres of forest.  During colonial times, Sterling was an industrial site.  Its mines provided the iron for the cannons and cannonballs.  It also provided the iron for the chain that stretched across the Hudson at West Point to block British ships. 

About five minutes in, I spotted a bear

Lots of slabs of rock

The Sterling Ridge Trail

A very pretty forest to walk through


While looking at the NYNJ Trail Conference maps, I decided that an out and back hike (6 miles total) to the Sterling Mountain Fire Tower would be a great entry to this park.  Sterling had similar features as Harriman.  The mostly hardwood forest gave way to some small grassy meadows and long slabs of rock.  The Sterling Ridge trail did not have any extended climbs.  But the trail could be a bit challenging in spots that made for some tricky footing. 

Lots of grassy stretches

Some more rock slabs


The further south I went, the more views of Sterling Lake I would get.  The Fire Tower provided the best views.  Despite the clouds coming in, I could make out the Devil’s Path and Slide to the north.  To the south, the skyline of Manhattan could be seen.  To the east, the hills of Harriman and Sterling Lake were in view.  To the west, a small bit of Greenwood Lake could be seen.  The ridge that the A.T. follows rises to the west. 

Smoky is looking out for us

Sterling Lake

A tiny slice of Greenwood Lake

The Devil's Path in the distance

Slide Mountain

Manhattan's skyline

I love fire towers

1 comment:

  1. What did you do when you saw the bear? Scary.
    Greenwood Lake brings back probably my earliest memories. My aunt and uncle had a summer cottage there during the summer of 1972. That's where my uncle threw me in the lake and gave me a lifelong fear of water. Thanks Uncle Jack!!!

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