June 5, 2021 – Putnam Valley, NY
Issue: Average – strenuous
Size: Roughly 4 miles
Max elevation: 935 ft.– whole elevation acquire roughly 922 ft.
Route kind: Double Lollipop Loop
Free Internet Map: Granite Mountain Protect Path Map 2020
Free Avenza App Map: Granite Mountain Protect Path Map – 2020
Trailhead parking: Peekskill Hole Rd, Putnam Valley, NY 10579
No bogs on website
Protect Overview:
Granite Mountain Protect is a 400-acre protect that lies throughout the boundaries of the East Hudson Highlands in Putnam Valley, NY. Nestled between Oscawana Lake Highway and Peekskill Hole Highway, it’s simply north of the Westchester County border in Putnam County and west of the Taconic State Parkway. Granite Mountain Protect is owned and managed by Hudson Highlands Land Belief.
Granite Mountain Protect
Granite Mountain is situated throughout the Peekskill Hole Brook watershed, a part of each the Metropolis of Peekskill and City of Cortlandt consuming water techniques. Granite Mountain Protect incorporates two peaks that rise greater than 900 ft and is dominated by a northern hardwood forest that features purple and chestnut oak, hickory, tulip and sugar maple together with marshy wetlands and streams. The property additionally gives a superb fowl habitat and is understood for its species-rich assortment of flora.
The protect features a community of nicely marked woodland mountaineering trails, a brand new parking space and kiosk, making it a publicly accessible open house providing quite a few non-motorized leisure alternatives. Granite Mountain Protect is open from daybreak to nightfall, seven days every week.
Granite Mountain Protect
Historical past:
The earliest inhabitants of the world have been members of the Canopus group of the Nochpeem band of the “Wappinger Indian Confederacy.” As a part of the Mohican nation, they spoke the Algonkian language.
The footpaths made by the Native People often adopted the stream valleys. The primary settlers adopted these footpaths and in the midst of time, they grew to become the roads we all know at present as Peekskill Hole, Canopus Hole and Oscawana Lake roads.
Dutch and English farmers moved into the world towards the top of the seventeenth Century. In 1697, the Highland Patent was granted to Adolph Philipse. The primary settlers arrived round 1740. Underneath the Philipse Patent, the earliest European settlers within the space have been the tenant farmers who leased tracts of land from the Philipse household in the course of the first half of the eighteenth century and set concerning the enterprise of clearing the rugged land for farming.
Regardless of such bodily circumstances as rocky soil and steep slopes which made farming a troublesome occupation in Putnam Valley, its settlers have been an industrious lot who cleared a lot of the land which has now been reforested. They raised corn, buckwheat, rye, oats, potatoes and turnips, together with a lot of lesser crops.
The entire Protect, like your complete area, was harvested for lumber, firewood and charcoal at varied occasions all through the 18th and nineteenth centuries. Many of the Protect, presumably, was deforested all through the 1800’s for agriculture and timber harvesting, and stonewalls have been constructed largely in affiliation with farming. The most important timber rising within the Protect now are roughly 100 ft tall. The bulk are probably no older than 100 years although some “wolf timber” could date to over a century.
In 2017, the Hudson Highlands Land Belief (HHLT) acquired three land parcels on Granite Mountain to create the Granite Mountain Protect and completely preserve 358 acres. In late 2018, they introduced the growth of the Protect to 400 acres with the addition of an adjoining parcel.
The property included a community of casual trails, which have since been improved to higher defend the property’s pure sources and improve the customer expertise. Enhancements embody: the development of latest sustainable trails, together with stone steps and rerouting some preexisting trails. Among the work was carried out by Tahawus Trails LLC, a full-service path design, development, and consulting firm based mostly in New York State.
A brand new welcome signal close to the principle gate on Peekskill Hole Highway was put in and a brand new parking/entry space simply previous the principle gate was accomplished on the finish of 2018. Joshua Uchetel, a scout from Putnam Valley Boy Scouts of America Troop 41, designed and constructed a brand new informational kiosk beside the car parking zone, which can provide useful info to assist friends plan their go to.
HHLT can also be working with Putnam County on a administration settlement for adjoining land, which can deliver the Protect to greater than 500 acres in whole.
Trails Overview:
There are roughly 5 miles of maintained, marked trails by means of wealthy, rocky woodlands, resulting in rugged hilltops with restricted views. The path system consists of a community of woods roads and footpaths which are divided into three completely different coloration closed loops for mountaineering: a southern inexperienced path loop, a yellow path loop to Lookout Level, and a northern purple path loop. Connector trails hyperlink the three loops.
Granite Mountain Protect Path Map 2020
The paths are nicely maintained and clearly marked with Hudson Highlands Land Belief plastic discs of assorted colours with picket indicators at path junctions.
Path markers – Hudson Highlands Land Belief
Path indicators – Granite Mountain Protect
Hike Overview:
The principle entrance to the Protect, marked with a “Welcome to Granite Mountain Protect” signal, is situated reverse Jeanne Drive and throughout the road from 500 Peekskill Hole Highway in Putnam Valley. You should definitely enter “Granite Mountain Protect” into Google Maps as simply “Granite Mountain” will lead you to the unsuitable location. The brand new entry space and car parking zone is situated inside the principle gate.
Granite Mountain Protect
There’s room for about 8 autos within the small lot. After we arrived at 8 am on a June Saturday morning, there was one automotive already there. After we have been achieved, simply earlier than 11 am, ours was the one car within the lot.
Parking zone – Granite Mountain Protect
It’s all the time a good suggestion to print out a map beforehand as there have been none on the kiosk on the day of our go to.
Granite Mountain Protect
This hike covers the Yellow and Pink Path loops, each achieved counterclockwise. The Yellow Path was accomplished first, then the Pink Path. Each trails have reasonable elevation positive factors, but it surely does add up.
Granite Mountain Protect
The Pink-Yellow Path, which begins on the parking space, is probably the most strenuous a part of the hike. It positive factors roughly 400 ft of elevation in about 1/2 a mile.
elevation profile – Granite Mountain Protect
It was a sizzling and humid day with temps reaching 90°, we began the hike early and have been achieved by 11 am. Though we labored up a sweat, the shaded trails all through this hike offered safety from the solar. The car parking zone can also be shaded so we didn’t come again to a blazing sizzling car.
The Hike:
From the parking space, head in direction of the kiosk and switch left onto a footpath the place you will note triple purple and yellow blazes on a tree. That is the beginning of the Pink-Yellow Path which connects the parking space to the inside of the protect. You may be following the Pink-Yellow Path for the primary 1/2-mile of the hike. The path climbs stone steps and shortly turns left. Because the path approaches non-public property, it turns proper on a switchback. The path continues to climb, sidehilling the steep slope.
Trailhead – Granite Mountain Protect
Trailhead – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Because the path steepens, there are stone steps constructed into the path that acquire elevation shortly. Quickly the path switchbacks once more and continues its steep climb on a woods street that parallels an intermittent mountain stream. In a couple of 1/2-mile from the beginning, the Pink-Yellow Path involves a junction with the decrease leg of the Yellow Path.
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Proceed straight previous the junction with the decrease leg of the Yellow Path for an additional 500 ft. You’ll arrive at a T-intersection, the place the Pink-Yellow Path turns proper. You’ll come again to this junction later, however for now, flip left on the higher leg of the Yellow Path, heading in direction of Lookout Rock. After crossing an intermittent stream on rocks, you’ll see triple yellow blazes on a tree.
Proceed straight previous the junction with the decrease leg of the Yellow Path
Flip left on the Yellow Path in direction of Lookout Rock
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Observe the yellow blazes as they weave their method by means of the woods. The path continues to climb, however on a extra reasonable grade. Because the path begins to go north, it passes over a an previous stone wall. On the high of the rise, the path reaches the northernmost part of the protect and turns left, bordering one other stone wall.
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Quickly the path begins to go in a southerly path. The path loops round, avoiding the true summit of Granite Mountain and shortly parallels one other stone wall. A brief distance later, the path reaches Lookout Rock.
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Lookout Rock – Granite Mountain Protect
Lookout Rock – Granite Mountain Protect
This keyhole viewpoint from Lookout Rock gives southeast-facing restricted views. Throughout leaf off season the view must be significantly better. This makes a great place to take a break and relaxation from the climb. You may have now hiked about 1.3 miles.
Lookout Rock – Granite Mountain Protect
When you find yourself able to proceed, observe the Yellow Path because it begins to descend, passing Mountain Laurel alongside the facet of the path.
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
In about 250 yards from Lookout Rock, the Yellow Path involves a junction with the beginning of the Inexperienced-Yellow Path, marked with blazes and picket indicators. Flip left at this junction to stay on the Yellow Path.
Flip left to stay on Yellow Path
Flip left to stay on Yellow Path
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Because the path descends alongside the jap slope of Granite Mountain, the forest turns into extra dense. After a number of slight ups and downs, the path descends to recross the intermittent stream on rocks and the Yellow Path ends on the junction with the Pink-Yellow Path, closing the loop.
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Flip left on the Pink-Yellow Path and head uphill for an additional 500 ft. You’ll arrive on the T-intersection that you simply encountered earlier within the hike. This time flip proper in direction of the Pink Loop.
Terminus of Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Flip proper in direction of Pink Loop
Observe the Pink-Yellow Path for about 140 ft till its terminus at a collapsed stone wall. The Pink Path Loop begins on the opposite facet of the wall. After passing by means of the stone wall, flip proper on the Pink Path and observe it uphill because it travels on a woods street.
Pink-Yellow Path – Granite Mountain Protect
After passing by means of the stone wall, flip proper on the Pink Path
Flip proper on the Pink Path
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Quickly the path ranges off because it sidehills the slope, heading in a northeasterly path.
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Trying up on the steep slope in direction of the summit, one can see cave-like openings within the granite rock formations.
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
The path runs alongside the jap border of the the protect and shortly begins a gradual ascent. The path quickly passes by means of a grassy space bounded on all sides by stone partitions then veers left and begins to climb some extra. The path passes by means of a stone wall then over one other stone wall.
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Because the path bends to the west, it ranges off and begins a gradual descent. In about 0.8-mile, the Pink Path closes the loop on the collapsed stone wall that you simply handed by means of earlier.
Pink Path – Granite Mountain Protect
Flip proper, leaving the Pink Path, crossing by means of the collapsed stone wall and start retracing your steps on the Pink-Yellow Path. While you attain the junction with the Yellow Path, flip left to stay on the Pink-Yellow Path. Observe the purple/yellow blazes downhill, now retracing your steps again to the parking space, the place the hike started.
Flip proper on Pink-Yellow Path
Flip left to stay on Pink-Yellow Path
Trailhead – Granite Mountain Protect
Parking zone – Granite Mountain Protect
Overview:
Though the one view on this hike is just not a lot to talk of, this was a very good hike. The paths are nicely marked and the protect was freed from litter. The panorama is scenic and the elevation acquire will get your coronary heart pumping. We solely encountered two folks whereas we have been there and for probably the most half, had the place to ourselves. The bonus was that on a sizzling and humid day, your complete hike was within the shade.
Execs:
Effectively marked trails, litter free, nicely maintained protect, Trails are shaded all through.
Cons:
Partial views.
Take a hike!
Granite Mountain Protect
Sources:
