Can’t help but wonder where Harriman State Park got the name Lemon Squeezer from. Was from the Lemon Song by Led Zeppelin? I’m not sure, but I do know that I do enjoy a good exciting geological element to my hike. The park is sprawling and has many miles of trails, it is very important to have a map with you. Parking at the Elk Pen lot and take off on the Appalachian Trail is a great place to start your exploration – where I started and ended a 7 ½ mile loop gaining almost 2,000’ elevation. Walking through the meadow on the AT, signs will assure you are headed in the right direction.
Pass a scenic pond and an interesting manmade stone structure.
Arrive at the Lemon Squeezer, a fun scramble squeeze combo and an interesting geological formation.
After your fun squeezing around, you can turn right on to the red triangle trail, and another right on the lichen trail blazed with a blue L. Spy a red dragon fly.
See some serene Hudson Valley views.
Enjoy the low lying brush and bare rock.
Another right on the Ramapo-Dunderberg trail blazed with a red dot in the center of a white circle. Follow the yellow blazed dunning trail, even when accompanied by white. Be sure to check out the neat cave, just off the trail.
A perfectly round pond will make an appearance and soon after, the yellow trail ends.
From this point, pick up the white nurian trail heading left, sometimes marked with an N. The end of the hike follows some babbling brook and is home to many happy singing birds. Turn right onto the red stripe (makes me miss Jamaica) trail, which joins the red triangle trail, and leads into the AT running through the meadow, which puts your right back at your car thoroughly hiked.
Good to know:
*Free parking from NY-17, turn onto Arden Valley Road Tuxedo, NY
*When on Arden Valley Road the lot comes up quickly after passing the Rangers Cabin you take the bridge over the thruway, then it is the next right on Elk Pen road.
Although I have run or hiked every trail mile in Harriman State Park – and some many times over – this area is one of the coolest. Island Pond with it’s aqueduct ruins, the Lemon Squeezer, Green Pond (lovely!), the Boston Mine, Bald Rocks, and of course, the Lichen Trail. You get to see a lot in a relatively short hike. Next time you’re in the area, please reach out!