Appalachian Trail Rerouted on West Mountain in Harriman State Park

December 07, 2011
Georgette Weir
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

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Appalachian Trail Rerouted on West Mountain in Harriman State Park

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Crew members relocate the AT on West Mountain. Photo by Ann Kinney.

Enthusiastic volunteers combined with good weather toresult in early completion of a long-awaited relocation of an Appalachian Trail section on West Mountain in Harriman State Park. The new route follows a more gradual climb up (or down) West Mountain, replacing a steep section that was subject to severe erosion and was often muddy. It also incorporates a short section of the 1777W and truncates a section Fawn Trail. The area is just south of the AT’s crossing of Seven Lakes Drive, between West and Bear Mountains, and involved  0.85-mile of newly built and blazed trail.

The trail clearing and rock work was spearheaded by Chris Reyling, crew chief of the new Orange-Rockland Long Distance Trail Crew, and Larry Wheelock, West Hudson Program Coordinator, over three weekends, with great support from new crew volunteers. New blazes were quickly applied and old blazes eradicated by Gail Neffinger and volunteers of the OR AT Management Committee. George Perkinson, AT Trail Overseer from Rt. 17 to Bear Mountain Bridge commended all the volunteers for their quick work on this project.

From Seven Lakes Drive (AT southbound):
Just south of Seven Lakes Drive, the AT reaches a junction with the red-on-white-blazed 1777W Trail. It turns right, follows the 1777W Trail for about 0.1 mile, then turns left onto a short connector trail that takes the AT to the former route of the Fawn Trail. Here, the AT turns right and follows this route (now blazed only with the white blazes of the AT). In 0.2 mile, the Fawn Trail continues ahead, while the AT turns left and follows a newly-blazed route, ascending West Mountain on a more gradual grade, passing through open woods, traversing a rocky area, passing through a birch grove, and arriving at an open area with views, where it reconnects with the existing AT path.

 

Appalachian Trail - West Mountain Relocation Map