New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
Stockbridge Mountain/Nawahunta Fire Road Loop from Silvermine Picnic Area
Directions to trailhead
Follow N.J. Route 17 north to the New York State Thruway and take the first exit, Exit 15A (Sloatsburg). Turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto N.Y. Route 17 north, and continue through the Village of Sloatsburg. Just past the village, turn right at the traffic light, following the sign for Seven Lakes Drive/Harriman State Park. Continue along Seven Lakes Drive for about 12 miles to the Silvermine Picnic Area, on the right side of the road (the Silvermine Picnic Area is 2.1 miles beyond the Tiorati Circle). Park in the southwest corner of the large parking area (a parking fee is charged on weekends in the summer).
Hike Description
From the parking area, proceed west (parallel to Seven Lakes Drive) on a woods road that goes through a picnic area, following the yellow blazes of the Menomine Trail. Just beyond a cable barrier, the trail turns right, climbs a slope, crosses a paved road (the entrance road to an abandoned parking area for the former Silvermine Ski Area) and enters a pine grove. On the right is a stone marking the grave of James H. (“Scobie Jim”) Lewis, who once farmed the area now covered by Lake Nawahunta.
Follow the Menomine Trail as it crosses Seven Lakes Drive and continues ahead on a woods road, known as the Nawahunta Fire Road. After passing a cellar hole (believed to be the remains of the Lewis family home) on the left, you’ll come to a fork. Here, the yellow-blazed Menomine Trail bears left, but you should take the right fork, leaving the blazed trail and continuing on the unmarked woods road.
In another 700 feet, you’ll notice a small cairn on the right side of trail and an unmarked trail leading to the right. Here, in about 50 feet, is a rock cut angled into the hillside which marks the Lewis Mine (there are also scattered tailings – small pieces of discarded rock – in front of the mine). After exploring this interesting feature, continue ahead on the pleasant grassy woods road (built by the park as a fire road in 1954). The road climbs gradually for about a mile, then descends for a quarter of a mile.
At the base of the descent, turn sharply left (south) onto the aqua-blazed Long Path (heading north, the Long Path joins the fire road). Follow the aqua blazes through a low-lying area, with some wet sections. The trail crosses an underground stream, then begins to climb steadily.
After reaching a high point and de
scending a little, you’ll cross a relatively level area. A rock ledge marks the end of the level area. Here, on the left is the Stockbridge Cave Shelter – a natural rock overhang, with a stone fireplace built in.
The Long Path steeply climbs the ledge, levels off briefly, then climbs a little more to reach the northern summit of Stockbridge Mountain (elevation 1,320 feet). Just beyond, you’ll descend slightly to reach the stone Stockbridge Shelter, built in 1928. The Long Path now steeply descends a rock ledge and continues down to a level area, where a triple-yellow blaze marks the start of the Menomine Trail.
Turn left onto the Menomine Trail, which descends on an old woods road. It soon bears left and levels off, then turns right and resumes its descent. After leveling off, the trail passes through a pine grove and crosses the outlet of Lake Nawahunta. The trail briefly parallels the lake, then bears right onto the Nawahunta Fire Road, which it follows to Seven Lakes Drive.
Now retracing your steps, follow the yellow blazes across the road and back to the parking area where the hike began.