From the trailhead, head east on the aqua-blazed Long Path, which follows a woods road. In 0.2 mile, you'll cross under a power line, and in another 0.8 mile, the trail crosses an intersecting woods road. To the left, the road (which is blazed white) leads in 0.2 mile to the open summit of Little Tor, which overlooks the Town of Haverstraw (you might want to take the short detour to Little Tor...
Hike Description:
From the trailhead, head east on the aqua-blazed Long Path, which follows a woods road. In 0.2 mile, you'll cross under a power line, and in another 0.8 mile, the trail crosses an intersecting woods road. To the left, the road (which is blazed white) leads in 0.2 mile to the open summit of Little Tor, which overlooks the Town of Haverstraw (you might want to take the short detour to Little Tor on the return trip); to the right, it leads to a small pond that was the water source for the former Katz mansion, which was demolished in the early 1970s by the Park.
After hiking for almost 2.5 miles along the woods road, follow the aqua blazes of the Long Path as it turns left, leaving the road, and climbs steeply on a footpath to the summit of High Tor. High Tor is the highest peak along the Palisades and its open, rocky summit affords spectacular views in all directions. The Hudson River vanishes to the north behind Dunderberg Mountain. Directly below, along the Hudson, is the Town of Haverstraw. The Indian Point nuclear plant (now closed) is visible across from Tomkins Cove. To the west, the rolling hills of the Ramapos and Harriman State Park may be seen. The polygonal pattern visible on the summit's rocks is a natural result of the cooling of the diabase that forms the Palisades. Colonists used the summit as a signal point during the Revolution, and it later was the site of an airplane beacon; the remains of the tower are still visible. The peak was the subject of Maxwell Anderson's play High Tor.
After spending some time at this beautiful spot, return to the trailhead the way you came. Along the way, you can take the short detour on the white-blazed trail to the summit of Little Tor, which also offers panoramic views.
Publication: Submitted by Daniel Chazin on 11/21/2023This hike climbs to High Tor, with its spectacular views, from the west, following a woods road for most of the way.