| The Hudson Highlands are the mountains on
| |
| | Wilkinson Memorial Trail offers access to
|
| both sides of the Hudson River in the
| |
| | the south summit.
|
| U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh
| |
| | The Wilkinson Trail can also be followed
|
| Bay and Haverstraw Bay. They are
| |
| | from its southern terminus at Route 9D
|
| generally accepted as starting in the
| |
| | south of the city, or its northern end
|
| south at Dunderberg Mountain on the west
| |
| | near US 9 in Putnam County. Both routes
|
| side of the river near Stony Point and
| |
| | require more time and distance, however.
|
| ending to the north at Sour Mountain near
| |
| | Breakneck Ridge is a mountain along the
|
| Fishkill. They have played important
| |
| | Hudson River between Beacon and Cold
|
| parts in America's military, cultural and
| |
| | Spring, New York, along the boundary
|
| environmental history.
| |
| | between Dutchess and Putnam counties. Its
|
| Formed when glaciers cut through the
| |
| | distinctive rocky cliffs are visible for
|
| Appalachian Mountains here, the Highlands
| |
| | a long distance when approached from the
|
| are among the lowest summits in that
| |
| | south, and together with Storm King
|
| range (indeed, the Appalachian Trail
| |
| | Mountain on the opposite bank of the
|
| reaches its lowest elevation in the
| |
| | river forms Wey-Gat, or Wind Gate, the
|
| Trailside Zoo between Bear Mountain State
| |
| | picturesque northern gateway to the
|
| Park and Bear Mountain Bridge.
| |
| | Hudson Highlands.
|
| Conversely, the river becomes narrower
| |
| | It has several summits, the highest, some
|
| and deeper through the Highlands,
| |
| | distance inland, reaching approximately
|
| reaching its deepest point of 216 feet
| |
| | 1,260 feet (384 m) above sea level. The
|
| (66 m), near Garrison. Many stretches are
| |
| | southern face of the peak is remarkable
|
| challenging to navigate, earning
| |
| | for its striking cliffs, the result of
|
| nicknames like "World's End." History
| |
| | quarrying in past years.
|
| Henry Hudson and his crew on the Half
| |
| | Lying within Hudson Highlands State Park,
|
| Moon were the first Europeans to see the
| |
| | it offers many stunning views of the
|
| Highlands when they explored the river in
| |
| | river and region and is quite popular
|
| 1609.
| |
| | with hikers, to the point that a rail
|
| The mountains became strategically
| |
| | whistlestop has been established on the
|
| important during the American
| |
| | Metro North line which runs right by the
|
| Revolutionary War, when it was important
| |
| | base of the ridge along New York State
|
| for the Continental Army to hold the
| |
| | Route 9D.
|
| river valley and prevent the British from
| |
| | According to legend, Breakneck gets its
|
| cutting New England off from the rest of
| |
| | name from the same wild bull as
|
| the colonies. The Hudson River Chain was
| |
| | neighboring Bull Hill (also known as
|
| cast from nearby iron mines and stretched
| |
| | Mount Taurus), as the place where the
|
| across the river from the fort at West
| |
| | bull finally fell to its death.
|
| Point to prevent British ships from going
| |
| | Until at least the early 20th century,
|
| upriver. The fort is today the site of
| |
| | the mountain was also known as St.
|
| the United States Military Academy.
| |
| | Anthony's Face or Turk’s Face, after a
|
| Several decades after independence, some
| |
| | facelike stone formation on the southern
|
| painters in the new country showed
| |
| | cliffs that was destroyed by quarrymen in
|
| interest in depicting its wild and rugged
| |
| | 1901.
|
| landscapes, especially, at first, the
| |
| | Bull Hill, also unofficially known as
|
| Highlands with the stark contrasts and
| |
| | Mount Taurus, is a mountain north of the
|
| shadows they offered, in a way that
| |
| | village of Cold Spring on the Hudson
|
| suggested raw nature, a world reborn. A
| |
| | River in Putnam County in the U.S. state
|
| critic derisively referred to them as the
| |
| | of New York. It is part of the
|
| Hudson River School; the name stuck and
| |
| | river-straddling range known as the
|
| became the new nation's first homegrown
| |
| | Hudson Highlands.
|
| artistic movement.
| |
| | While not as well known as neighboring
|
| In the early 20th century, local
| |
| | Breakneck Ridge or Storm King Mountain
|
| conservationists began to press for
| |
| | across the river, it too is part of
|
| public ownership of the woods and
| |
| | Hudson Highlands State Park and has an
|
| mountains of the Highlands as development
| |
| | extensive trail system and offers hikers
|
| pressures loomed. Their efforts paid off
| |
| | sweeping views of the river and
|
| in the first of several state parks that
| |
| | neighboring peaks.
|
| now blanket the chain.
| |
| | A former quarry is visible on its south
|
| Later that century, an ambitious
| |
| | ridge.
|
| power-generating plan that would have dug
| |
| | The mountain supposedly gets its name
|
| into Storm King Mountain led to a
| |
| | from an errant bull chased through it by
|
| landmark lawsuit by environmental groups
| |
| | local farmers, the same bull whose end in
|
| that made history when the judge ruled
| |
| | a fall also gave Breakneck Ridge its
|
| that aesthetic impacts of such large
| |
| | name.
|
| projects could be considered.
| |
| | Anthony's Nose, a peak along the Hudson
|
| Beacon Mountain, sometimes Mount Beacon,
| |
| | River at the north end of Westchester
|
| is the highest peak of the Hudson
| |
| | County, New York, forms with Dunderberg
|
| Highlands, is just east of Beacon, New
| |
| | Mountain the South Gate of the Hudson
|
| York, in the Town of Fishkill. Its two
| |
| | Highlands. It forms a ridge running
|
| summits rise above the Hudson River
| |
| | northeast and southwest, being separated
|
| behind the city of Beacon and can easily
| |
| | from Canada Hill to the northeast by
|
| be seen from Newburgh across the river
| |
| | Copper Mine Brook and the "South Mountain
|
| and many other places in the region. The
| |
| | Pass", and being bordered on the
|
| more accessible northern peak, at 1,531
| |
| | southwest by the Hudson. The Hudson makes
|
| feet (467 m) above sea level, has a
| |
| | a turn around the southwestern tip, so
|
| complex of radio antennas on its summit;
| |
| | that the northwestern side also slopes
|
| the 1,610-foot (491 m) southern summit
| |
| | down to salt marshes along the river. On
|
| has a lookout tower.
| |
| | the southeastern side are Mine Mountain
|
| Between the two peaks is located one of
| |
| | and, across Broccy Creek, Manitou
|
| the city's main reservoirs. Since much of
| |
| | Mountain. Most of this land is part of
|
| the land on the mountains and up to the
| |
| | Camp Smith, a New York National Guard
|
| county line on neighboring Scofield Ridge
| |
| | reservation.
|
| is owned by the city to protect the
| |
| | U.S. Route 202/6 crosses the Hudson on
|
| watershed, an extensive system of roads
| |
| | the Bear Mountain Bridge to the western
|
| and trails makes it a popular hike. Both
| |
| | tip of the mountain, where it meets New
|
| summits afford extensive views of the
| |
| | York State Route 9D. 9D runs northeast
|
| mid-Hudson region.
| |
| | along the northwestern flank of the
|
| In the past, North Beacon was home to a
| |
| | mountain to Garrison, New York, while 202
|
| ski area, and the scars from the three
| |
| | /6 runs southwest, hugging the cliffs,
|
| ski trails can still be seen from the
| |
| | towards Peekskill. The main line of the
|
| north. There was also once an incline
| |
| | New York Central Railroad, now the
|
| railway, which stopped running in 1978.
| |
| | Metro-North Hudson Line, runs along the
|
| Its track can still be seen going up the
| |
| | mountain and passes under the western tip
|
| mountain and can be used to climb it,
| |
| | and the Bear Mountain Bridge by a tunnel.
|
| albeit steeply. At various other times in
| |
| | History The peak has been known as
|
| the past this summit housed a restaurant,
| |
| | Anthony's Nose since at least 1697, when
|
| a casino and a hotel.
| |
| | the name appears on a grant patent. The
|
| The mountains provided a key vantage
| |
| | eponymous Anthony has been suggested to
|
| point over the region and nearby river,
| |
| | be one Captain Anthony Hogans, who sailed
|
| lending it historic roles in the American
| |
| | past it "some years previous to the
|
| Revolution. Signal fires on the mountain
| |
| | Revolution" (if "some years" may include
|
| gave both it and the nearby city their
| |
| | over three-quarters of a century), or
|
| name.
| |
| | perhaps Saint Anthony, as a rock
|
| Approach The easiest way up the mountain
| |
| | formation called "Saint Anthony's Face"
|
| is a dirt road used by city employees
| |
| | existed on Breakneck Ridge nearby before
|
| doing maintenance work or inspections of
| |
| | its destruction by quarrying. Washington
|
| the reservoir. It is, however, closed to
| |
| | Irving's History of New-York satirically
|
| public vehicular use.
| |
| | attributes the name to one Anthony van
|
| The white-blazed Fishkill Ridge Trail
| |
| | Corlear.
|
| leaves from the end of Pocket Road on the
| |
| | One of the Hudson River Chains was
|
| west side of Beacon. It can be followed
| |
| | stretched from Fort Montgomery to the
|
| for a mile up misnamed Dry Brook to the
| |
| | foot of the mountain. The Bear Mountain
|
| reservoir road. At the reservoir good
| |
| | Bridge was later constructed along
|
| roads continue up to the north summit,
| |
| | approximately that alignment. An airway
|
| and at one corner the yellow-blazed
| |
| | beacon was once located atop the summit.
|
