Breakneck Ridge Trail
by Dan Cummings (16)
31 minutes ago

3 Completed 1 Reviews

This hike was absolutely amazing. If you are in the area, I highly recommend doing it.

Breakneck Ridge Trail
by Petro Polyakov (13)
28 days ago

1 Completed 1 Reviews

I ve been there few times with my buddies its a great hike

Breakneck Ridge Trail
by Tibor Stotz (1556)
about 1 month ago

64 Completed 46 Reviews

Out and back

Breakneck Ridge Trail
by Elspeth Rountree (159)
about 1 month ago

4 Completed 3 Reviews

An intense, wonderful hike. Really gorgeous and you feel like you've accomplished something! Great day trip from NYC.

Breakneck Ridge Trail
by Cheryl Oropal (219)
about 1 month ago

17 Completed 6 Reviews

This trail is so major AWESOME!!! Feel like I'm gonna cry for my " New York State....of Mind".[ I miss it, and New England, so bad and may be coming back; about to apply to SUNY Purchase and Potsdam for Creative Writing BA/BFA and possibly UCONN, Univ. of Vermont or Maine-the Stephen King school, among others like U of Oregon and U Cal Berkeley. New Mexico State University's more the agricultural/bioscience/engineering school and teacher's college- Not much of a creative/liberal arts university at all!].

Anyway, I have not hiked this in years, but it is very popular with city dwellers on the weekends. Take the Taconic State Pkwy. from New York City/White Plains and exit at SR 301/Cold Spring-Carmel; or from Danbury or Newtown, Connecticut, take the I-84 Freeway west to Beacon, New York Exit 11. Turn left onto SR 9-D and go about 5.5 to 6 miles south; past Beacon Village. You can park along SR 9-D just north of tunnel on the river side of road. MASS TRANSIT: Metro-North Commuter Rail Road-Hudson Valley Line from Grand Central Terminal at E. 42nd St. in Manhattan. Ask conductor to make " flag stop" at Breakneck Ridge one stop north of Cold Spring Station [ Train only stops here on weekends]; I'm guessing a two hour train ride from New York, NY. Be sure to take Poughkeepsie-bound train; not Croton-Harmon! [www.mta.info]

There are two trailheads leading to the top of Breakneck Ridge Summit. The first of which is the White Trail, a REALLY STEEP trail which starts just north of tunnel through mountain on SR 9-D on the left. The alternative way to the summit is the Yellow Trail to Red Trail; the trailhead being about 0.5 mile north of the tunnel on the east side of SR 9-D; just south of the " flag stop" RR station. Going this way to summit, you take the Yellow Trail about 0.5 mile until you see the Red Trail on your right; at which point you turn right and follow the Red Trail to Breakneck Mtn. summit. The Red Trail has sections which require some scrambling, but not nearly as rugged as the White Trail!

WARNING: the white trail is extremely strenuous! That and major slippery when wet or snow-covered; even when dry you will use both hands and feet.[Perhaps it's the closest thing in the east resembling those Pacific Coast trails near Big Sur, California; besides those in Maine's Acadia Natl. Park?]When going to White Trail, be forewarned; there are between three to five " false summits" before you finally reach the top! There is a much-longer route by way of the White and/or Yellow Trail; one in which the two connect. However, I never went farther than the summit of Breakneck. Search the following for more into on all Breakneck Trails[http://www.nynjtc.org/hike/breakneck-ridge-trail?gclid=CIP7ysqOn7YCFad_QgodfkcAkQ or search for New York-New Jersey Trail Conference].

Last time I hiked Breakneck in 2001, I took the easier way to the summit, the Yellow Trail to the Red Trail. The Red can still be wicked during wet weather and/or in snow; but it is much easier than the White Trail! That is, unless you have good knees and are up for the challenge of challenges; or want to get out all that anger toward your boss or the professor who failed you! Fall is most awesome to hike this trail! The foliage is simply awesome to the max; reds, oranges, yellows, even purple-colored leaves sometimes.[Here in the west, all we see is yellows; and some reds with the Aspen leaves above 9,000 ft. elevation in the Gila and Lincoln National Forests as well as up in Colorado west of Denver and Boulder.] Be prepared, as I've seen snow atop Breakneck Ridge as early as November.

Breakneck Ridge Trail
by Jesse Lash (78)
about 1 month ago

1 Completed 1 Reviews

Still lots of snow on the ground at the end of March. Great hike, but make sure you have good footwear for the rock scramble. Melting snow + rocks = wet and sometimes slippery terrain.

Breakneck Ridge Trail
by Dan Piper (373)
3 months ago

8 Completed 8 Reviews

Great trail. Perfect way to start the spring hiking season. Rock scrambles, views, wooded trails and mountain streams. This place has it all. Def one of my favorites......

Breakneck Ridge Trail
by msmaria . (17)
3 months ago

1 Completed 1 Reviews

Probably one of my favorite to do- because of the rock scrambling and the views at the top. its such a great workout. good thing about it is that there are various ways people can climb- an alternate route for people who don't want to challenge themselves.

always take a map. ascending up is pretty much clear and the most populated- but once you reach the top- it is fairly easy to lose the markers for the red trail to yellow so keep your eyes out.

Mount Beacon
by Dan Piper (373)
3 months ago

8 Completed 8 Reviews

Very nice hike for both adults and kids. I do this hike often both with my dog and my 10 year old.Works well for family bonding time. For more experienced hikers, try going in at Breakneck and following the ridge to Mt. Beacon. If you attempt this route, prepair for an overnighter.

Mount Beacon
by Alison Hainzl (1674)
4 months ago

17 Completed 4 Reviews

Hiked this trail yesterday. It's a steep trek up but the pay off is superb. The trail between the railway powerhouse and the fire tower is much easier. Climb the fire tower for even better views.