4. Anthony's Nose

Distance:	Dayhike
Difficulty :	Moderate for children
Distance :	2.2 miles, round trip
Hiking time :	1.5 hours
High point/elevation gain :	900 feet, 700 feet
Hikable :	March-December
Map :	NY-NJ Trail Conference Map 1

In twenty minutes, you and your kids could watch two-thirds of a sitcom, lose $7 or $8 at a video arcade, or be halfway to Anthony's Nose. It's up to you. This being a hiking guide, we'll elaborate on the third option. You follow the famous Appalachian Trail for the first 0.5 mile, and then a gently rising woods road brings you to the tip of the big guy's nose. (Who was Anthony and why is this place named after his nose? There are many stories, but in truth, nobody really knows.) Here, the kids will have a giant's perspective on two impressive sights, one natural and one man-made: Bear Mountain and the bridge of the same name that spans the Hudson River. Bring binoculars to survey the countryside, extra shoes for wading in the frog pond, and containers for collecting blueberries at the summit (if you hike in midsummer).

The choice is yours, of course. Watching a rerun of "Three's Company'' does sound tempting. . . .

From New York City, take the Thruway (I-87) north to Exit 9 in Tarrytown. Follow US 9 north to Peekskill and turn left onto the combined US 6 and US 202 just north of Peekskill, as US 9 continues straight (north). Follow US 6 and US 202 to the Bear Mountain Bridge, but do not cross the bridge. From the junction of US 6, US 202, and NY-9D on the east side of the Bear Mountain Bridge, follow NY-9D north. Watch for the Putnam County line and a sign with a hiker symbol 0.2 mile from the bridge. Drive another 0.1 mile and park in a small turnout on the right side of the road. (No parking on the roadway from midnight to 7 a.m.)

Carefully backtrack on NY-9D for 0.1 mile to the trailhead, indicated by the sign with the hiker symbol and the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail (AT) on a telephone pole. Head northward up a wooded slope. Quickly, the rocky path bends left (north). On the right, a rock slide tumbles down the hillside toward you; on the left, a side path descends to the road. The kids can search along the trail for sturdy walking sticks to assist them on the climb.

At 0.2 mile, a trail sign announces that Viewpoint Trail is 0.4 mile away and Hemlock Springs campsite is another mile beyond that. As you mount stone steps, you pass interesting ledge formations on the left. How many tiny caves can you find? What types of animals might live in these caves? The rugged trail levels momentarily and then scrambles up another natural rock stairway through groves of mature hemlocks. Hemlocks, which are capable of surviving under the shaded canopy of the forest, thrive—like these have—once they are exposed to more direct sunlight.

The trail meets a woods road 0.5 mile from the start. As the white-blazed AT turns left (northwest), you turn right (southeast) and follow the wide road that leads in 0.6 mile to Anthony's Nose. The road rises gently and, 0.25 mile from the junction, passes a tiny frog pond on the left. What types of water creatures can the kids find? Remind turtle hunters that a turtle's shell is not its house, as many people assume, but is actually part of the turtle itself. Be careful when you handle one. Where do you think turtles (and frogs) hide during the winter months? (Under the mud at the bottom of the pond!)

The sometimes-grassy road winds leisurely through the woods, giving no indication of the approaching ridge. Look at the different types of trees that make up this forest. Get silly: if you were a tree, what kind would you be? Why? Get serious: how do deciduous trees benefit by shedding their leaves each fall? (Once the leaves have fallen off, the tree's interior is sealed off from the frost and snow. Also, less snow accumulates on bare branches, thus fewer branches break off.) Whoever answered that question correctly can take over as hike leader!

At 1 mile, the trail crests, then switches up a gentle slope to reach Anthony's Nose, a broad, exposed area that nourishes a few stunted oak and birch trees. The ledges drop in tiers toward the lovely western view, and are safe for children to carefully explore. Look across the Hudson River and the Bear Mountain Bridge to formidable Bear Mountain, and pass around the binoculars. Who can spot the observation tower on top? Does anyone hear the lonely whistle of a train? In late June and early July, pick from the abundant lowbush blueberries.

Return to your car the way you came.

Note: For more information, contact Hudson Highlands State Park; in 1998, Anthony's Nose was transferred to this park from military hands.