| Arden Valley Road | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Maintained by Palisades Interstate Park Commission | |
| Length: | 5.1 mi[1] (8.2 km) |
| Existed: | 1930 – present |
| Major junctions | |
| West end: | NY 17 in Southfields |
| East end: | Seven Lakes Drive in Harriman St. Pk. |
| Location | |
| Counties: | Orange |
| Highway system | |
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Numbered highways in New York |
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Arden Valley Road is a scenic road located in Southfields, New York, United States, that travels through Harriman State Park and is owned by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. At 5.1 miles (8.2 km) long, it begins at New York State Route 17 (NY 17) in Southfields and ends at Seven Lakes Drive in Harriman State Park. The road is located entirely in Orange County and is home to the Elk's Pen Trailhead in Harriman State Park. In 1927, plans arose to construct the road, which was built in 1930 and stretched along the borderline with the Harriman estate. Major William A. Welch ordered 75 elk from Yellowstone National Park to be placed in a wired cage between Arden and Southfields in 1919. After the elk were gone by 1942, the area became known as Elk's Pen Trailhead.
Contents |
Arden Valley Road begins at an intersection with NY 17 in Southfields. The road immediately becomes concurrent with the Appalachian Trail, a roughly 2,100-mile (3,400 km)[2] trail spanning the eastern United States.[3] The road heads into Harriman State Park and crosses a pain of train tracks before passing over the New York State Thruway. The highway continues along the border of Harriman State Park; at the Elk's Pen Trailhead, the Appalachian Trail leaves Arden Valley Road and heads into park.[3]
The road intersects with Island Pond Road, a dirt path in Harriman, as it heads along the border.[3] Arden Valley Road intersects with Crooked Road thereafter. Harris Mine is visible to the left as the road proceeds around the base of Echo Mountain. To the southeast of Lindley Mountain, Arden Valley Road turns east and into the park. Arden Valley Road passes Lake Cohasset and Upper Lake Cohasset as it heads eastward. The road intersects with the Long Path and Ramapo-Dunderberg–Appalachian Trails soon afterward. Bradley Mine is visible to the left, and Arden Valley Road comes to an end at Tiorati Circle. The road continues eastward as Tiorati Brook Road.[3]
Arden Valley Road also serves a trout stocking area for the Ramapo River.[4]
Plans to build Arden Valley Road originated in 1927 after Roland Harriman sold Island Pond to the Park.[5] The road was built in 1930, extending along the borderline with the Harriman estate. Originally, one had to cross the Erie Railroad tracks and the Ramapo River to continue along Arden Valley Road. This was remedied by building an underpass under the Erie Railroad and a ford over the Ramapo River. When the New York State Thruway was built in 1953, it included the ford that stands to this date.[5]
In 1919, Major William A. Welch ordered 75 elk from Yellowstone National Park;[5] however, some had died en route. The remaining elk were kept in a wired cage between Arden and Southfields. By 1935, some of the animals were still alive. However, by 1942, all of the elk had died. The remaining area is now known as the Elk's Pen Trailhead, which serves the Appalachian and Arden-Surebridge Trails. The remains of the pen still currently stand.[5]
| County | Location | Mile[1] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange |
Southfields | 0.00 | NY 17 | Western terminus of Arden Valley Road. |
| Harriman State Park | 5.1 | Seven Lakes Drive / Tiorati Brook Road | Eastern terminus of Arden Valley Road. | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | ||||