Mount Beacon Gateway

A favorite hiking spot of mine is Mount Beacon, one of the highest peaks in the Hudson Highlands at 1,611 feet above sea level. There are two different levels to attempt with spectacular views on each. I access this hike by parking my vehicle at the Mount Beacon Parking Lot, located south of the village of Beacon (on the left hand side), on Route 9D. Once I climb the initial stair case, I am maneuvering through the twisty, rocky trails heading up a steep incline. Sturdy sneakers, plenty of water, and a snack are a must. Also, bringing a friend or two along is helpful for safety reasons or just to share this amazing journey with. It takes about one hour to reach the first level with the Casino Ruins and a beautiful view overlooking Beacon, Newburgh & parts the Hudson River. Although the view is amazing, I am disappointed to see graffiti all around & kept asking myself «Why would anyone want to deface such a wonderful view?» After staying there for a few minutes and breathing in the fresh mountain air; looking at the historical casino ruins; and taking in the overwhelmingly beautiful views– the site of the graffiti was overshadowed and I accepted the painted areas as part of my experience.
Peering up and to the left, sits the second level with the Fire Tower. Depending on the weather, and your ambition, I highly recommend you keep climbing! With a clear sky and a new burst of energy, I headed around the big boulder and followed the trail up to the very top. The trail narrows and becomes much more of a scramble. Keep an eye on the trail markers on the trees (RED). Eventually you will come to a tree with 3 WHITE trail markers shaped like an arrow pointing to the direction of the Fire Tower (on my right). My excitement to get to the top took over and I wanted to quicken my pace despite the more challenging trail; however, once I looked down and realized there is real danger here, I watched every step I took and placed my hands carefully down to pull myself up. This part is much more rugged. I finally reached the top peak and the panoramic view was totally worth it! Absolutely breathtaking!
I continued to climb the steps of the Fire Tower and took an enormous breath at the top and was in complete amazement at the wonderment of this view. There are no words to describe the beauty I was able to behold. GORGEOUS! TOTALLY worth the extra 30 minute hike from level one. It is definitely more windy and cooler at this level so a light weight jacket is recommended. Plan on spending some time at the top; you will definitely want to remember every second of it. The hike back down was challenging, requiring me to sit down and slide in some spots. I did encounter a small snake at the very top basking in the sun on a rock. FYI– the only other down fall besides the graffiti, is that there is only one port-​a-​potty available at the base of the mountain and was not well kept. All in all though, the hike is so worth your time. Plan about 3 – 4 hours to complete both levels.
If you are looking for a great workout and a fun way to spend it, climbing Mount Beacon is the way to go!

It’s a hike for a reason, y’all. I read the three starred reviews and just basically imagining dudes who are normally not into hiking but decided to see how far those finely office toned legs can get them. No worries guys. I’m on the same boat. Except I knew what I was in for.
Water? Check.
Bug repellent? Check.
–There’s mosquitos in the wild and heavily wooded areas? So that’s star deduction? C’mon now guy.
Suitable clothes for a hike? Check.
Some sort of expectation that this isn’t a walk in the park? Obviously checked.
But in all seriousness, just getting to the overlook was no joke.
Large boulders, steep inclines, and rocky roads.
While it was a somewhat easy ascension (for me), the descend had my legs feeling like wet noodles.
Girlfriend and I were both pretty worn by the time we reached Overlook, so as much as I had liked to stare at the Fire Tower and imagine I’m ballsy enough to climb that metal hunk of stairs, we walked back to my car, blasted the ac, and sat there about 10minutes before continuing on our day.

In a region known for its hiking trails and amazing views, this is one you absolutely cannot miss. You’re going to sweat, you’re going to slipping on some rocks, and you’re going to be cursing while asking «How far am I from the peak?!?» but at the end, the reward is worth it. This is absolutely one of the most breathtaking views you can get of Hudson River and surrounding areas (Storm King, etc.).
The main trail (from the base to the summit and back) is approximately 2.5 miles total, while the extended course is closer to 4.5 miles (round trip). If you’re just into a quick hike and view then the main trail is perfect. If you want to extend your day and sweat even more then go for the 2^nd part. If you’re ambitious and end up doing that, you’ll end up at the fire tower — a tall viewing tower from which you can (allegedly) see all the way to NYC on a clear day. Either way, you’re going to get a great workout and you won’t be disappointed by the end result!
Bring a hiking stick, water, sunblock, and the enthusiastic energy you’ll need to complete this trail!

Amazing Hike!
1) This hike has rock scramble, ruins, overlooks, and a fire tower you can climb. What else do you want in a hike.
2) Use the red trail all the way to see the ruins and overlooks, however for the fire tower you want to use the red trail until you see the well marked white trail. The white trail will directly take you to the fire tower. The fire tower makes this place one of my most favorite hikes.
3) They have a large parking space, and a large porter potty which is clean.

Maybe we shouldn’t be rating hiking trails, but one could say the same about subways, so if it’s here, I’ll review it. Just wait until i give the state of New Jersey three stars.
It’s a mile and a half from the train, so if you don’t want to hike to the hike, take a cab from the train station to avoid the uphill part. If you choose, you can break up the return walk with a Main Street detour.
This was steep, at least by my standards. There were a lot of rocks but the trail was basically navigable. I’m not sure if it’s my fault or theirs but I thought it was a mile to the summit, not the lookout. The lookout is outstanding. I didn’t really add much value by continuing up the mountain from there. This isn’t a state park with generous «you are here» signs and I was unclear about my proximity to the fire tower. This led me to discover an odd quirk, pretty good wireless coverage, so I was able to find a site that let me know I wouldn’t get to the tower and back before dark.
The wisdom of Unilocal scholars might help me decide whether I should deduct points for the excessive mosquitoes. I don’t know if I should take off stars for nature but I do know this was one of the worst bug attacks I’ve encountered outside Florida. I am taking off points for the unmarked trails past the lookout and the multitude of ATVs (and the occasional SUV.)

I haven’t been to the top yet, but I can definitely vouch for the beauty of this place from the bottom! :) I understand they’re trying to rebuild the railway that used to take visitors to the top and I hope to be one of the first up there when it happens! This place is gorgeous and full of history and even though it sounds like a long climb, it’s definitely on my list of things to do!

This is an awesome hike with awesome views, but you must first be prepared with water, good climbing shoes, snacks for more energy, and TP and sanitizer for the port-​o-​potty! It is quite strenuous, no matter what you read here by others who had not finished the hike. And at the top where the funicular and casino had once been, you can choose to continue another 35 minutes to the fire tower (it looks further away than it is!) for even better views. Bring your camera for some fantastic panoramic views! Did OK going up, but it took about 50 minutes, stopping every once in a while to catch my breath. On the way down nearing the end, my legs were jelly, but all in all, quite an accomplishment!

There are places that you seek out to visit and then there are those that you spontaneously encounter. Mount Beacon falls into the latter category, a «Hey, let’s quickly stop the car, pull over and see what this is all about» kind of spot.
Which is exactly what I did, unprepared for any kind of strenuous or challenging hike involving steep degrees, former railroad tracks and exertion.
So I didn’t make it to the top nor did I try. What I did do was climb the staircase and make it to the first scenic lookout. It was at that point that the staircase ended and the decision was made to return to the base instead of ascending higher and higher like a Jackie Wilson R&B song.
The setting is certainly unique, given the post apocalyptic like setting of abandoned railroad tracks. And you can get up close and personal to the tracks as long as you can maintain your balance and dodge the brush. Apparently a fire in the 80’s resulted in the closing of the railroad but there’s an effort underway to bring it back online.
The destination had been a mountain top casino. The name «Beacon» in fact refers to its role during the Revolutionary War as a way of monitoring British troop movements. Perhaps a sentry may have warned that the «British are coming, the British are coming!», clearly one of the top memes of that era. (Colonial cats, anyone?)
The park is free and parking is a bit sparse. I can easily envision the lot filling up quickly on an ideal climbing day. The port a potty that serves as a bathroom facility had seen better soap supply days.
I will return like MacArthur and scale the mountain one day, prepared with an ample supply of water, first aid kit and victory sandwiches.

The Mount Beacon Red Trail is a GREAT quick hike. Rated strenuous, it really isn’t that difficult. There were a few times I was sweating and thinking I would fall but no ‘hands and knees’ hiking. Round trip with a few photo stops took us about 90 min. Pack a picnic lunch and eat it at the top overlooking the gorgeous fall foliage, sailboats or hawks. There are actually a few scenic spots up top and you can continue up further but we did not that that path, maybe next time. Overall, a great hike. You end it feeling accomplished with some newly acquired beauty into your heart. If you are lucky you can see some crazy mountain bikers scurrying down the steep paths!