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Elk Pen

Harriman & Bear MountainLoopVerified September 9, 2026

Distance

5.0 mi

NYS Parks

Elevation gain

1,299 ft

USGS 3DEP

Time

2¼ h–2¾ h

computed, Naismith's rule

Difficulty

moderately strenuous

index 114, computed

Blazes

White rectangle (Appalachian Trail)White with red triangle (Arden-Surebridge Trail)

NYS Parks

Getting there

By car

trailhead parking · NYS Parks

The route

Topographic map of Elk Pen1234PElk Pen Car ParkingLemon squeezer rock gapPTrailhead© OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors
Elk Pen RoadAppalachian Trailwhite stripe blazesArden - Surebridge Trailupside-down red triangle on white background blazesmile markerswalking direction, as the park describes the loop

Trail line from OpenStreetMap (2007688, 5620443), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Tiles © OpenTopoMap, CC-BY-SA.

Download GPXGeoJSONWalk there in Google MapsApple Maps

Weather at the trailhead

DayHighLowForecastRainWind
Sat, Oct 2461°F 16°C34°F 1°CAreas Of Frost then Partly Sunny, night: mostly clear then areas of frost0%2 mph NW
Sun, Oct 2564°F 18°C36°F 2°CAreas Of Frost then Sunny, night: clear then patchy frost0%2 mph W
Mon, Oct 2667°F 19°C40°F 4°CPatchy Frost then Sunny, night: mostly clear0%5 mph W
Tue, Oct 2757°F 14°C32°F 0°CSunny, night: mostly clear0%3 to 7 mph N
Wed, Oct 2857°F 14°C42°F 6°CMostly Sunny, night: partly cloudy2%3 mph E
Thu, Oct 2964°F 18°C46°F 8°CMostly Sunny, night: partly cloudy3%1 to 6 mph SW
Fri, Oct 3066°F 19°C— Mostly Sunny3%6 mph W

Forecast for Elk Pen Hikers' Parking Lot from the National Weather Service (OKX office), issued Oct 24, 4:24 AM, fetched Oct 24, 4:24 AM; refreshed hourly. Public domain.

Today at the trailhead: sunrise 7:18 AM, sunset 6:04 PM (computed, NOAA solar algorithm). Check the last train against sunset.

Route by trail

MileTrailBlazesLength
0.0Elk Pen Road—0.0 mi
0.0Appalachian TrailWhite stripe0.1 mi
0.2Arden - Surebridge TrailUpside-down red triangle on white background3.2 mi
3.4Appalachian TrailWhite stripe1.8 mi
5.2Elk Pen Road—0.0 mi

Trail names and blazes from the OpenStreetMap route relations, lengths measured along the drawn line, in walking order.

Along the way

MileWhatNameElevation
0.0Parking: Elk Pen Car ParkingElk Pen Car Parking—
3.4Viewpoint: Lemon squeezer rock gapLemon squeezer rock gap—
3.9Parkingunnamed—

Features within 394 ft of the line from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), fetched 2026-09-09. Mile is the distance along the line to the nearest point on it.

Getting there by car

Elk Pen Hikers' Parking Lot

41.26490, -74.15397

Directions in Google MapsApple Maps

Trailhead from the managing agency · verified 2026-09-09. No station is within a verified walk of this trailhead.

Elevation profile

500 ft900 ft1,300 ft0.0 mi1.3 mi2.6 mi3.9 mi5.2 mi
Elevation sampled every 164 ft from USGS 3DEP Elevation Point Query Service (2026-09-09). Gain 1,299 ft, loss 1,299 ft. Hover the profile to see the spot on the map.

Every fact, with its source

Distance5.0 mi
Elevation gain1,299 ft
Route typeLoop
Time2¼ h–2¾ h (computed, Naismith's rule)
Difficultymoderately strenuous (index 114, computed)
BlazesWhite rectangle (Appalachian Trail), White with red triangle (Arden-Surebridge Trail)
Managed byPalisades Interstate Park Commission / NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
TrailheadElk Pen Hikers' Parking Lot 41.26490, -74.15397
Parking, fee, lot timesNot yet verified

Permits & closures

No permit, reservation, or capacity rule is recorded for this hike. Check the official sources before you go.

Seasonal

Arden Valley Road is closed to vehicles from about 1 December, or the first snowfall, to 1 April; NYS Parks does not say which section, so winter access to this lot is unconfirmed. source · verified 2026-09-09

Report a correction

Wrong walk time? Closed trail?

Tell us and cite a source if you have one. Submissions go to a review queue; we change a fact only when a source supports the change.