The Trail Town corridor lifted off Saturday morning with the launch of the Explore Harriman initiative — a promotion of all the good things the corridor communities have to offer Rocklanders and beyond.
Rockland County Legislative Chairman Legislator Alden H. Wolfe kicked off the new Western Ramapo Explore Harriman effort Saturday morning, September 19, at the Suffern Farmers’ Market.
Alexandria Lopez Evans of the Suffern Chamber of Commerce and Rockland County Legislative Chair Alden Wolfe show new Suffern park-friendly signage, part of the Explore Harriman initiative.
Both the Suffern and Tuxedo commercial communities and Farmers’ Markets used Saturday to showcase many extras and touches to highlight Explore Harriman.
The idea of connecting the corridor has been incubating among people and groups for awhile, with the failed December 2014 Genting Casino bid for gaming in Tuxedo acting to galvanize groups.
The MyHarriman Tuxedo-Harriman Shuttle Bus The shuttle costs $5 per person and runs through October, starting out weekend mornings at the Tuxedo Train Station. The shuttle follows a single figure-eight loop through Harriman State Park, taking people deeper into the park for a day’s adventure.
Locals with a common interest and stake in the surrounding public lands and clean rivers and streams had also just connected with downriver organizations over New York gaming economy land use issues. Among others was a renewed regional clarity of purpose in protecting and promoting healthy common lands and park lands, as well as the headwaters ecosystem along the Ramapo River — think Torne Valley water wells.
Things really got rolling with Suzy Allman’s visual exploration of the area via MyHarriman, which also connected the expansive surrounding parks to local Tuxedo and Sloatsburg trail heads — those assets of easy entry. A rapid exchange of shared experience followed, with trails adventurers here closer to home, and even a train’s ride from Brooklyn, started searching MyHarriman for valuable parks and recreation information.
Base Camp Tuxedo
invited all things MyHarriman together at the Tuxedo Train Station for an evening of donated craft beer and trail talk led by Sona Mason of the New York/New Jersey Trail Conference. Connections to Suffern, Sloatsburg, and the New York New Jersey Trail Conference, and in-between, were made. Base Camp Tuxedo was followed by Tuxedo Harriman Shuttle, in partnership with the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) and with support from the Tuxedo Chamber, a weekend shuttle loop into Harriman launched at the Tuxedo Train Station in late summer and will run until October.
The first Base Camp Tuxedo drew a full house and officially connected Suffern and Sloatsburg, the New York New Jersey Trail Conference, and other park adventurers, providing a big tent get together that featured a wider culture — when trail meets town there’s talk of exchange and commerce.
The brew proved a perfect percolation of ideas and action.
The Explore Harriman effort incubated as Suffern focused on improving the village center experience — partner with the surrounding parks and promote local restaurants and other recreational features.
As Suffern worked with the NYNJ Trail Conference, Alden Wolfe’s office hosted a series of sessions that coalesced into Explore Harriman — part of the Rockland County river and trail town economic equation. The idea is to better connect surrounding trail heads to local assets — trails, rails and restaurants.
Saturday’s constellation of events and activities along the villages and towns with Harriman State Park trail heads within their boundaries (Suffern, Sloatsburg, Hillburn, Tuxedo, and Ramapo) is the first Explore Harriman promotion.
Kudos to Alex Lopez Evans of the Suffern Chamber of Commerce and Suffern Farmers’ Market who acted as point person on Explore Harriman, taking notes and making connections.
The Tuxedo Chamber of Commerce has remained steady and responsive to its community, helping to incubate and support support some of the trail town initiative in area.
As you bike and trail ride, or walk the trails, think of the great resources the Ramapo Mountains and River are and how being surrounding by park land is a good thing. It is a defining features of the corridor communities.
#ExploreHarriman is an effort to highlight the connections between the trails and villages and towns.
Revised and updated Saturday, September 19th.
