A New York New Jersey Trail Conference volunteer looks on as mountain bikers come down the new multi-use hike/bike/ride trail in Sterling Forest State Park, partially fund by Michael Bruno’s Tuxedo Hudson Corporation. The NYNJTC celebrates the 7-mile multi-use trail loop grand opening on Sunday, September 30.

The idea of Sloatsburg as a outdoor adventure hub and gateway to the surrounding parks is a step closer than it was last year. The western Rockland County Route 17 corridor, (including Tuxedo with a train station that serves as a weekend magnet for hikers), is tucked between Harriman State Park and Dater Mountain Nature Park and  other count and town parks. Add the vast green expanse of Sterling Forest State Park off to the west as far as Greenwood Lake and Sloatsburg and Tuxedo are surrounded by parkland.

Between the hiking trails of Harriman State Park and the newly completed multi-use trails of Sterling Forest State Park, Sloatsburg is well positioned as a true gateway community.

Since 2015, a small army of New York New Jersey Trail Conference volunteers and Conservation Corp members has been busy building out what is now a completed 7-mile loop of multi-use trails in Sterling Forest. The trails can be reached via a brief several mile bike ride from Sloatsburg’s village center up Eagle Valley and Sterling Mine Road to South Gate Road.

Click map for larger PDF version.

The Munsee-Eagle/Red Back/Hutchinson loop is perhaps the best multi-use trail in the region and the closest official mountain bike trail, with the Munsee-Eagle loop designated for hikers and mountain bikers, and the Hutchinson and Red Back trails offering some equestrian use. The loop connects to the  Caretaker and South Gate parking lots in Sterling Forest.

The NYNJTC celebrates the grand opening of the multi-use, single lane trails on Sunday, September 30, at 11:30 a.m. The grand opening will be part of Sterling Forest Day that celebrates the history and environment of these Ramapo Mountains.

As part of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Sterling Forest State Park. look for Doc Bayne to give a presentation and brief hike related to his work on the History of the Sterling Iron Works at the Sterling Forest Visitors Center. The activities will be part of Sterling Forest Day and also include guided walks and hikes, a blacksmith demonstration, drumming circle, and more — from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. You can find information about Sterling Forest Day at the U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Visitor Center (116 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo, NY).

Doc Bayne is President of the Friends of Sterling Forest and an historian and environmental educator active in the Tuxedo, NY community. In the above video Bayne discusses discoveries in Sterling Forest, including old rock shelters and forges used during the American Revolution.

Michael Bruno, founder of Tuxedo Hudson Corporation and Valley Rock Inn & Mountain Club, was instrumental in funding the Trail Conference Conservation Corps completion of the multi-use trail.

Bruno’s dynamic investment in Sloatsburg, Tuxedo and the surrounding parks have helped to galvanize the western Ramapo and Rockland County corridor, encouraging economic development and positioning Sloatsburg as a gateway community to the surrounding parks.