Beaver Pond Campsite
Campground
Campground · 2.0 mi from the trail
New York · Hiking · Near New Windsor
Breakneck Mountain Trail
Photo: christinejwarner, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 1.4 mi
- one way
- 123 ft
- climb
- 1,262 ft
- high point
- Point to point
- route
- Apr–Oct
- best months
Breakneck Mountain Trail is a short, easy hike in Harriman State Park in New York, managed by State Park and Recreation. The trail is about 1.4 miles long and rises about 123 feet from its starting point, which sits at roughly 1,239 feet. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 0.4 miles in, and the trail ends at a high point of about 1,262 feet. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically late spring and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 70°F in May to about 74°F in September, with July the warmest at about 83°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the higher ground run cooler. The hike takes about half an hour. Breakneck Pond Loop Trail starts just 0.2 miles away, and Old Turnpike Trail and Red Arrow Trail are within a mile. Climbers can find Harriman State Park's climbing area about 1.4 miles off.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Mount Ivy All American Diner
Restaurant
Open after 6
If it rainsDaniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsAmerican Revolutionary War fort near West Point on the Hudson River
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)
More in New WindsorLocal outfitters
- Pier 13 Hoboken32 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit Breakneck Mountain Trail
Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
35° / 17°
11 wet
Feb
39° / 18°
9 wet
Mar
47° / 25°
10 wet
Apr
60° / 36°
11 wet
May
70° / 46°
12 wet
Jun
78° / 55°
11 wet
Jul
83° / 61°
10 wet
Aug
81° / 59°
10 wet
Sep
74° / 52°
9 wet
Oct
63° / 41°
10 wet
Nov
51° / 31°
9 wet
Dec
41° / 23°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yorktown Hts 1w, NY, 15.7 mi away at 670 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: christinejwarner, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Breakneck Pond Loop Trail
Next door
2.06-mile loop trail in New York with 888 ft elevation gain.
Photo: christinejwarner, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Old Turnpike Trail
Next door
4.02-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 801 ft elevation gain and loss.
Photo: jbylund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Red Cross
~5 min drive
7.42-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 1,152 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Tuxedo-Mtn Ivy
~3 min drive
8.26-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 1,340 ft gain.
Photo: ke9tv, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Victory Trail
~5 min drive
A 3.27-mile point-to-point trail in New York.
Photo: Schezar, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Lake Askoti Loop
~4 min drive
1.05-mile point-to-point trail in New York with 411 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Nurian Trail
~6 min drive
A 3.2-mile point-to-point trail in New York with accessible hiking.
Photo: billybergen, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Torne Valley Road
~7 min drive
1.77-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 288 ft gain and 755 ft loss.
Photo: Schezar, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Rockhouse Mountain
~5 min drive
0.56-mile out-and-back trail at Rockhouse Mountain in New York.
HIKE
Red Arrow Trail
~1 min drive
0.47-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 90 ft elevation gain.
Route details
- Distance
- 1.4 mi
- Climbing
- About 123 ft
- Summit
- 1,266 ft
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 0.5 hours
Questions about this route
How long is the Breakneck Mountain Trail on Breakneck Mountain?
About 1.4 mi.
How much elevation gain is on the Breakneck Mountain Trail?
About 123 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Breakneck Mountain Trail?
It is rated easy.
How long does the Breakneck Mountain Trail take?
About 0.5 hours round trip.
Conditions and forecast on Breakneck Mountain
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
