Arden Valley Road

Infobox road
maint=Palisades Interstate Park Commission
marker_

highway_name=Arden Valley Road
length_mi=5.1
length_round=1
length_ref=
established=1930
direction_a=West
starting_terminus=
direction_b=East
ending_terminus=
counties=Orange

Arden Valley Road is a scenic road located in Southfields, New York that travels through Harriman State Park and is owned by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. At convert|5.1|mi|km long, it begins at New York State Route 17 in Southfields and ends at Seven Lakes Drive in Harriman State Park. The road is located entirely in Orange County and is home to the Elk's Pen Trailhead in Harriman State Park. In 1927, plans arose to construct the road, which was built in 1930 and stretched along the borderline with the Harriman estate. Major William A. Welch ordered 75 elk from Yellowstone National Park to a wired cage between Arden and Southfields, in 1919. After all the elk were gone by 1942, the area became known as Elk's Pen Trailhead.

Route description

Arden Valley Road begins at an intersection with New York State Route 17 in Southfields. The road is immediately concurrent with the Appalachian Trail, a roughly convert|2100|mi|km|sing=on [Cite web|author=Gailey, Chris|year=2006|title=Appalachian Trail FAQs|publisher=Outdoors.org|accessdate=2008-05-23|url=http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/trails/at/at-faq.cfm] trail spanning the eastern United States."Harriman-Bear Mountain Trail Maps - Map 4", The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, New York, N.Y., 2005.] The road heads into Harriman State Park and crosses a train track before passing over the New York State Thruway at convert|.2|mi|km|abbr=on|lk=on of a mile. The highway runs along the border of Harriman State Park for a while. At the Elk's Pen Trailhead, the Appalachian Trail leaves Arden Valley Road and heads into Harriman.

The road intersects with Island Pond Road, a dirt path in Harriman, as it heads along the border. Arden Valley Road intersects with Crooked Road soon after. Harris Mine is visible to the left as the road goes around the base of Echo Mountain. Just to the southeast of Lindley Mountain, Arden Valley Road turns east and into the Park. Arden Valley Road passes Lake Cohasset and Upper Lake Cohasset as it heads eastward. Arden Valley Road intersects with the Long Path and Ramapo-Dunderberg–Appalachian Trails soon afterwards. Bradley Mine is visible to the left before coming to an end at Tiorati Circle. The road continues east known as Tiorati Brook Road.

History

Plans to build Arden Valley Road originated in 1927 after Roland Harriman sold Island Pond to the Park.Myles, William J., "Harriman Trails, A Guide and History", The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, New York, N.Y., 1999.] The road was built in 1930, stretching along the borderline with the Harriman estate. Originally, one had to cross the Erie Railroad tracks and the Ramapo River to continue along Arden Valley Road. This was remedied by building an underpass under the Erie Railroad and a ford over the Ramapo River. When the New York State Thruway was built in 1953, it took up part of the ford that stands to this date.

In 1919, Major William A. Welch ordered 75 elk from Yellowstone National Park. Not all of them made it as some had died en route. The remaining elk were put in a wired cage between Arden and Southfields. By 1935, some of the elk were still around. However, by 1942, all the animals were gone. The remaining area is now known as the Elk's Pen Trailhead, which serves the Appalachian and Arden-Surebridge Trails. What is left of the pen still exists to this date.

Major intersections

NYint
county=Orange
cspan=2
mile=0.00
road=
location=Southfields
notes=Western terminus of Arden Valley Road.NYint
mile=5.10
road=
location_special=Harriman State Park
notes=Eastern terminus of Arden Valley Road.

See also

*Palisades Interstate Park Commission

References

External links

* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeracer/6740228/in/set-287104/ Picture of an Arden Valley Road shield on Flickr]