Hiking the road to ruins : day trips and camping adventures to iron mines, old military sites, and things abandoned in the New York City area-- and beyond

In this easy to use, informative, and occasionally eccentric guidebook, David A. Steinberg blazes the trail to more than twenty-five unusual landmarks and hard-to-find destinations that are mostly within a two-hour drive of New York City. Suitable for the experienced hiker or camping adventurer—as well as anyone who has the desire to explore—Hiking the Road to Ruins includes many new ruins and historic sites to see: remnants of the two World's Fairs in Queens, mysterious stone chambers scattered about northern Westchester County, winter adventuring in Harriman, and quarries that contain amazing artifacts. In this new edition, Steinberg adds four additional chapters and has revised throughout the book to include detailed directions, GPS coordinates to specific sites, a hand-drawn map, and suggestions for the optimal time and season to visit. Having led many types of hikes and trips over the past fifteen years, Steinberg leaves no part of the trip unplanned. He even suggests ideal conditions for outings. An overcast day, for instance, sets up the haunted atmosphere appropriate for visiting a water tower in Mountainside, New Jersey, that has links to a murder-suicide in the 1970s. Newcomers will gain experience as they make their way through the book, which includes a chapter on equipment and safety, detailed instructions on how to program a hand-held Global Positioning System receiver, and a glossary of terms. Both a practical guide and a creative chronicle, Hiking the Road to Ruins will inspire everyone to hit the trail in search of adventure. Cover Rivergate Regionals Title Copyright Dedication Contents Introduction Preparation Leading and Not Leading Hikes Using GPS 1. The Army Tunnels 2. Beacon Mountain Casino 3. The Boston Harbor Islands 4. The C & O Canal 5. Camp Hero 6. The Cornish Estate 7. Cranberry Lake Preserve 8. Dennytown Mines 9. Doodletown 10. Dunderburg Spiral Railway 11. Great Camp Santanoni 12. Harriman Ruins in Winter 13. Island Pond Ranger Cabin 14. Mines! All Mines! 15. Mount Hope Historical Park 16. Overlook Mountain House 17. The Pergola 18. Ramapo Valley County Reservation 19. The Roomy Mine 20. The Stone Chambers of Mead Farm 21. Sylvan Glen Preserve 22. Two World’s Fairs 23. Watchung Reservation 24. West Point Foundry Appendix: Places That Aren’t Mentioned in This Book Acknowledgments About the Author "In this easy to use, informative, and occasionally eccentric guidebook, David A. Steinberg blazes the trail to more than twenty-five unusual landmarks and hard-to-find destinations that are mostly within a two-hour drive of New York City. Suitable for the experienced hiker or camping adventurer--as well as anyone that has the desire to explore--Hiking the Road to Ruins has been updated to include detailed directions and GPS coordinates to specific sites as well as many new hikes"-- Provided by publisher