Arden Valley Road
Encyclopedia
Arden Valley Road is a scenic road located in Southfields, New York, United States
, that travels through Harriman State Park and is owned by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission
. At 5.1 miles (8.2 km) long, it begins at New York State Route 17 (NY 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 be placed in a wired cage between Arden and Southfields in 1919. After the elk were gone by 1942, the area became known as Elk's Pen Trailhead.
Arden Valley Road begins at an intersection with NY 17
in Southfields. The road immediately becomes concurrent with the Appalachian Trail
, a roughly 2100 miles (3,379.6 km) trail spanning the eastern United States
. The road heads into Harriman State Park and crosses a pain of train tracks before passing over the New York State Thruway
. The highway continues along the border of Harriman State Park; at the Elk's Pen Trailhead, the Appalachian Trail leaves Arden Valley Road and heads into park.
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 thereafter. Harris Mine is visible to the left as the road proceeds around the base of Echo Mountain. 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. The road intersects with the Long Path and Ramapo-Dunderberg–Appalachian Trails soon afterward. Bradley Mine is visible to the left, and Arden Valley Road comes to an end at Tiorati Circle. The road continues eastward as Tiorati Brook Road
.
Arden Valley Road also serves a trout stocking area for the Ramapo River
.
Plans to build Arden Valley Road originated in 1927 after Roland Harriman sold Island Pond to the Park. The road was built in 1930, extending 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 included the ford that stands to this date.
In 1919, Major William A. Welch
ordered 75 elk
from Yellowstone National Park
; however, some had died en route. The remaining elk were kept in a wired cage between Arden and Southfields. By 1935, some of the animals were still alive. However, by 1942, all of the elk had died. The remaining area is now known as the Elk's Pen Trailhead, which serves the Appalachian and Arden-Surebridge Trails. The remains of the pen still currently stand.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that travels through Harriman State Park and is owned by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Palisades Interstate Park and its creator, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, was formed in 1900 by governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster M. Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the destruction of the Palisades by quarry operators in the late 19th century...
. At 5.1 miles (8.2 km) long, it begins at New York State Route 17 (NY 17) in Southfields and ends at Seven Lakes Drive
Seven Lakes Drive
Seven Lakes Drive is a 17.91 mile long parkway in the U.S. state of New York. The southern terminus of the route is at New York State Route 17 in Sloatsburg. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 9W and U.S. Route 202 a mile south of Fort Montgomery in Bear Mountain State Park...
in Harriman State Park. The road is located entirely in Orange County
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
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
William A. Welch
Major William Addams Welch was an American engineer and environmentalist who would have a major impact on the state and national park systems of the United States...
ordered 75 elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
from Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
to be placed in a wired cage between Arden and Southfields in 1919. After the elk were gone by 1942, the area became known as Elk's Pen Trailhead.
Route description
New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17 is a state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States...
in Southfields. The road immediately becomes concurrent with the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
, a roughly 2100 miles (3,379.6 km) trail spanning the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The road heads into Harriman State Park and crosses a pain of train tracks before passing over the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
. The highway continues along the border of Harriman State Park; at the Elk's Pen Trailhead, the Appalachian Trail leaves Arden Valley Road and heads into park.
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 thereafter. Harris Mine is visible to the left as the road proceeds around the base of Echo Mountain. 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. The road intersects with the Long Path and Ramapo-Dunderberg–Appalachian Trails soon afterward. Bradley Mine is visible to the left, and Arden Valley Road comes to an end at Tiorati Circle. The road continues eastward as Tiorati Brook Road
Tiorati Brook Road
Tiorati Brook Road is a scenic road located within Harriman State Park in southern New York in the United States. The highway extends for between Tiorati Circle, a traffic circle connecting Tiorati Brook Road to Seven Lakes Drive in Orange County, and an interchange with Lake Welch Parkway just...
.
Arden Valley Road also serves a trout stocking area for the Ramapo River
Ramapo River
The Ramapo River is a tributary of the Pompton River, approximately 30 mi long, in southern New York and northern New Jersey in the United States.-Course:...
.
History
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
was built in 1953, it included the ford that stands to this date.
In 1919, Major William A. Welch
William A. Welch
Major William Addams Welch was an American engineer and environmentalist who would have a major impact on the state and national park systems of the United States...
ordered 75 elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
from Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
; however, some had died en route. The remaining elk were kept in a wired cage between Arden and Southfields. By 1935, some of the animals were still alive. However, by 1942, all of the elk had died. The remaining area is now known as the Elk's Pen Trailhead, which serves the Appalachian and Arden-Surebridge Trails. The remains of the pen still currently stand.
Major intersections
See also
- Palisades Interstate Park CommissionPalisades Interstate Park CommissionPalisades Interstate Park and its creator, the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, was formed in 1900 by governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster M. Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the destruction of the Palisades by quarry operators in the late 19th century...