9/12/13 Anthony’s Nose | Hike the Hudson Valley

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Anthony’s Nose

Scenery:

Difficulty: 6 out of 10 (steep, short climb)

Highlights: Steep climb, great views, Bear Mountain Bridge overlook

Distance: 2.6 miles, up-and-back

Approximate roundtrip time: 2.5 hours

Total ascent: 792 ft

Max elevation: 927 ft above sea level

GPS goodies: Google Terrain map and a cool Google Earth flyover of hike route

This hike is for you if: You want a relatively short hike to an awesome Hudson River overlook.

Background you can feel free to skip: The piece of Appalachian Trail that ascends from Route 9D towardsthe overlook at Anthony’s Nose feels like a 500-vertical-foot staircase.

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It feels like that because that’s pretty much what it is: a well-maintained outdoor staircase that brings you to oneof the nicest overlooks in the Hudson Valley, with a sprawling, rocky clearing that affords plenty of nice places totake it all in. It’s like you’ve scored tickets in the skybox for the Bear Mountain Bridge.

This hike is only steep for the first .6 miles, then it’s smooth sailing all the way to Anthony’s Nose, following anold, relatively flat road for about .75 miles to the overlook.

On the warm weekend afternoon when I was here last, there were a decent number of fellow hikers taking in theview, but there’s plenty of room for everyone. If you’re looking for a little more solitude, there’s a smallerviewpoint just around the corner on top of a huge rock, perfect for plopping down for a picnic.

If you have a couple of hours to burn and you’re looking for a decent workout on the way to a beautiful overlook,you should definitely pick Anthony’s Nose. You’d have a hard time finding a nicer nose to pick in the HudsonValley.

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Trail guide:

1. From the parking area on the shoulder of Route 9D, just north of the Bear Mountain Bridge, head north alongthe shoulder of 9D, away from the bridge. Believe it or not, you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail right now. (I hatehiking along roads, too, but this is a short jaunt, and you’ll be in the woods soon.)

2. Just past the Putnam County sign on the right side of the road, you’ll see a kiosk and white blazes markingthe start of the hike. Turn right to head uphill here, following the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail. (Youmight also see a car or two parked here, but there’s not much room, so I like to park closer to the bridge, eventhough walking along the road isn’t my favorite thing to do.)

3. Climb! The rocky trail heads steeply uphill, occasionally leveling off for a moment or two. There are someunmarked trails weaving around the hillside here – be careful not to get bucked off the white-blazed ApplachianTrail, which is very amply marked.

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4. The next junction is coming up in about .5 miles, after you climb 415 vertical feet from the road. It took me25 minutes from the road to get to this junction with the blue-blazed Camp Smith Trail. At the junction, turnright.

5. Take note of the beautifully tagged trail register on your left. You just might find some jars of PB&J inside.

6. Enjoy the calm, gradual ascent of the Blue Trail – at this point, you’ve earned it. It’s about .6 miles toAnthony’s Nose from here, and you’ll only gain about 100 more feet in elevation along the way. This section oftrail is so easy, the freeloading toddler on your back may want to walk it himself.

7. After .6 miles (which took me 30 minutes, walking at toddler pace, but will probably take you more like 15),

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you’ll come to a T-shaped junction, where the Blue Trail splits off to the left, up and over some rocks. Straightahead, an unmarked trail is blocked with some branches that are correctly advising you not to proceed in thatdirection. Anthony’s Nose is just a hop-and-a-skip to the right – follow the clearly tromped trail to the right to

arrive at your destination.

8. And what a destination. As you emerge onto the rocky clearing, the view opens wider with every step youtake, and the Bear Mountain Bridge stretches across the river right under your feet.

9. This is a prime place to munch some snacks. If the rock formation heading down the slope is Anthony’sNose, then Anthony’s Forehead makes a great picnic spot.

10. When you’re done hanging out, wandering the length of the rock formation to make sure you’ve taken in allthe views, head back to the T-shaped trail junction in the woods just behind you.

11. Optional step: There’s another small view if you follow the Blue Trail just beyond the junction (a right/straightturn onto the Blue Trail, opposite the way you came in), just beyond a small cairn (pile of rocks). This is also anice spot to have a picnic, on the off chance Anthony’s Nose is congested. It’s smaller than the view you’vealready seen, but it’s a nice spot – check it out if you’d like, then come back to the junction. Total travel timefor this step: five minutes or less.

12. Retrace your steps back to your car. Follow the Blue Trail back to a left turn onto the white-blazed

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Appalachian Trail, just past the graffiti-emblazoned trail register. Hop down the stone steps all the way back to

Route 9D, then turn left along the road, keeping a lookout for traffic, all the way back to your car.

Aren’t you glad you picked Anthony’s Nose?

Directions to the trailhead:

From the village of Cold Spring, head south on Route 9D. About 8 miles after Cold Spring, look for theAppalachian Trail kiosk on the left side of the road, just before you get to the Bear Mountain Bridge. That kioskmarks the start of the trail, but you’ll park a few hundred yards south of there, where there’s a nice wide pull-offon the right-hand side that can hold plenty of cars. (You might also be able to squeeze into one of the few spotson the northbound shoulder next to the kiosk, but I’ve never been able to score a spot there, and having tojockey around on a busy road is enough to scare me off of trying. If you get lucky and find some room, though,parking here would save you from some road strolling.)

You can park right in front of the “End 9D” sign on the right-hand side of the road. Straight ahead, you’ll be ableto see the cables of the Bear Mountain Bridge stretching over the road. Carefully hop out (cars travel fast here –stay on your toes!) and let the adventure begin.

You can also get directions by checking out the Anthony’s Nose entry on the HiketheHudsonValley.com Googlemap.

Sorta nearby address for your GPS: The intersection of Route 9D and Route 202 in Cortlandt Manor, NY isjust a couple hundred yards south of the pull-off for the trailhead, which is on the right-hand side of Route 9D ifyou’re heading south. My old-ish Garmin Nuvi lets me put in an intersection as a destination, so hopefully yoursdoes, too.

Related resources: If you’re looking for actual facts and/or useful information, visit these resources:

The concise Anthony’s Nose Wikipedia pageA cool Anthony’s Nose panoramic photo from this location scouting siteA longer hike to Anthony’s Nose detailed on NYCdayhiking.comFor several Anthony’s Nose options, plus many other excellent hikes in the area, check out this page fromCatskillHiker.net

More Anthony’s Nose pictures from the hike’s Picasa album:

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15 THOUGHTS ON “ANTHONY’S NOSE”

Was this trail guide useful to you? Please leave a comment!

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Mike C.

on May 29, 2013 at 11:36 am said:

Great site! The description was super-accurate and very helpful.

Mike

on May 29, 2013 at 10:36 pm said:

Mike C.,

Awesome! I’m really glad to hear it. Thanks for taking the time to write!

Mike T.

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Jo

on June 10, 2013 at 11:19 am said:

This was one of our first hikes, just enough for beginners. Wonderful views on top, easy to

find parking, and easy to follow the trail. Thx!

Mike

on June 12, 2013 at 9:50 pm said:

Awesome! Glad you had a good day out there — thanks for the nice comment!

Nellie

on June 26, 2013 at 12:59 pm said:

Can you bring a dog or would he not be able to do it?

Mike

on June 26, 2013 at 1:07 pm said:

There aren’t any tricky spots — if the dog can handle the climb and distance, shouldn’tbe an issue. Have fun!

Leah

on June 14, 2013 at 1:25 pm said:

Hoping to go with the family on Father’s Day. Thanks for the helpful information!

Mike

on June 16, 2013 at 5:33 pm said:

Sounds like a great thing to do on Father’s Day! If you made the trek, I hope it was a good one.

mg

on July 10, 2013 at 9:49 pm said:

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This is an awesome website!! Thanks for the great photos. Just one note on this hike:there is a good ample pull off for parking just north of the kiosk. Maybe on a weekend it’sfull…

Mike

on July 11, 2013 at 12:06 pm said:

MG,

Thanks, and thanks for the suggestion! I just updated the parking section to clarify things. Thereare some spots right next to the kiosk, but it’s so limited, and that road is so busy, that Ihesitated to recommend it in the trail guide. You’re right, though — if someone gets lucky andfinds some room there right next to the kiosk, that would be a much better place to park. Thankyou!

carol fox

on July 24, 2013 at 9:56 am said:

Thank you. Beautiful photos, and explicit directions. We live close by, and may try it, inspite of advanced age!

Mike

on August 9, 2013 at 12:04 am said:

Thank you! I hope you have a great day out there if you decide to check it out.

jen

on August 1, 2013 at 7:12 pm said:

hi, is this far from public transportation? Thanks

Mike

on August 9, 2013 at 12:08 am said:

Hmmm…It’s five miles from the Peekskill train station. Wouldn’t be a bad cab or bike ride, butthat would be quite a stroll.

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margaret

on August 28, 2013 at 11:43 am said:

**freeloading toddler….LOVE IT! great info – thanks so much!