All you need to know about Anthony’s Nose Hike
One of the most well-liked hiking routes in the Hudson Highlands Preserve is the Anthony’s Nose Trail. Both novice and expert hikers can visit Anthony’s Nose Trail in Westchester County, New York, which boasts a breathtaking vista.
Use this guide to help organize your journey and know what to anticipate as you set out to grab that iconic photo of Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River. There are several entrances to climb this path, and each one is suited for a particular sort of hiker.
On this short hike, you’ll make your way up to Anthony’s Nose, a famous rock formation that inspired the name of the trail. The peak is almost directly above the east end of the Bear Mountain Bridge, so expect beautiful views of the Hudson River and spectacular waves of mountain ranges. You can also see the iconic Bear Mountain Bridge from there.
Why do they call it Anthony’s Nose Hike?
Pierre Van Cortlandt gave the rocky structure Anthony’s Nose its name in 1697. It’s reported that he gave the peak Anthony Hogan’s name, a sea captain who served before the American Revolution. The Captain was well known for having a nose that, in Van Cortlandt’s opinion, looked a lot like the cliff now known as Anthony’s Nose.
Location of Anthony’s Nose
The Anthony’s Nose Trail is simple to locate if you’re coming from the Bear Mountain Toll House parking lot. Google Maps will get you to your destination if you enter in “Bear Mountain Toll House.”
If you’re not quite ready to take the longer trip you can park a little closer to Anthony’s Nose. However, you could have greater trouble finding the trailhead. You’ll need to use these coordinates to find it because it isn’t indicated on Google Maps.
If you want additional possibilities, there is a third location. Even though it’s a shorter path, it’s also a lot more difficult and has some challenging rock scrambles. Therefore I decided not to emphasize it in this guide. However, if that’s your thing, you may begin your ascent from a point north of the top. Here are the GPS coordinates. You’ll have to park next to the “no parking” signs on the side of the road and take the chance of getting a ticket.
The Anthony’s Nose Trail is a component of the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, which does an excellent job with their path maps and indicating just where you need to go if you want to hike this trail.
Parking and Bathrooms for Anthony’s Nose Hike Trail
Parking shouldn’t be a problem if you start at the Toll House trailhead, which is farther away. You should be able to find a place, however, I could imagine the parking lot being crowded on a busy Saturday. There is also a restroom available in this parking lot, and I felt it was rather clean.
If you choose to park in the closest lot, there is extremely little parking available. There was enough place for only 6 cars in the parking lot, yet there were 12 squeezed in there, and more people were circling the area seeking for parking. I would advise arriving early or parking nearby and taking an Uber to the trailhead. The parking area has decent cell phone reception.
Trail Entrance for the Camp Smith Trail to Anthony’s Nose Hike
The trails is accessible from this parking area. You must walk past the toll house and a big hiking information sign before entering the path. You won’t see the trail you’re nearby, but that’s the only way that makes sense to walk to, so you should have no trouble finding it. Follow the blue trail markers all the way to Anthony’s Nose.
Just a warning, ticks adore these kinds of grassy settings. Make sure you are taking care to avoid tick-borne infections because there are signs warning about ticks everywhere.
If you park in the closer lot, the path is just next to where the cars are parked. After passing the signs, turn left and cross the stream. The Anthony’s Nose Trail will be followed all the way up by the blue trail markers.
Hiking Anthonys Nose Trail – Beginning
A rocky up-and-down hike, the Anthony’s Nose Trail departs from the Toll House. There aren’t many completely flat places to rest; you’re always on some sort of hill. However, the beauty of that is that you are surrounded by rocks that are positively lush and green. It’s so beautiful; it makes me think of middle earth or some sort of fantasy land.
The hike’s main drawback, however, is that you spend the majority of it right next to a busy road. This prevents you from truly experiencing nature because you can hear cars almost the entire hike.
Along the trail, there are a number of breathtaking vantage points to encourage you.
Your complete group won’t be able to fit on the narrow Camp Smith Trail that leads up to Anthony’s Nose as you climb up. Most of the trek is done in a single file. When you get there, the route does grow a little wider, but there are still many places where you have to take the trail one at a time.
The second aspect of this route that you should be aware of is that it is rather overgrown. There were a few places where the grass had grown over the route, and you had to cross it to keep going. I probably stepped through a few spider webs that were formed because I was the first in my group.
Hiking Anthony’s Nose Trail: The Final Ascent
This portion is for you if you’re only hiking the 1.0 miles to the climb and are beginning from the nearby trailhead.
The Anthony’s Nose Trail’s final mile is all uphill. What else should you anticipate while you are climbing a mountain? I wouldn’t describe it as particularly steep; rather, the ascent is a typical easy-to-moderate climb.
A few more outlooks and open rocky sections may be seen throughout this portion of the trek. These signal that you almost reached the top.
Hiking Anthony’s Nose Trail: The Top of Anthony’s Nose
You will leave the trail’s forested part and come to an open, rocky region at the top. The highest peak will then be visible, so you should ascend to it, look around, and ask yourself, “Where is this view I keep seeing in photographs, all I see here are trees?”
The Bear Mountain Bridge’s breathtaking vista does not actually occur at the summit. To enjoy the precise perspective, you’ll need to descend just a little distance after reaching the mountain’s summit. But when you reach the summit of Anthony’s Nose, be sure to take a photo of the mountain marker by looking down from where you are standing!
When you reach the top of the route, descend off the rock until you reach a sign directing you to Anthony’s Nose Overlook. The official mountaintop is about a three to five-minute walk away. When you arrive, you’ll be able to tell because of the stunning scenery and American flag marking the location. There are several different locations where you may take pictures, and in between them is a cluster of painted rocks honoring the local police and fire departments.
Other Tips to Remember
- Give yourself more time to finish this trek if you’re beginning from the Toll House trailhead. We took longer than intended to complete the trip due to the terrain’s difficult sections, which required us to hike more slowly. We hiked out around dusk in the end, but we would have started earlier if we had known how rough and tight the trail would be.
- You’ll need the appropriate equipment for either trailhead. From the Toll House, hiking boots are an essential need, and they are highly advised from the trailhead that is closer. Although not required, hiking poles might be useful on longer trails. Follow the seven leave no trace guidelines as always. I noticed numerous bits of trash right on the route on the busier, closer track. Pack out what you bring in so you don’t become that person.
- Be Ready for the Wind – Since you are climbing a mountain, you should be prepared for some wind. You may wish to pack a light or midweight jacket to protect yourself at the summit depending on the time of year you are hiking.
FAQs for Anthony’s Nose Hike
What is the difficulty of Anthony’s Nose hike?
The difficulty of Anthony’s Nose Hike is rated as moderate. Anthony’s Nose trek difficulty would be roughly a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most difficult and 1 being the easiest. The steep ascent that calls for some stamina is what gives Anthony’s Nose walk its difficulty rating of 6.
How Long Does Anthony’s Nose Hike Take?
The entire out-and-return hike should take around two hours. You may most likely reach Anthony’s Nose top in under an hour depending on your form and how fast you want to trek. Take into account that a chunk of the path is an uphill climb. If you are the sort of person who takes numerous breaks to catch your breath or take a number of photographs, you may require some extra time. The descent is generally a little quicker.
Don’t forget that the trail’s high point awaits you at the summit. Allow ample time to enjoy the scenery; you definitely deserve it after that hike.
What is the Best Season for Anthony’s Nose Hike?
One of our favorite times of year to trek the Hudson Valley is in the fall, when we can experience the distinctive New York fall foliage. The ascent to Anthony’s Nose offers superb, unimpeded views of the region’s vibrant fall foliage since it is situated high above the Hudson River.
