Tourne County Park Longer Loop

From the kiosk at the end of the parking area, continue downhill along McCaffrey Lane for 500 feet. Just beyond a bridge over a stream, turn right onto the Red Trail (marked by a triple-red blaze on a tree).

You'll immediately go through a gate in a chain-link fence and enter the Wildflower Trail area, where the trail curves sharply left. Continue for another 500 feet on the Red Trail, soon exiting the Wildflower Trail area via another gate.

Just beyond, you'll reach a four-way junction. Turn right and follow the DeCamp Trail -- a wide, unmarked gravel road that climbs on a moderate grade to the top of the Tourne. Near the top, you'll reach a panoramic viewpoint to the east, with the New York City skyline visible in the distance on a clear day. Just beyond, you'll pass a memorial to the tragic 9/11/01 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, which was visible from this point.

A grassy clearing on the left, with picnic tables, marks the high point of the Tourne (897 feet). Continue ahead on the gravel road, which descends slightly to reach a west-facing viewpoint over the Rockaway Valley, with Green Pond Mountain beyond. A bench has been placed here so you can rest and enjoy the view.

Continue downhill along the road, passing interesting boulders on the hillside to the left. At the base of the descent, turn right onto the Red Trail, which leads in about a quarter of a mile to a parking area, with a handicapped restroom. Turn left, continuing to follow the red blazes, and cross the park entrance road by a yellow gate.

The Red Trail, which you'll follow for the rest of the hike, now enters the less-used southern section of the park. It climbs a rise, then bears right at a fork as it descends. After crossing a bridle path, it ascends on switchbacks to reach a high point (711 feet) with a bench - the halfway point of the hike.

The trail now descends rather steeply. At the base of the descent, it turns left to pass a vernal pool on the right, then bears right at two intersections and climbs slightly to overlook a valley on the left.

After descending once more, you'll come to a junction, where you should turn left, following the sign to "Tourne." Once again, the trail runs along the edge of a ridge, overlooking a ravine on the left, until it descends to a four-way intersection. Continue straight ahead, crossing the Ogden Trail - a wide dirt road, built in 1898 for a proposed railroad but never actually used as such - and pass Birchwood Lake, visible through the trees on the right.

In 500 feet, the Red Trail bears left at a bench and goes through a stile. After briefly joining the blue-blazed Swamp Trail, the Red Trail joins a woods road coming in from the right. At the base of a descent, an unmarked path to the left leads to the edge of Rattlesnake Meadow - a fascinating wetland, filled with dead trees.

The trail now passes through another stile, joins a road coming in from the left, and bears right at a fork. It soon ends opposite the parking area where the hike began.