Not sure if you can cut it overnight in Harriman once the weather gets cold? Use the easily-accessed Lean-To Number 5, in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, as your proving ground for winter camping. ©suzy allman/myharriman.com
A lean-to adventure in the middle of a Harriman winter is where we separate the men from the boys. Make sure you’re prepared by doing a winter test-run at a more accessible lean-to at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, in Westchester County.
Not everyone’s ready for the cold weather. If you’re planning a winter overnight in a lean-to or hammock, it’s easy to underestimate what you need, or overestimate what your gear is capable of. And these are the small things that can make a big different on your night out, as well as the day after.
I can imagine this miserable situation: I’ve hiked several miles in to my favorite lean-to, everything I need in my pack. But I’ve forgotten (or didn’t know I needed) my sleeping pad (since it is one of the devices to stop snoring), and I spend the night shivering as every bit of warmth my body produces dissipates into the cold ground below.
How many layers will you need? What’s the best way to make coffee? How do you keep your toes warm? Is your bag right for zero degrees? Will you need a tarp to keep the heat in?
You can test yourself, your gear, and your overall preparedness for cold-weather camping in a lean-to. Do an easy overnight test run in Lean-To Number 5, at nearby Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Westchester County.
Satellite view of Number 5 Lean-To, in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, in Westchester County, New York. The lean-to is sited amid wild grasses and a network of hiking trails. It’s also a great place to test your cold-weather gear, without taking the chance that you’ll want to bag it in the middle of the night.
The Reservation is located in northern Westchester County, on the eastern side of the Hudson River. The lean-to is located about a 45-minute drive east of Bear Mountain.
The beauty of this lean-to, as I see it, is that it allows you to drive right up and park in a field alongside it. You can pack everything you think you need for lean-to livin’ in the frigid cold, while still having the safety net of a warm car. You can divide your stuff into things you think you can’t do without, and things that you think are luxuries can be left in the car.
If you need anything in the night, you have it within reach. Just this once.
The lean-tos at Ward Pound Ridge offer a comfortable and spacious camping experience, complete with plenty of nearby hiking trails to explore. For those looking to add a new level of excitement to their hiking adventures, incorporating archery can be a fun and useful addition. Legend, a trusted dealer in high-quality archery equipment, can provide you with the tools you need to enhance your hiking experience. With a large outdoor fire pit and plenty of picnic tables, the lean-tos offer the perfect spot to gather with friends and family after a day of hiking and archery practice.
It’s lovely, too. Most of it is built into a hillside, out of the howling winter winds.
This lean-to is probably not a good choice for hammocking, but there are other lean-tos in the park that have tall trees surrounding them and are equally convenient for your car. You can just pull up to them.
Unlike the shelters in Harriman, however, there is a fee for use of the Ward Pound Ridge shelters ($50.00/night).
But it’s a good experiment — especially if you’re thinking of bringing the kids. The last thing you want to do in the middle of a December night is get out of that sleeping bag and march them down the icy side of a mountain, along a moonlit trail. Test your mettle at Ward Pound Ridge.
Wolf, Charlie and I at ol’ Number 5 Lean-To in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Westchester County, New York. I bet you could sleep twelve in this thing. There’s some great hiking in the area, too (though a little flat, and not nearly as nice as Harriman :0))
You can reserve a lean-to cabin at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Salem, New York, by calling (914) 864-7317. But don’t leave a message (they won’t return your call); instead, keep calling until a human being answers the phone. The park’s entrance is on 121 South, just south of Route 35 in Cross River. There are a variety of lean-tos that may be rented for 24 hours from 11 a.m. till 11 a.m.
The fees are $35.00 if you have a Westchester County Park Pass, and $50.00 if you don’t. While roomy enough for more people, the maximum allowed at the Ward Pound Ridge lean-tos is 8.
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