Section 2 officially begins at the NY–NJ State Line, but the practical starting point is State Line Lookout in Palisades Interstate Park, about a mile south. The section is listed at 10.35 miles, but we logged 12.2 miles with nearly 1,400 feet of elevation gain.
We left one car on a residential street near Route 9W in Nyack and shuttled to State Line Lookout (Remember to pay the meter here). Along the way, we saw 13 wild turkeys and about a dozen deer.
From State Line Lookout, we head into the woods, which were shrouded in fog.
About three-quarters of a mile in, a handwritten sign marks a right turn near the New York–New Jersey boundary.
New York-New Jersey Boundary and the Eastern Witness Monument
The state line is marked by a stone monument placed in 1882 — the “Eastern Witness Monument,” one of a pair that defines the boundary across the state. It was intentionally placed at the highest point along the Palisades to remain visible and avoid rockfall along the Hudson shoreline.
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory & US Route 9W
The trail soon reaches Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Route 9W. At the entrance, a tom turkey — apparently a local fixture — was strutting near the gate and, according to the guard, has a habit of chasing cars and blocking traffic.
Palisades, NY
A short but exposed road walk follows along 9W before passing through the hamlet of Palisades.
Along the way, you’ll pass the iO Arts Center in the historic 1858 Yonderhill Building, once a Masonic Temple.
Nearby stands a small monument reading “First Pole Erected May 25, 1861 – This one in 1866,” likely marking early telegraph infrastructure installed during the Civil War.
Tallman Mountain State Park
From there, the trail enters Tallman Mountain State Park for roughly two miles. As you head north, the views gradually open up over the Hudson River, Piermont Marsh, and Piermont Pier — a 4,000-foot structure that once served as the Erie Railroad terminus and a World War II embarkation point for 500,000 troops headed to Europe.
The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (Tappan Zee Bridge), opened in 2017, comes into clearer view as you continue.
Looking north, the village of Piermont sits below, with Mount Nebo rising behind it — once the site of a Cold War-era Air Force Nike missile installation. Hook Mountain, part of Section 3, appears in the distance.
The trail then descends a steep section rebuilt by volunteers, featuring more than 200 stone steps.
More than 200 stone steps, weighing 300-600 pounds each and sourced locally from nearby parks, were expertly placed to make the trail much safer for hikers and able to withstand heavy rainfall and high-volume foot traffic…In total, more than 50 volunteers logged over 9,000 volunteer hours over a 3 year period to improve this segment of the Long Path.
NY-NJ Trail Conference
Village of Piermont
The trail passes through the Village of Piermont — by the Bridge Street Bridge, a rare early hand-operated bascule; along Piermont Avenue; and past Piermont Railroad Station (now a museum), the Northern Railroad terminus and early telegraph hub.
Rockland Cemetery
Soon after, the Long Path enters Rockland Cemetery, home to a monument honoring Major-General John Charles Frémont, the “Pathfinder of the West,” whose legacy includes both exploration and brutal violence against Native Americans.
The cemetery also contains the obelisk-shaped grave of Henry Honeychurch Gorringe, who oversaw the transport of Cleopatra’s Needle from Egypt to Central Park (and whose name rhymes with orange).
Within about 30 feet of the Long Path is also the resting place of George Zoebelein, former president of the NY–NJ Trail Conference and longtime Long Path supervisor in Rockland County. Zoebelein helped ensure the trail remained routed through the cemetery.
After the cemetery, the Long Path continues through a series of Rockland County parklands – including Clausland Mountain Park, Tackamack Town Park, and Blauvelt State Park – following wooded ridges, old woods roads, and former recreation and military-use areas. It then passes through Sean Hunter Ryan Memorial Park before descending toward Nyack.
The section follows a brief road walk, ending at the busy intersection of Waldron Avenue and NY Route 59.
