White Cross Trail

The White Cross Trail is a marked trail in Harriman State Park. It is 2.15 miles long, one of the shorter trails in the park. It is blazed a white cross, an almost unique blaze except for the Red Cross Trail. Notable places along the WCT are Claudius Smith Rock, Black Ash Swamp, Parker Swamp. The WCT connects the Tuxedo - Mt. Ivy Trail to the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail.

Mileposts 0.0 - 2.15
Note: The White Cross Trail is relatively short, so the following description will be short.

The White Cross Trail begins at the Tuxedo - Mt. Ivy Trail at Claudius Smith Rock, a rock named after Claudius Smith. Claudius Smith was a criminal who used the rock as a hideout. He was hanged at Goshen in 1779. The trail starts by going downhill. This is a safer route in the icy winter than the parallel Blue Disc Trail. The White Cross Trail continues and soon passes to the left of Black Ash Swamp at .85 miles. At 1 mile, the trail passes the old park boundary and crosses the Victory Trail and White Bar Trail soon after. The trail ascends gently and ends at the Ramapo - Dunderberg Trail.

History
The White Cross Trail first appeared on a map in 1936. Blazed by Kerson Nurian, creator of the Triangle, Hillburn-Torne Sebago and Nurian Trails, he asked that the NY-NJ Trail Conference maintain it. The Adirondack Mountain Club took over control of the trail and have maintained it ever since.