Tom Jones Shelter — Hotel in Town of Tuxedo

My new favorite shelter. The Tom Jones shelter is within perfect proximity from the road: a good hike up, but a quick one too. I spent our Labor Day weekend there with my son and my dog, and as I'm the only adult, I had to carry up a tent, two sleeping bags, food for two days, etc. (I've tried having the dog carry some of the load; he once ran off and came back without his doggy pack, so that was the end of it.) Considering how much I had to lug, I've tried different solutions, but Tom Jones beat them all. We hiked up (fifteen minutes), dropped our stuff, and went back to the car (eight minutes down) for more. We took the blue trail up and then transferred to the red at the intersection, turning towards the arrow pointing up. It was a scramble, but so incredibly close!

Great views. The sunsets were breathtaking. And there were lots of people both nights, spaced out enough for privacy, but close enough that we could borrow a lighter when we used up all our matches and the fire had still not started. (yikes!) There are plenty of flat grassy areas with views of the mountains and some tucked under trees.

My dog is never happier than when on a hike, and it was fabulous at the shelter. There were two other dogs and everyone kept to their own little tent.

Best part: being visited by friends because it's close enough to the road....

This shelter has a nice view, but has been extremely neglected. It says a 1/2 mile hike, but it’s straight up the mountain so it feels longer. It said follow the trail with the red dot and white triangle. Unless we took the wrong trail I only saw a red dot the whole time. The reward is the view. We planned on staying at the shelter, but quickly changed our mind when arriving. It has a hole on the roof with a tarp over it. Their is trash all over the place. Around it, in it, under it. Lots of trash everywhere. Not little trash either. Multiple tarps, dishes, pots, broken coolers, just tons of trash, and covered in graffiti. It was obvious that the park people never...

One of the 5-6 shelters in the Harriman State Park. I took the bus from NYC port authority to Tuxedo and from there hiked to the shelter. The hike was a bit intense at times, but doable and beautiful. You cross many streams and small waterfalls. The last climb to the Tom Jones shelter is a bit strenuous, but I was rewarded with a welcome committee of three deers awaiting me, and a beautiful view over the valley. I found a beautiful spot for my hammock and spent a great night...