Popolopen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Popolopen |
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Summit of Popolopen Torne in 2006, facing northwest, with Cranberry Brook and the military reservation below.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 942 ft (287 m) |
| Naming | |
| Language of name | Dutch |
| Geography | |
| Location | Highlands, Orange County, New York, U.S. |
| Parent range | Hudson Highlands |
| Topo map | New York New Jersey Trail Conference #119 |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Popolopen is a name used for several important places in the Hudson Highlands area of Orange County, New York. These include a mountain called Popolopen Torne (or "The Torne"), a deep valley known as Hell Hole or Popolopen Gorge, and Popolopen Creek, which flows through this valley.
The Popolopen Bridge crosses the creek where it meets the Hudson River, carrying Route 9W. Popolopen Lake is where the creek begins. Even though people use "Popolopen" for many things, the official U.S. Board on Geographical Names only recognizes the lake, creek, and bridge with this name.
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Popolopen Torne: The Mountain Peak
Popolopen Torne, often just called "The Torne," is a small mountain with a rocky, bare top. It's part of the Hudson Highlands and stands 942 feet (287 meters) above sea level.
Hikers can explore the Timp Torne trail, which is marked with blue blazes. This trail forms a loop from Mine Torne Road to the top of the mountain and back. The climb is short but steep, and from the summit, you get amazing 360-degree views! You can see the Hudson River, West Point, Bear Mountain, and Harriman State Park. U.S. Route 6 runs through the valley between Popolopen Torne and Bear Mountain, right before it reaches the Bear Mountain Bridge.
Lake Popolopen: A Training Ground
Lake Popolopen is a lake located northwest of the mountain. It's inside the West Point Military Reservation, close to New York State Route 293.
Two camps, Camp Buckner and Camp Natural Bridge, are located at the lake. The lake is often used for military training and fun activities. It's the biggest body of water at West Point and is used for water-based training like scuba diving and practicing amphibious assaults (landings from water).
A long time ago, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, West Point cadets would have a three-day war game called "the Battle of Popolopen" every August. The lake used to be the site of a summer camp. Its water was also used to supply nearby mining operations.
During World War II, the Army bought the land for military use only. They turned the old summer camp into Camp Popolopen, which was used to hold German prisoners. After the war, the camp's name was changed to Camp Buckner.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation started putting tiger muskies (a type of fish) into Lake Popolopen in 2011. They stocked 400 fish in 2011 and 800 fish in 2012, all about 10.5 inches long.
Popolopen Creek and "Hell Hole" Gorge
Popolopen Creek, sometimes called Popolopen Brook, is a stream about 10.4 miles (16.7 kilometers) long. It gets most of its water from Lake Popolopen, Mine Lake, Stillwell Lake, and Weyant's Pond. Eventually, it flows into the Hudson River.
The creek mainly runs through the West Point area and ends in a deep valley between Bear Mountain and Popolopen Torne. This valley is officially named Hell Hole, but many people also call it Popolopen Gorge.
Locally, "Hell Hole" is often used to describe a series of small pools within this gorge. However, official maps and other sources usually use "Hell Hole" for the entire gorge itself.
A geologist named K.E. Lowe explained that the Hell Hole gorge was formed by a crack in the Earth's crust within a type of rock called Storm King granite. He noted that the creek is narrow and very rocky for most of its journey through the gorge, with fast-moving rapids and several waterfalls. You can only reach it by walking, and it's generally not possible to travel by boat.
The Popolopen Gorge Trail, marked with red blazes, runs along the south side of the creek. It leads to a footbridge just south of Popolopen Torne. Here, it connects with other trails like the blue-blazed Timp-Torne, 1777 West, and 1779 trails. These trails follow the north side of the creek from Hell Hole to the bridge, with the Timp-Torne trail going over the top of Popolopen Torne. They cross the footbridge and join the Popolopen Gorge Trail, then turn southwest, following the valley of Queensboro Brook.
Popolopen Bridge: A Historic Crossing
During the American Revolution, a temporary floating bridge crossed the mouth of Popolopen Creek. Much later, a road from Hessian Lake to Fort Montgomery used to cross the lower part of the gorge on an iron bridge. This old bridge had steep slopes and sharp turns, making it dangerous for cars.
In 1916, the road (which later became U.S. Route 9W in 1930) was moved to a new, high steel bridge further downstream, near where Fort Montgomery once stood. Another bridge was built right next to it in 1936.
The 1936 bridge is called Popolopen Bridge. It's a deck truss design, over 600 feet long and 48 feet wide. It rises about 150 feet above the mouth of Popolopen Creek. Around the year 2000, about 18,000 vehicles crossed it every day. It was repaired in 1992 and again in 2007. The 1916 bridge was taken down in the 1950s, but its tall stone supports can still be seen.
A new footbridge was built across Popolopen Creek in 2002, just downstream from the main Popolopen Bridge. This footbridge was designed as a suspended rope truss, which makes it very strong. It also has a special fiber composite deck instead of a traditional wooden one. This makes it lighter, more durable, and easier to maintain. The bridge looks similar to the Wheeling Suspension Bridge in West Virginia.
Industry: Past and Present
In the past, iron mining and smelting (melting metal) took place along the upper parts of Popolopen Creek. The Forest of Dean Mine dug for iron ore from the time of the American Revolution until the 1900s. It even had a narrow gauge railroad along the creek. The mine site is now underwater, beneath Stilwell Lake. Queensboro Furnace, located near where Queensboro Brook flows into the creek, melted iron in the late 1700s. The remains of this furnace are still preserved today as part of the West Point Military Reservation.
A grist mill (a mill for grinding grain) was built in 1799 by Eugene Lucet. A dam was built upstream from the mill in 1901 to improve its water supply. This dam is still there, and water collects behind it when the creek flows strongly. This temporary pond is sometimes called "Roe Pond" on maps. The mill building was later changed into a hydroelectric power plant, but it was torn down in the 1950s.
An aqueduct (a structure that carries water) was built on the north side of the gorge in 1906 to bring water from Queensboro Brook and Popolopen Creek to West Point. Another aqueduct was built on the south side in 1929–30 to supply Bear Mountain State Park with water from Queensboro Lake.
Popolopen in Books
- Lake Popolopen is the setting for the mystery novel Dress Gray (1978) by Lucian Truscott IV.
