Breakneck Ridge
Breakneck Ridge rises to 384 m in New York. Schunnemunk Mountain stands 507 m to the west-southwest, 9.4 miles off. The nearest named place is Northgate Farm, a historic site 0.8 miles away. Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway passes 15 miles off.
The story
Breakneck Ridge is a mountain along the Hudson River between Beacon and Cold Spring, New York, straddling the boundary between Dutchess and Putnam counties. Its distinctive rocky cliffs are visible for a long distance when approached from the south, and together with Storm King Mountain on the opposite bank of the river forms Wey-Gat, or Wind Gate, the picturesque northern gateway to the Hudson Highlands.
It has several summits, the highest, some distance inland, reaching approximately 1,260 feet (384 m) above sea level. The southern face of the peak is known for its striking cliffs, the result of quarrying in past years. Lying within Hudson Highlands State Park, it offers views of the river and region and is quite popular with hikers, to the point that a rail flag stop has been established on the Metro North line which runs right by the base of the ridge along NY 9D. In 1932 a road tunnel was dug below the western slopes of the peak; it is now designated as part of Route 9D.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q4959640, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 384 m
How to reach it
- 14.6 mi off the Shawangunk Mountains Scenic Byway
- 28.6 mi off the Bronx River Parkway
- 28.8 mi off the Western Highlands Scenic Byway, National
- 29.7 mi off the Merritt Parkway, National
Overlooks nearby
- Overlook · 23 mi
- Hawkwatch · 23 mi
- High Exposure · 23 mi
- Pinnacle Rock · 23 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Northgate Farm: 0.8 mi
- Northgate Farm: 0.8 mi
- Bannerman Castle: 1.5 mi
- Stern-Cornish Estate: 1.5 mi
- Stern-Cornish Estate (Northgate): 1.6 mi
- Sugarloaf Mountain: 0.8 mi
- Bull Hill: 1.5 mi
- South Beacon Mountain: 1.7 mi
- North Beacon Mountain: 2.1 mi
- Storm King Mountain: 2.6 mi
- Madame Brett Park: 2.2 mi
- Blacktop: 2.5 mi
- Nelsonville Park: 2.5 mi
- Mayor's Park: 2.6 mi
- McConville Park: 2.7 mi
- Roe Park: 3.3 mi
- Open Space Institute: 4.4 mi
- Hudson Highlands Land Trust: 5.5 mi
- Hudson Highlands Land Trust: 5.9 mi
- Open Space Conservancy: 6.0 mi
- Thayer Statue: 4.5 mi
- Washington Monument: 4.7 mi
- General Dwight D. Eisenhower: 4.7 mi
- General Patton: 4.7 mi
- Mahatma: 5.5 mi
- Eagle Cliff: 6.3 mi
- Hell Hole: 9.5 mi
- Lemon Squeezer: 16.6 mi
- Kaal Rock: 16.9 mi
- Scenic Overlook: 19.4 mi
- Putnam History Museum: 3.0 mi
- Magazzino: 3.1 mi
- Dia:Beacon: 3.1 mi
- Hudson Highlands Nature Center - Wildlife Education Campus: 3.3 mi
- Boscobel House: 3.5 mi
- Haldane School Garden: 2.5 mi
- Boscobel Gardens: 3.4 mi
- Vegetable Garden: 14.8 mi
- Cut Garden: 14.8 mi
- Vassar College Community Gardens: 15.4 mi
- Timp-Torne Trail: 12.3 mi
- Dunderberg Spiral Railway: 12.3 mi
- Bowling Rocks: 17.2 mi
- Van Cortlandt Manor: 19.0 mi
- Rogue Riders: 19.1 mi
- Canopus Beach: 6.9 mi
- Mahopac Hills Beach: 12.1 mi
- Ten Eycks Beach: 14.8 mi
- Brick Beach: 14.8 mi
- Berean Park Beach: 17.9 mi
- LG waterfall: 14.8 mi
- Upper Falls: 22.3 mi
- Lower Falls: 22.4 mi
- Quaker Brook Falls: 23.8 mi
- Saw Mill Falls: 23.8 mi
- East Fishkill Rest Area: 13.6 mi
- Stormville Rest Area: 13.7 mi
- Wallkill Rest Area: 17.6 mi
- Middletown Rest Area: 22.8 mi
- Danbury Rest Area: 23.3 mi
- Princess circle picnic site: 9.7 mi
- Kakiat Park: 23.1 mi
- Bergfield Picnic Site: 23.7 mi
- Pell Hill: 24.0 mi
- Dicktown: 9.6 mi
- Doodletown: 11.3 mi
- Trapps Mountain Hamlet Historic District: 23.1 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 9.5 miles of Breakneck Ridge. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schunnemunk Mountain | WSW 240° | 507 m | 9.4 mi |
| South Beacon Mountain | NNE 26° | 491 m | 1.7 mi |
| North Beacon Mountain | NNE 20° | 465 m | 2.1 mi |
| Bald Hill | NE 37° | 456 m | 3.6 mi |
| Lambs Hill | NNE 33° | 454 m | 2.9 mi |
| Spy Rock | SW 214° | 441 m | 5.7 mi |
| Bull Hill | S 174° | 433 m | 1.5 mi |
| Crows Nest | SSW 200° | 429 m | 3.7 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:00 | 18:32 | 19:08 |
| June solstice | 05:23 | 19:52 | 20:34 |
| September equinox | 06:44 | 18:18 | 18:55 |
| December solstice | 07:20 | 15:45 | 16:30 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 28 | 31 | 39 | 50 | 61 | 70 | 75 | 74 | 66 | 55 | 44 | 34 |
| Precip in | 3.8 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 4.2 | 4.6 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — W PT, 5 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/926496027
Day trips start here
- Cold Spring · 3 mi
- Highlands · 8 mi
- Putnam County · 11 mi
- Stony Point · 16 mi
- Croton-on-Hudson · 18 mi
- Ossining · 21 mi
Take the scenic way to Breakneck Ridge.
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