Reed Reports -- January 2008

And the ANSWER is...

Looks like we stumped you this month. None of our members correctly identified this photo as being at Clausland Mountain Park in Orangeburg (Rockland).

Although not technically Scenic Hudson's -- it's owned by Rockland County -- Clausland Mountain Park in Orangeburg owes much of its beauty to us, which is why it appears on our parks pages. In 2000 we spearheaded efforts to purchase 50 acres along the mountain's wooded ridgeline in imminent threat of development, protecting stunning Hudson River views and ensuring this suburban woodland remained unspoiled. That's good news for through-hikers on the Long Path, which crosses the park on its 326-mile route from the George Washington Bridge to John Boyd Thacher State Park near Albany.

Interestingly, land at the summit of the mountain – named for Jan Claus, sachem of a local Native American tribe – served as a surface-to-air missile base during the Cold War. One of several facilities encircling Manhattan, it protected the city from Soviet attack. All that's left of the base are several concrete platforms and a water tank.

Sorry we stumped you. Better luck this month!