Bull Hill Full Loop (Mount Taurus) Hike

Bull Hill (Mount Taurus) loop hike is a pretty good hike but this is often overshadowed by Breakneck Ridge. The parking lot for both hikes are very close to each other. Most people hike breakneck ridge rather than going to this hike. I still like this hike though. This offers a lot interesting sights to see. I’ve seen a baby deer here once, and it was pretty cute. The hike is not that long and there are definitely plenty of views to see. The hike going back to the parking lot is pretty easy and flat. You will ascend on the first half and then go back down. Once you are at the bottom, the trails become pretty flat till you get to the parking lot.

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Bull Hill Full Loop Important Information

Trail Map: Trail Map 1
Suggested Phone GPS Apps: Alltrails.com, Avenza Maps, Google Maps

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 7 Miles
Elevation Gained: 1,400 ft
Portable Toilet At Parking: Supermarket Near

Trail Breakdown
White Trail – 1.5 miles
Yellow Trail To View Point – 0.5 miles
Yellow Trail Back To Intersection – 0.5 miles
White Trail To Bull Hill – 1 mile
Bull Hill To Blue Trail – 0.5 miles
Blue Trail To Red Trail – 1 mile
Red Trail To Blue Trail – 0.5 miles
Blue Trail To Parking – 1.5 miles

https://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/2257873904

Note: The information is just an approximation.

Parking

41.426631, -73.965547

 

Start Of The Hike

The light of the sun was hot, oven like hot, as if my skin was burning just by being in the open. I carried an extra liter of water, poured sunscreen all over my skin and dived deep into the trail, hoping the forest would hide me from the scorching rays of the sun. I knew the day was going to be very hot but I also knew I had to hike on that day. I was made for sunny days anyway, at least according to my ancestors. When adventure calls for my soul, I cannot deny it. I must answer it back and embrace it with everything I have even if it meant hiking on a very hot day.

 

Washburn White Trail

The white trail started out flat with various pebbles scattered throughout the footpath and at the side of the trail were bushes, shrubs, weeds, and other assorted plant life. The hot smoldering sun followed me into the depths of the forest but the tall towering trees tried to protect me with their leaves, shading my body and offering me a little bit of sanctuary. In the forest, the hot and dry air became moist and cool, allowing me to walk easily along the trail.

 

Washburn White Trail

Curiosity and the sense of exploration took over me as the white trail told me to go right, but I kept going straight. A wide expanse of land in a form of a meadow awaited me as tiny grasses, weeds and bushes could be found everywhere I looked, with tall hills in the distance filled with green trees encircling the land. I went back to the safety of the trail as the meadow did not have any shade that protected me and I could feel the hot sun sucking up all of my energy while dehydrating my body.

 

The incline proved to be rather strenuous as the the trail was filled with rocks, stones and boulders with hardly any tree nor shade that could give me comfort. A rusty metal pipe could be seen on the trail, it stretched on all the way to the top without any hint of ending. A stream of sweat dripped out of my head and into my cheeks as my body tried to cool itself from the hot environment I found myself into and I could feel the back of my backpack getting wet from all of my perspiration as well. I trudged on, one step at a time, slowly moving to the top. Hoping to find a shelter I could take refuge in.

 

Washburn White Trail View

To my left was a viewpoint blocked by trees but I did not stay there very long. I went on upwards, trying to get to the top, hoping I could get away from the sun.

 

Washburn White Trail Ascent

Never did I think that a few minutes under the hot sun could feel like an eternity as I could feel my lips losing all of their moisture, my throat drying away, my mind going blank, and my sanity that was crystal clear gradually diminishing. My steps became increasingly heavy as my energy decreases, and all hope seemed to have been lost as the trail became more rocky the higher I found myself in the mountain. I moved upwards ever so slowly, inching away towards the top, summoning up all of my energy, hoping to find a place to rest.

 

Washburn White Trail View

To my right was a viewpoint shaded by towering trees with strong torrents of mountain winds blowing in from the clear blue sky. I took refuge on a small soft patch of brown land, as the violent winds shook the branches and leaves on top of me. The leaves rustled and screamed as the forceful winds blew in every second without any break nor any sign of stopping. I sat gleefully under a cool shade as the winds reverberated lovingly along my skin, cooling my body, and taking away all the lethargy and tiredness that I once felt.

 

Maddening winds of various degrees of force blew in from the valley; cool and refreshing, fast and slow, wicked and powerful, made the viewpoint amiable despite my body being under the constant strain of the scorching rays of the sun. Below me was a town with houses built for families as cars, bikes, and various vehicles drove through the streets. In every corner, alley and place I could see, the sizzling sun showered its rays making the ant like people walking underneath wear their summer clothes like shorts, tank tops, shirts and so on, in bright and fashionable colors.

 

After a few minutes, the town down below screamed of nothingness. No man, no woman, nor child could be seen as the perennial rays of the fiery sun constantly barraged through every part and every corner that I could see. The fiery and intense sun grabbed the Earth with strictness and power, terrorizing everyone who desired to leave their home. I looked at the town below me in amazement as it was once filled with movement but now desolate and barren of any living thing. I stayed for a few more minutes, trying my best to re-energize my body before going on my way.

 

White And Yellow Trail Intersection

After a few minutes of walking upwards, the intersection between the white trail and yellow trail could be seen. The correct path was the white trail, but I wanted to see what Breakneck and Storm King looked like so proceeded to go to the yellow trail for a few minutes.

 

Yellow Trail End View – Breakneck Ridge

Insane amounts of hawks flew high above me, maybe around 30 or so. Each hawk moved in a chaotic fashion, following no one, flying in all directions without any hint of a destination, and without any sign of stopping or going downwards. One hawk moved towards Breakneck ridge, flying all alone, but then it glided way high above me as if it made a mistake going there. I stood in awe at the amount of hawks flying all around me as I have never seen so many before. I hid under a tall bush to get some shade, trying my best to see what the hawks were doing until in one single moment they were all gone.

 

Yellow Trail End View – Storm King Mountain

Storm King mountain looked like a gigantic lizard soundly sleeping for thousands of years with the highway being its mouth and the top of the mountain looking like its back. The Hudson river flowed noiselessly on, its water looking murky and brown with a few shades of blue at the farthest distance and a few boats could be seen creating white ‘V’ shaped waves moving away from my position. I looked at the sky one final time, searching for the multitude of hawks that were once there but I could no longer see them. I headed back to the intersection and went on the white trail.

 

White Trail After Intersection

The white trail footpath kept going upwards but with plenty of shade from the surrounding trees, I could finally manage. Finally, I was feeling good and I was happy with the trail. A few hikers greeted me as they passed me by, as I walked very slowly like a turtle, just enjoying the scenery and the cool temperature that I finally found myself in. I hiked higher and higher, one step after another, moving along the brown footpath, trying to reach the top.

 

White Trail View After Intersection

My eyes sparkled and my lips widen at the sudden rush of the beautiful scenery in front of me. The sunlight caresses the earth, illuminating the green forest in front of me as the somber hills lay restful, while the blue river glittered underneath the skylight. I took a few minutes of rest, just to let my eyes soak in the view, let the peacefulness of nature travel through my body, creating a calm and serene environment for my heart and mind.

 

White Trail NYC Mark

A huge block of rock blocked the way, and on top of that rock was a graffiti that said “NYC.” I climbed on top of the rock and looked at my surroundings. Like a fool, I thought I would see NYC or a city on the horizon but there was nothing. Just a bunch of trees at one part and the clear blue sky on another. I got down from the rock, disappointed and went on my way.

 

Bull Hill or Mount Taurus View

The map indicated a view point or outlook in the area called bull hill but I could not see any. Further exploration of the trail allowed me to find a dead end with a view that was blocked by trees. The hot sun was beaming its rays again that to further look for a viewpoint felt more like an annoyance or more of an inconvenience rather than something rewarding. I went on my way and followed the white markers again, hoping to continue my hike and explore other interesting areas of the park.

 

White Trail Descent

*the picture was supposed to be a slope or an incline but I took it in such an angle that made it looked straight instead.

The descent was long and arduous as each step brought pain to my toes and pressure on my knees. I took out my hiking sticks, forced them to the ground with each step, hoping to relieve some of the pressure that my legs were getting. The light and shadow intermingle on the brown footpath, dancing to the rhythm of the wind as they moved all over the place. Moist and cool, my environment was starting to get better as the cool air ruffled the trees all around me, bringing in the fresh scent of leaves and soil, while rejuvenating my body as I walked down the trail.

 

Blue Trail

A brown flat footpath filled with soft soil greeted me down the ascent, with various grasses and plant life growing at the side of it. I could hear nothing, I could hear no one, only the deafening silence followed me here as I plunged deeper and deeper into the forest. The hot sun could no longer be felt as the air was cool and moist, and the forest had sheltered me from its rays. I went on merrily while enjoying the solitude that I found.

 

Red Trail

As the light of the sun flickered heavily deep inside the forest, I turned around to survey my surrounding area. All I could see were tall trees, none were familiar to me, none had any names to my knowledge, just a variety of trees in various shapes and forms that I could not recognize. I followed the red trail to the best of my abilities, to its right was a river flowing endlessly, its depth was shallow as it flowed along the red trail.

 

Further up the trail was a bridge with a few young men and young women around 25ish years of age were swimming in the river near it. The men wore shorts without anything on the top and the women wore their bathing suits. It was a strange thing to see as I don’t really trust any types of water I could find in the wilderness as most of them have parasitic microorganisms that can cause diarrhea. Still, the young adults seemed to be enjoying their time as they splashed around in the shallow river.

 

Red Trail House

Further along the red trail was a house like structure with a door and two windows and before I could even think about going inside, a strong smell came out of it. It smelled like urine as if multiple people have peed inside it. I grabbed my nose with my hand, and held my breath as I took a quick look inside the structure. There was nothing interesting inside, just a horrible odor of waste products that most likely came from human beings. I left the structure with disgust on my face and vowed never to return there again.

 

Frog Well

I walked along the red trail to find circular well in my path with various branches of differing shapes and sizes, plastic bottles and a black mucous like pool of water inside of it. The hideous looking thing smelled of urine as well but this time it smelled of animal pee as various tiny frogs have made the well their home. Trapped yet content, the frogs ‘ribbit’ their way from one branch to another while some were swimming on the black mucous like water. I stayed for a few minutes as the structure maybe abominable and hideous, it was still pretty interesting to look at.

 

Cornish Mansion Ruins

The light of the sun, now mild and mellow, broke through the thin branches and leaves of the forest, as the shadows reached out and blanketed the ancient ruins. The once strong and mighty mansion that housed human beings were now a playground to a few birds that made their homes at the top of the walls with various plant life that made their home inside. The walls stood upright and tall as if they were defying gravity and destruction for thousands of years. The mansion itself smelled fine, no odor, no waste products nor any hints of urine could be found.

 

The beautiful rays of the sun illuminated this ancient relic of the past, a wonderful secret that the forest had hidden, as the brown walls stood proudly tall ridiculing the test of time. I climbed from one wall and walked to the next, jumped from one window to another, explored the ancient ruins to the best of my knowledge before finally leaving it behind. It was interesting and fun as it brought the child inside me that loved to explore and loved to fool around.

 

Blue Trail After Ruins

The dirt footpath turned into a cement road with various plants that seemed to have been purposely planted at the sides. I walked at the road eager to get back to the parking lot as the last drop of water had been extinguished from the final water bottle. Thirsty but happy, I smiled all the way to the parking lot as the hike had been marvelous and fun even though it had been very hot in the beginning. It had been a great hike with lots of interesting things to see and hopefully, I will get to see more hikes such as this in the future. I got in my car, looked at the park one more time to say goodbye then went on my way.

 

 

For More Hikes

For more hikes similar to this one, you can go to my Best Hikes For NYC Or Best Hikes For New Jersey.