Riker Hill



Riker Hill (8/27/2017)

After unsuccesfully attempting to hike to this park from Becker Park we drove to the parking area for the Riker Hill Art Colony and hiked around this old abandoned Nike Control Center.

Using the official map we parked at the eastern end of the entrance road from Beaufort Avenue and headed north on an old sidewalk, up two flights of steps, reaching the road where the art studios are now located (they were previously Nike buildings from 1954 to 1974). Continuing NE we visited the old circular railings of what I believe were the tracks for the radar equipment. Just north, behind the highest circular rail is an old radar tower (that's the solid circle on the map). A trail begins there through a gated chain link fence (the gate was open). It's blazed blue the entire way, but overgrown in some parts. This trail takes you to the Walter Kidde Dinosaur Park, where the footprint of a brontosaurus was discovered years ago. A museum with the footprint existed in this complex with that footprint but closed for lack of interest. Still, walking along the trail, imagining that you are passing through an area where that was discovered is quite exciting, though nothing remains today. We did the lollipop and then followed blue back to the Nike area, walking clockwise along the road back to the car.

Total distance today was about 2 miles in about 75 minutes.

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