Fishing the Hell Hole
Right on the border of West Point, the Army base, is a beautiful stream called the Popolopen Creek. The name means Partridge Creek. It runs from the mountains and into the Hudson River.
There's also another name for it -- Hell Hole. It's called that because of the rushing stream and randomly deep holes that have led to some unfortunate drownings over the years. That doesn't stop locals from visiting and jumping in these watering holes in the summertime.
It's a beautiful place -- extremely quiet and very low hiking traffic.
You do have to be extremely careful where you hike, as you can see below. West Point army base is right over the border and you can sometimes hear blasts and see Apache helicopters flying overhead.
Mind the red Department of Defense border!
I didn't have any luck fishing there, but found some really beautiful spots.
WARNINGS:
BUG BITES - I got some extremely nasty bug bites in this area. Probably chiggers. Be careful where you walk and make sure to stay on trail. Wear long sleeves & lots of bug spray.
USE GPS - be careful where you hike, you don't want to accidentally walk onto West Point. There are a couple of warning signs, but they're easy to miss.
NOTE: You can park at the Torne Trail Trailhead here: (41.32425, -74.00775) However, as of April 2026 the trail is marked Closed. Hike in at your own risk or take a different trail in.