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If you find this free trail guide useful, please provide payment by picking up at least one piece of litter on your hike. Cha-ching! Thanks for being awesome! (And here’s a quick primer on Leave No Trace, too, to help us keep the trails nice and fresh for each other.)
Thanks to My Harriman State Park for the awesome banner image!
Background you can feel free to skip: After taking a look at my first Anthony’s Nose trail guide, my friend Tom said, “You should really try the Anthony’s Nose hike coming up from the other side, on the Camp Smith Trail. It has some really nice views.”
“Sure, thanks, I’ll check it out,” I replied, but a couple of years went by before I finally made it out here, largely because the original way is already a great hike, and also because our Netflix queue wasn’t going to watch itself. (Sure, we live in an exquisitely beautiful area, but is Don Draper going to land the Heinz ketchup account or what?)
But man, Tom was right. This is a great hike, and it features some views that you just don’t get if you come up the other way.
That said, both hikes really are excellent, and they both lead you to the same money spot with amazing views of the Bear Mountain Bridge (and surrounding awesomeness).
We visited over Memorial Day weekend, which was kind of like going to the mall before Christmas.
Of the two trailheads that day, though, there seemed to be far fewer cars parked at the small lot for the hike documented below, as opposed to the Wal-Martesque parking situation at the base of the Bear Mountain Bridge.
If you’re looking for solitude, you should try to hit this hike at an odd time, or pick a different one altogether. This place deserves to be a popular destination, and it is.
As far as which path to take to Anthony’s Nose, I’d recommend trying each way once to see which one you like best. My guess is that most people will prefer the Camp Smith route documented here, but they’re both excellent hikes.
Whichever way you pick, there’s really no wrong way to pick Anthony’s Nose.
Trail Guide
Bonus unsolicited advice: Don't depend on having cell service in the woods - it can be spotty out there! Download this trail guide to your phone before you head out. (It's easy to do on iPhone and Android.) May your connection to nature be strong, even when your connection to the internet is weak.
1. From the small parking area on Route 6 (also marked as Rt 202 – see “Directions to the trailhead” below), check out the kiosk that marks the beginning of your adventure today, just a few feet into the woods. (With your back to the road, Anthony’s Nose is to your left, so don’t be lured to the right by any trails over that way.)
The rest of this sentence may very well make this trail guide obsolete, but from the kiosk, you’ll take a left onto the blue-blazed Camp Smith trail, which you’ll follow all the way to Anthony’s Nose, 1.3 miles from here.
Oh, you’re still reading? Sweet! What the heck, why don’t I keep blathering, then?
2. From the kiosk, pick up the blue blazes and head toward the little (probably seasonal) creek, which you need to hop across. (On the day we visited, the people in front of us didn’t see the creek crossing and were wandering around, trying to find the Blue Trail. It’s not 100% obvious that you need to begin by hopping across the creek like Winnie the Pooh.)
3. From the creek, just keep trekking and following those blue markers. You may notice the DANGER sign that advises you not to stray off trail, lest you wander into a live firing range.
If you’re only going to pay attention to one sign in your life, this one should certainly be a top candidate. The very active Camp Smith military installation, a training ground for the New York Army National Guard, does not share the name of this trail by coincidence. Let’s stick to the trail, shall we?
4. About ten minutes into the hike, you’ll cross another stream, then you’ll get more serious about gaining some altitude.
5. And then, about twenty minutes into the hike, SHABOOM! The trees drop away to your left to open up some fairly righteous views.
6. From here, just keep enjoying the occasional shabooms.
And between shabooms, more climbing.
7. About 40 minutes into the hike (walking at four-year-old pace), you may catch a hint of the Bear Mountain Bridge through the trees. The money spot can’t be too far! But first, more climbing. And rocks. Lots of ‘em. Whew. Dude, need a water break.
8. When you emerge onto a large open rock face with very nice, but limited, views back behind you (it took about us an hour to get here from the parking lot), take a break and take it in.
Some people might find this view nice enough to decide that this must be the money spot. During our most recent visit, I witnessed a great tragedy here. Two hikers from New York City, who had been in front of us for the entire hike, turned around to go home.
“Wait, the best view is right around the corner,” I said.
“How far? We have to get back to the city,” one of them replied.
“Like, less than five minutes for sure,” I replied, not remembering exactly how far it was. They decided they’d seen enough, didn’t have time, and headed back down the hill, about thirty seconds from reaching Anthony’s Nose.
Seriously, they only needed to go another hundred yards to see one of the best views in the Hudson Valley. Instead, they came all the way up here just to leave without seeing Anthony’s Nose. I’m getting teary just thinking about it now. Hang on. I need a minute. I’m all verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves.
9. Just after the faux money spot, you’ll come down a very steep, short, rocky section.
At the bottom of that steep descent, you’ll see the well-trodden (but unmarked?) trail to Anthony’s Nose, straight ahead. Take that bad boy over the rise to see what’s on the other side. Spoiler alert: It’s cool.
**UPDATE March 2021** This junction is no longer unmarked, and has a nice, clear sign directing you to the overlook. Thanks to the nice commenters below for the update!
(At the bottom of that steep section, DO NOT turn right to continue following the blue blazes, or you’ll end up taking the Camp Smith Trail all the way back to the Appalachian Trail and coming down the mountain on the wrong side, potentially ending up in Georgia. Or Maine. Try not to do that, unless you have a really strong hankering for peaches or lobster, respectively.)
**UPDATE July 2018** One hiker reported getting lost here after visiting the view – on her way back, she couldn’t find this spot again, or locate the Blue Trail. Please pay special attention to the place where you leave the woods and step out onto the rocky bluff of Anthony’s Nose, so that you can find your way back again. The money spot at Anthony’s Nose is very large, and it would be quite easy to lose track of where you should enter/exit the woods to find your way back to the Blue Trail – you’ll be retracing your steps back to your car, so be sure to leave yourself some mental bread crumbs (and look for the last blue trail marker) so that you can hop right back on the Blue Trail when you’re done soaking in the view.
10. Just over that little rise, SHA-BOOOOOOOOM!
What an awesome spot. Hang out here for a while. Anthony would want it that way.
11. When you’re done hanging out on Anthony’s Nose (or Forehead?), turn around and retrace your steps, following the blue blazes all the way back down to your car, and turning down any opportunities to wander into a firing range. It took us 60 minutes to get down, walking at a four-year-old pace.
The only potential wrong turn you could make would be just moments after departing Anthony’s Nose – be careful to clamber back over the steep, rocky section to go straight on the Blue Trail, rather than taking that left turn toward the Appalachian Trail and peaches or lobster.
Otherwise, enjoy the views, watch your step and the skies, and follow those blue blazes home!
Aren’t you glad you picked Anthony’s Nose today?
Directions
Directions to the trailhead:
From the eastern side of the Bear Mountain Bridge, continue east on Route 6 (also marked as Route 202). At the fork with Route 9D immediately after the bridge, bear right to stay on Route 6 (if you’re coming south on 9D, hang a left at this intersection, away from the bridge). Enjoy the scenic drive for about 1 mile, then find the small parking area on your left, on the outer edge of a sharp right U-shaped curve. Pull off, hop out, and let the adventure begin!
Here’s a Google Street View image of the parking area.
You can also get directions by checking out the Anthony’s Nose II (via Camp Smith Trail) entry on the HiketheHudsonValley.com Google map.
Sorta nearby address for your GPS: The intersection of Route 9D and Route 6 (aka Route 202) in Cortlandt Manor, NY is just a mile or so west of the trailhead. You can also type “Anthony’s Nose” into Google Maps and it’ll take you to the mountain, but not this exact trailhead. If you follow those directions to the Bear Mountain Bridge, from there, just follow the “Directions to the trailhead” above and you’ll be golden.
GPS coordinates of parking area: 41.31227, -73.96485 (Clicking will open in Google Maps or the Apple Maps app, depending on your browser/device.)
Looking to travel here via public transit? Please see Christina’s very helpful comment below for some helpful advice from someone who has pulled it off. (And thanks, Christina!)
Looking to call anyone from the parking lot? Please see Melba’s very helpful warning below — don’t depend on having cell service out there!
Resources & Interactives
Super-cool Google Earth flyover of hike route:
Google Terrain Map of hike route:
Related resources: If you’re looking for actual facts and/or useful information, visit these resources:
- The concise Anthony’s Nose Wikipedia page
- A cool Anthony’s Nose panoramic photo from this location scouting site
- A longer hike to Anthony’s Nose detailed on NYCdayhiking.com
- For several Anthony’s Nose options, plus many other excellent hikes in the area, check out this page from CatskillHiker.net
- My other Anthony’s Nose trail guide, for more fact-free trail advice, and a different approach to the same money spot
Want to support trails in the Hudson Valley? Here’s one great way: Visit the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference homepage and click on Volunteer, Donate, or Shop! (Then you can volunteer, donate, or shop, depending on your mood.)
We hiked this today and it was great! Thank you for the directions and the GPS coordinates for the parking area. We have hiked several hikes in the Hudson Valley using your directions and all have worked out well for us.
Thank you so much, Meg! Glad this site has helped you with your adventures, and really appreciate the kind words!
Hi , Thanks for you pictures and directions. your infor make it very clear.
I just got one question. Now days the small parking are showing no parking anytime sign. Does this means we have to look for another parking area ? What do you recommend?
Thank you
We hiked at Anthony’s Nose today, but our internet stopped loading before we could read the information on this site about how to find the trailhead. We put “Anthony’s Nose Trailhead” into Google Maps, and it took us to a completely different spot, on South Mountain Pass Rd. There’s a spot between Route 9 and Route 9D (closer to 9D) at which the Appalachian Trail crosses this road. According to my All Trails App, it is called a “Military Road.” Off the road, there is a trail that is a loop (we took one side on the way, and the other on the way back), that leads towards Anthony’s Nose, and which then connects to the section of the Appalachian Trail that has the turn off to go to Anthony’s Nose. The path was a good width for most of the way. There was some up and down, but it definitely wasn’t a straight climb up. I followed the blue dot that moved with us and showed which direction we should go in the AllTrails app, even though it wasn’t a marked hike on this app (the trail was still indicated on the map). Even though it wasn’t the trail we had intended to take, I would recommend it as an alternate route to go to Anthony’s Nose that isn’t such a steep climb. I think the hike took us (2 adults) around 2 1/4 hours, at a moderate pace, and with a nice stop for the view at the top.
We just hiked this today (3/13/21) and they added a great sign that describes where the scenic overlook is vs the wrong trail so no one should be confused when the get to the bottom of the steep rock steps you described. The trail was nice, but we still prefer Storm King.
Thank you so much, Liz! I’ve updated that section of the trail guide with a link down to your comment. Much appreciated!
Curious to know if you, Mike, or any other readers have done this hike in the snow. I’m always looking for good winter routes (with appropriate gear, of course!).
Hi, Sarah! I have not, and would also be curious to hear from folks who have. There are enough steep spots here that it would require caution even with micro-spikes on, but this would probably be a gorgeous time of year to visit. Please give us a report if you give it a whirl!
Hey 🙂 was there yesterday and it was great, although it took me longer than expected.
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Hi! Planning on doing Anthony’s Nose this weekend! We are car-less, so wondering what is the best way to do this with public transportation? Here’s what I want to do, but I’m not sure if it makes sense in reality:
Take Metro North from the city to Manitou; walk 1.7miles to the AT Anthony’s Nose trailhead; hike up from the AT side; and THEN go down the Camp Smith trail and at the bottom, take a 5 minute cab to Peekskill station to go home.
OR the oppostie:
Take Metro North to Peekskill, 5 minute cab to Camp Smith Trailhead, hike up the longer (but less steep??) trail to the top; then down on the Appalachian side, walk 37 minutes to the Manitou station and go home.
Would either of those work? If not, why and what is your recommendation instead? If so, which of the two is a better hike?
The reason I want to do something like this is that I think I want a slightly longer hike than the shorter AT trail slice up to Anthony’s Nose; but we want to minimize cab rides, and with the first option above, we’d get a nice challenge with the steep beginning of the hike. Also we’d get more diverse views!
Thanks for any advice!
Hi Madi! I am planning a hike for this weekend, also car-less, and was wondering what you ended up deciding and how it worked for you. Was planning to try your first option, taking the train to Manitou, going up the AT side, then down via the Camp Smith trail and ultimately to the Peekskill station.
I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this anywhere but there are handy signs pointing you to Anthony’s Nose at the top.
Just did this trail today after reading this last summer, and I’m so happy I finally did it! fair warning, climbing 800 feet or so over <2 miles is no joke. I'm pretty out of shape, and I did this hike as sort of a test to see where I am, fitness-wise, and I had to take a few breathers after some pretty steep climbs. But it was so worth it! The view was gorgeous, and the hike back was a breeze. I can't wait to find more Hudson Valley hikes to do!
If you need a bathroom stop, Prestige Mobil/Dunkin’ Donut at Annsville Circle has two clean, well-maintained bathrooms. The address is 98 Hook Road, Peekskill.
Thank you very much for detailed trail guides! Our family found a new interest in hiking and your trail guides help us plan for safe and fun hiking hudson valley trails.
That’s wonderful to hear, KN — thanks so much! Here’s to many more safe and fun adventures for you and your family!
Warning: No cell reception at Camp Smith Parking Lot. We went up to Anthony’s nose today, going up the white blazes on the north side and coming down the south side to the Camp Smith parking lot. We came by taxi and so we had a little flexibility for where we ended up — or so we thought. (For what it’s worth we use Verizon and TMobile.)
Arriving at the Camp Smith lot we tried to hail a taxi or Uber to take us back to Peekskill MNR only to find that there was no cell reception within a 15 min area, which we figured out after wandering around in diff directions for half an hour. First toward Toll House Lot and then doubling back toward Anthony’s Nose. We passed another group facing the same predicament. When we finally got a taxi driver, he said he knew all about the no cell reception issue in that area, and he knew exactly where it picked up again. Anyway just a warning for other hikers coming by taxi
Thanks for the warning, Melba! I’ve added a link down here from the “Directions” section above. Hopefully that’ll help others avoid the same fate — sorry you went through that, and thanks for taking the time to leave this helpful warning here!
Has anyone done this on public transit. It’s hard to get definitive answers and maps. I heard it’s a mile and a half walk from Manitou station. I just know this is a request stop and not a town or anything so I’m worried about getting there and having no idea how to get to the trail head and also being tired before I even do the hike!
Hey. We did it by public transportation today. Want to share some info, it may be useful for somebody:
1. On weekends and holidays, only three northbound morning trails and three shouthbound afternoon trains stop at Manitou and Breakneck Ridge. No stops are made here during the week. Official info from MTA Metro-North Railroad.
2. We get off from the train at Peekskill. Took a taxi from train station to trailhead ($10). Ask for Camp Smith Trail Parking lot (not Toll House). Driver gave her phone number and picked us up when we finished the trail.
Christina, thanks so much for your helpful advice! I just added a link down to your comment from the “Directions to the trailhead” section, for other folks who may be looking to use public transit to get here. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences here!
Hi- this looks like a great hike. I wanted to confirm the distance is 2.6 miles round trip? I have seen this hike listed elsewhere as a 4+ mile hike via Camp Smith but it may be a different starting point.
Hi Uzair! Confirmation confirmed! If you do the hike as it’s written above, my GPS clocked it at 2.6 miles. You can make this a longer hike if you start further down the Camp Smith trail, though. People often start at the Bear Mountain Bridge Toll House (which is NOT located at the Bear Mountain Bridge, believe it or not — it used to be, but the historic building was moved to its new site to serve as a tourist information and welcome center). If you’d like to take that longer version of the hike, see the third link down in the “Resources” section above: “A longer hike to Anthony’s Nose detailed on NYCdayhiking.com.” You can also see Kevin’s comment below for more detail on that hike. Hope that helps!
This is great hike that I have done at least 20x. There are 5 different hikes that all end up at the nose.
1) from toll house on 202/6
2) from the Kiosk about halfway between the toolhouse and the BMB
3) From the trailhead just north of th he BMB on 9D which a steep but short .5 climb.
4) my fav apprioach – From South Mountain Pass there is an easement from the back into camp smith. Its a little less than 2 miles. The access road merges with AT about .25 miles and then turns into the blue camp smith trail.
5) About 100 yards up the easment mentioned in #4 you can turn right onto the AT which meanders along next to the easement itself until it merges with the blue camp smith trail.
I love going to the nose but my fav views are from Storm King, Sunset point on Mt. Beacon and Popolopen Torne. The nose is the most popular but these others have more expansive and often spectacular views.
Your fav approach sounds like a must do. How far on South Mountain Pass Road from 9D is the easement? Is the easement a foot trail or a wider, like an old logging road?
About .5 miles on the right. There is a metal gate and parking for several vehicles. It’s a washed out woods road. Hiking boots recommended.
Thank you!
Did the hike yesterday with my girls. It was an exhilarating experience. And thank you for yor step by step unstruction which kind of helped me especially up there on the nose, as it was a little out of direct eyesight.
So glad to hear it, Ginu — thank you!
Thanks for the entertaining guide and useful tips! My friends and I would have missed Anthony’s Nose entirely if you hadn’t warned about turning right at the top.
I’d like to mention that if you’re looking for a longer (and consequently harder) version of this hike, you can start the same Camp Smith trail from the Bear Mountain toll house for a total up-and-back distance of 5.7 miles and about 1700 ft total elevation gain. It has views of southern Hudson Valley and the Tappan Zee bridge, other views of Dunderberg and Bear mountain, lots of foliage, and plenty more rocky hills (with some sneaky unmarked trails, too). There’s also better parking and a porta-potty at the toll house.
Fair warning: this hike is quite a bit more strenuous than the one on this site. The individual climbs and descents aren’t skillfully “difficult”, but there are lots of them, and they can be quite steep and rocky. Watch your step and take your time, though, and it’s a rewarding experience. I’d recommend the easier portion for families or a quick climb, but if you’re looking for a longer day hike this one is worth it!
Great information, Kevin – thanks for sharing it here!
Ohhhhh Kevin, YOU WERE RIGHT. A girlfriend and I wanted a hike that would make us sweat and that was going to be worth the almost 2.5 hour drive from the island – so we decided to do the longer hike that starts from the Toll House. I will say that was definitely the most difficult thing I’ve ever done !! (albeit we’re fairly novice hikers) Our app clocked us at 7 miles round trip when it was all said and done which I guess was because we lost our way a couple times and had to back track in order to find the trail markers again. What makes this hike difficult is the fact that when you are on your way “up” the mountain, it is not strictly UP that you are going. There are MANY of those individual climbs you mentioned which take you steeply up AND down all while you’re on your way to the top…… This means that as you are coming back DOWN the mountain, there is still quite a bit of UP that is still left to conquer all along the way back. Woo! That last mile was hard – and most unfortunately we didn’t bring enough water because we went in October so we thought it was going to be quite a bit cooler, but it ended up being a pretty hot and humid day and boy did we SWEAT. Starting from the Toll House, make no mistake, this is a hard hike ! But absolutely beautiful and worth it, and if I were better prepared hydration wise I think even that last mile would have been far more enjoyable, GOOD LUCK PEOPLE !!
Just completed this hike this morning! The trail guide was very helpful. Gorgeous views!
Maybe I missed it in the above comments, but I’m wondering if there is a way to go up Anthony’s Nose II (camp Smith trail) and back down via the other, Anthony’s Nose main trail? We will be taking metro north up, so maybe a cab to the Smith trailhead? If we want to then walk back down and end up closer to the train station and walk, is the trail easily marked? Or will we end up as targets in the firing range?
Hi, Joanna! I’ve never tried it myself, but that route should work just fine. If you follow the route outlined above, on Step 9 (after proceeding to check out the view at Anthony’s Nose), you’d do exactly what I say NOT to do, and keep following the Blue Trail past Anthony’s Nose. You’ll then be doing the other Anthony’s Nose hike (http://hikethehudsonvalley.com/anthonys-nose/) in reverse. You’d simply hang a left when you reach the Appalachian Trail, and you’d pop out onto Route 9D just north of the Bear Mountain Bridge. Hope that helps – good luck if you give it a whirl!
Just did this hike on Saturday. Tons of snow but it made it more challenging and exciting. Hiking sticks definitely recommended because its tough to get down hill in the slippery snow. However there is definitely a ton of stray branches that can do the job just as well (which is what we ended up using). It wasn’t busy at all and the view was absolutely spectacular. Since there are no leaves on the trees there are a ton of unobstructed views and the view of the mountains across covered in snow is amazing. Can’t recommend this hike at this time of year enough!
Great hike – I agree that it is steep in parts, and rocky. We followed the blue trails and I would say it’s more challenging than the “6” rating, due to the rocks, loose soil and tree roots, etc. – not that it is a “hard” hike, exactly, but you really need to pay attention to where you step. With that said, there were many children hiking who seemed to do just fine. There were lots of families, couples, and dogs – it’s definitely a friendly atmosphere.
I did not see any creeks or streams this time of year. There may be in the spring when snow is melting. Therefore, hikers will not have water to collect and purify, so bring what you will need. It’s not a long trail, but you never know when you will need extra water.
Coming down, especially, it is easy to slip. I would not recommend going on a rainy/icy day. Supportive shoes with good tread are necessary. I wore sneakers, and my feet were fine, but I lost my footing a few times. Many people had trekking poles, and I would consider them next time. There is a large flag posted at the summit where the two trails meet, and this is the best spot for photos.
This made a great afternoon hike and I highly recommend it.
Are there restrooms?
Hi Robyn – sorry for the late response here! No, there are no restrooms on this stretch of trail.
We just did the hike from the trailhead behind the old tollhouse (link to Google Map), which gives a longer hike.
Did a Google Search on Anthony’s nose. Its also showing Anthony’s nose II Trail head. Is this the right trail head? If Yes, I can just follow along the google map :).
Attached a picture as well.
Thanks very Much,
Maloy
Hi Maloy,
Yes, that looks like just the spot! (You can compare that image against the “Google Terrain Map of hike route” above for confirmation, or click on the GPS coordinates in the “Directions to the trailhead” section.) Happy adventuring!
Is there a metro north train I can take to the trail? Or a train that can leave me close.
Hi, Alejandro! See Jeff Kent’s comment below for some good information on reaching this hike with a train/taxi combo.
Would love some insight on parking/logistics if anyone has done this hike in the winter!
I haven’t hiked this in the winter yet, but parking is easier and safer at the toll house as there’s an actual lot. The parking area listed above is tiny and invariably people end up parked on the shoulder on a turn that’s sketchy even without an icy road. Of course parking at the toll house makes for a longer hike (6.2 miles round trip) and the rocks at the toll house end could be slippery with ice.
Here’s a link that shows the locations of both the Anthony’s Nose II Trailhead and the toll house. The Camp Smith trail more or less follows 202.
Amazing Hike, I HIGHLY recommend. It might be a bit of a challenge to newer hikers but its all worth it once you see that view. I saw a few lizards on the hike which was quite exiting to an animal lover like myself, lol. Just one thing that I noticed… At the bottom of the steep part which will then lead you to Anthony’s Nose, the trail to see the view is marked blue. Not sure if this is new or not but there was a trail you could take to the right, one marked blue on the left, and one marked blue going straight. I decided to turn left and boy was the view AMAZING. I sat for a bit to take it in and walked around to see the different views, then I started to head back. I went on a Saturday at around 9:30, not too many other hikers. In total I probably saw 6 others.
If you’re local and still have to get the kids to a hockey game, you can knock this hike out in the morning and still get to the rink on time. Also, I was amazed at how full the parking lot was when we finished–cars were parked up along the side of the road–and it wasn’t a holiday weekend. Thanks for another enjoyable hike!!!!
Great hike. Did it this morning. Lots of nice views for such a short hike
7/27/15 We did this climb over the weekend. Great views as expected. Currently there is a mini memorial to one of our fallen heros. Truly touching for as long as it can stay. We had done Breakneck Ridge the week before, and wanted a challenge, but not “Breaknedge Ridge” amount of challenge, nor did we have a lot of time. It was just enough, parking was good, and our dog was joyful. She had conquered Breakneck Ridge with us the week before and enjoyed this more. Love your commentary and detailed trail info. We are using your site regularly.
From the fine folks at NYNJTC:
“Train
Metro-North Hudson Division Peekskill station. Take a 2.5-mile taxi ride to the trailhead at the toll house. After the hike, follow the white blazes of the Appalachian Trail downhill to Route 9D. Cross the Bear Mountain Bridge to the Bear Mountain Inn where there is stop for the Short Line Bus heading to Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal.”
Thanks Jeff!
Are taxis easy to get?
There are phone numbers for taxis and the shuttle service on the information board behind the toll house.
Would you happen to know the best way to get this trailhead from NYC via mass transit? I believe I want the Peekskill stop off the Metro North. But from there, is a cab to the trailhead my best option? Or a bus or shuttle perhaps?
I’ve hiked up to Tony’s Nose (we’re old friends, he said it was cool) both ways and this way has more time to catch your breath. The other side is pretty much straight up for the first half and then flat. The small parking lot has always scared me. What if I get blocked in by some who makes the wrong turn to Maine or Georgia and never comes back? What if a semi full of lobster or peaches careens off the corner into my precious minivan? Last weekend we parked on the shoulder next to the large boulders to avoid getting blocked in and the car was unscathed when we returned.
If you like a longer hike and a better parking situation (with porta-potties no less) I advise you to start from the bear mountain toll house a couple miles South of the trailhead listed here. This hike is a 6 mile round trip and includes a bonus climb of Manitou Mountain. Beware, this trail is rockier than that Balboa fella and VERY steep in parts. But there are many Southern views of the Hudson that make it worthwhile.