Entry No. 83 — the New York City file — filed under: ruins
ORAK Mansion Ruins
Built in 1923 by George Briggs Buchanan, a vice president of the company that manufactured Karo syrup, this estate was named 'ORAK' by spelling the product's name backward. After Buchanan's death in 1939, the property was sold to the park and the mansion was eventually demolished in 1973. Today, hikers can explore the remaining stone gatehouse, retaining walls, and foundations as they are slowly reclaimed by the surrounding forest.
The story
In 1923, George Briggs Buchanan—a vice president at the company behind Karo corn syrup—decided to stake out his own private mountain retreat in Stony Point. Industrialists usually stamp their surname across iron gates, but Buchanan opted for a sly little word game instead: he took his signature household product, reversed the letters, and named the estate ORAK.
Buchanan died in 1939, after which the property was absorbed into Harriman State Park. The grand house stood empty for decades until park authorities finally leveled the main structure in 1973 to deter trespassers. What remains today isn't a preserved historic monument, but a slow-motion forest reclamation project: massive stone gatehouses, mossy retaining walls, and broad concrete foundations sinking quietly into the underbrush.
What it's like
You reach the ruins via the yellow-blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail. Because the site sits directly along a public, marked state park trail, you can legally explore without dodging security guards or 'No Trespassing' signs—a rare perk for Hudson Valley mansion hunting. The stone arches of the gatehouse appear suddenly through the trees, feeling like a misplaced piece of European masonry dropped into the Rockland County woods. Watch your footing around the open foundation pits, then push further up the trail to the Jackie Jones Fire Tower for a sweeping look at the Hudson River and the distant Manhattan skyline.
The move: Hike the yellow-blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail to photograph the stone gatehouse and foundation ruins, then continue up to the nearby Jackie Jones Fire Tower for panoramic views of the Hudson River and the distant Manhattan skyline.
📍 Before you go The ruins are located directly along the public, yellow-blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail within Harriman State Park, making them legally accessible to hikers.
- 📍 Stony Point
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Stony Point, NY 10980, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Boston Mine — Pair sugar-baron estate ruins with a nearby 19th-century iron mining cut tucked into the same Harriman woods.
- Pine Meadow Lake Pump House Ruins — Double down on forest-reclaimed stone architecture with these 1930s CCC pump house remnants a few miles south.
- Sleepy Hollow Cemetery & Old Dutch Church — Trade Harriman's forest decay for Gilded Age mausoleums and 17th-century headstones across the river.
Good to know
Is visiting the ORAK Mansion ruins legal?
Yes. The ruins sit directly along the public, yellow-blazed Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail within Harriman State Park.
What is still left to see at the site?
While the main mansion was demolished in 1973, you can explore the intact stone gatehouse, extensive masonry retaining walls, old staircases, and concrete foundations.
How did the estate get the name ORAK?
The estate was built by George Briggs Buchanan, an executive for the company that made Karo syrup. He named the mansion by spelling 'Karo' backward.
What else is on the trail nearby?
Continuing along the yellow-blazed trail brings you to the Jackie Jones Fire Tower, which offers panoramic views of the Hudson Valley and NYC skyline.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: hikethehudsonvalley.com · scenesfromthetrail.com · scenichudson.org · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-20