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OT: NJ Hiking Trails

Someone mentioned the Columbia Trail esp through Ken Lockwood Gorge. Easy walk more than a hike but gorgeous and grest place to cool off in the summertime.

Didn’t see anybody mention the Cushetunk trail at Round Valley Reservoir. Some decent elevation gain/loss on singletrack. Some really nice views and might even spot a bald eagle. Trail is well marked but a lot of loose decomposed limestone makes for tricky footing.

Columbia Trail is great for biking. We usually start in High Bridge sinc there is a slight uphill slope heading north. Makes for an easier ride back.
 
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I assume the Columbia trail is also good for biking? Been wanting to check it out but figure it's better to cover more ground to make a day trip of it. Brewery is a bonus.
See my other post. It’s great for biking. In High Bridge there is parking and portajohns at the HB municipal building. If that’s full, park at the train station and ride through town to the trail.
 
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I have lived and hiked/biked in north, central and south Jersey. My favorite place to hike is Norvin Green State Forest up near Wanaque Reservoir. It has everything you love in a hike. Well marked trails, multiple trails, quiet woods, boulders, caves, streams and waterfalls, and a beautiful vista where you can see the entire reservoir and NYC skyline

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I lived in Ringwood for 30+ there’s before moving south after I retired, hiked and mt biked from my back door. Tons of great trails and views, pretty certain I know the spot in the first picture. Probably what I miss most about NJ.
 
I lived in Ringwood for 30+ there’s before moving south after I retired, hiked and mt biked from my back door. Tons of great trails and views, pretty certain I know the spot in the first picture. Probably what I miss most about NJ.
Beautiful area with endless options to hike or just casually stroll
 
I love caves, or I should say caverns.
Used to go to Jesse James hideout every summer In Missouri.
Merrimack Caverns.
Tremendous childhood and family memories,
These are actually old iron ore mines One is filled with water but the other one, Roomie Mine, you can still crawl into, unless you don’t like bats

As a kid I was able to go spelunking in Wind Cave, SD. Very cool. Helmet lantern and all
 
These are actually old iron ore mines One is filled with water but the other one, Roomie Mine, you can still crawl into, unless you don’t like bats

As a kid I was able to go spelunking in Wind Cave, SD. Very cool. Helmet lantern and all
Merrimack Caverns underground river and high ceilings is awesome.
It’s all lit up and to a little kid and all his cousins the coolest place on earth for 2 hours
 
Ogdensburg offers tours of the Sterling Mine( taking a break due to corona)—

 
Awesome idea,
I’m going to host an open house for the entire message board at Yogi Berra Museum when this F’n pandemic allows it.
My wife , son , her parents and a nephew went to the museum before a Jackels game a few year ago. I think we saw them play the Sussex Miners . Nice view of the field from inside the museum. A great museum. I will go back one day to learn some more. Can't wait to see stadiums filled with fans again !
 
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Anyone ever done any biking/hiking/walking on the Cape Cod rail trails? I did stuff as a kid along the marshes out on the outer part of the Cape, but not since (I think) they converted the old rail lines to trails. Just curious, in case I make it out there again at some point.

Favorite other spots (out of state) = Flume Trail, and along Kancamagus Highway in NH, Granite Chief and Mt. Rose trails up around Tahoe. Basically, anywhere there's a view and/or fields/farms/horses (ala central NJ).
 
Little aside for Zappaa -- I worked in the Overlook building at one point, including 9/11. One of the most poignant things I ever saw that day . . . as you could see the smoke billowing from the NYC skyline (from the glass elevators at the highest floors), at that very same time (and I'm not making this up), there was. a groundskeeper, ear protection on, cutting the grass on the ballfield, doing his little patterns around the field on his ride-on mower, as if the world simply continued. He might have been unaware, or simply doing his job as the world crumbled that day. I still think about that.
 
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Ogdensburg offers tours of the Sterling Mine( taking a break due to corona)—

That was a class trip every year where my kids went to 3rd grade. Great time
 
Beautiful area with endless options to hike or just casually stroll
Wow. Due to this discussion I Just had a memory flashback that involved your dad. My dad worked at Wanaque Reservoir for like 40 plus years. I recall your dad going up there to fish. Since it was not open to the public you had to get permission and a pass which my dad supplied him. I’m guessing it was in the 1970s Do you recall ever fishing there?
 
Wow. Due to this discussion I Just had a memory flashback that involved your dad. My dad worked at Wanaque Reservoir for like 40 plus years. I recall your dad going up there to fish. Since it was not open to the public you had to get permission and a pass which my dad supplied him. I’m guessing it was in the 1970s Do you recall ever fishing there?
I never did but always heard about huge bass being pulled out of there.
We used to go to a place called Birtas Family Style Restaurant up in those parts
 
The Paulinskill Trail—This is a great day—whether walking, riding a horse, or riding a bicycle. One of the men responsible just passed away. Another from America’s greatest generation.

I was always interested in checking this trail out. I live a few miles south of it and pass signs for it often when I drive up that way.
 
Not a Jersey hike but going to hit up the Lemon Squeezer at Harriman State Park on Saturday so I don't have to watch my crappy sports teams play.
 
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For those in the Upper Freehold/Allentown/Jackson area, the state us in the process of acquiring almost 90 more acres adjacent to Pleasant Run.
 
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As irritating as they are on NJ roads, deer always look beautiful on the snow.
 
The Appalachian Trail in NJ runs from the Water Gap through Stokes State Forest to High Point. From High Point it heads to east for a while before crossing into NY. Sunrise Mt. is a nice hike in Stokes. The trail network around High Point is nice too. Among the most popular is from the Delaware Water Gap to Sunfish Pond. The trail to Sunfish Pond is a lot like the AT in most of Pennsylvania, which is rough. When you ask AT thru-hikers when they considered packing it in, most say Pennsylvania. It's not really a trail so much as large boulders next to one another along the ridge line. Pennsylvania eats boots.

If you are looking for something a little more tame (and bikable), try tow paths along the canals.
AT in PA does suck. Lots of rock gardens. As you get closer to where the trail hits Maryland(down near gettysburg) it gets better and there are some really nice stretches on either side of the half way point.
 
I love caves, or I should say caverns.
Used to go to Jesse James hideout every summer In Missouri.
Merrimack Caverns.
Tremendous childhood and family memories,
f you haven't been I highly recommend Mammoth Cave in southern Kentucky.

I took my girlfriend(now wife) there when she came out for my graduation from Armor School at Ft Knox. This was pre-internet days, and I was looking for something for us to do. I found a brochure on Mammoth Cave and something they called the Wild Cave tour. I signed us up and they told me to be sure to wear sturdy shoes, long pants and a light jacket.

We show up bright and early, and the "Marlboro Man" shows up as our guide with a knee and elbow pads, gloves and hard hats with lights. Looks at the group of us, and says "okay, looks like we can take the narrow route". Then looks again at me and says, you may have to work a little to get your shoulders through(I was relatively buff at the time).
We spent the next 6 hours crawling and climbing through the back caves in the cavern. in some places we have to stay on one side of the cave to avoid crushing the homes made by some cave dwelling insects. There were places so tight that you had to take off the hard hat and push it in front of you. And just as the guide predicted, I almost couldn't get through one stretch and needed the person in front of me to grab my hand and pull. At the end we crawled out of the back cave through a little hole in the wall of one of the main tour paths. There were a bunch of normal tourists that ohhed and ahhed us and took pictures of the grimy dirty cave explorers.

And after that, my girlfriend still married me.......
 
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Suggestions please..🍃 I have hiked Mills, South Mountain, Palisades Interstate Park, Watchung Reservation (plus a bunch of others) and I'm bored.
I need some new scenery and variety.
Many of us are in different parts of NJ, so I figure this is the best place for feedback.
I use the app All Trails. It's pretty helpful.
Hacklebarney is really good.
Duke farms in Hillsborough
Sourland mt hiking trail also in Hillsborough Is good.
I go to watchung res and south Mountain because I grew up and work near there but Hacklebarney is much better when I have time to get there.
 
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Don’t think I’ve seen this posted...Chimney Rock/Washington Valley in the Martinsville section of Bridgewater. I was getting great mileage in there on snowshoes until it started to melt!
 
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Did a few miles with the dogs, this weekend, at the Hill & Dale Preserve in Tewksbury -- nothing crazy as far as trails go (it's mostly farmland that has corn and wheat during the growing season but is all cut down, now), but really nice view once you get up to the top. It overlooks the entire town of Oldwick, and you can see a number of mountain ranges spanning miles. I ran into a guy that works for the NJ Conservation Foundation, and he said there is a plan to finalize about 11 miles of trail through the area, there. Runs along the Rockaway River. Just great for a relaxing walk (although to get to the view you have to go uphill a bit through the fields). I told him to try to keep the trail thing a secret, so it doesn't get too crowded. Then, drove down to the Sunken Silo brewery on Rt. 22 West, which is attached to the Metropolitan Seafood place. Nice spot. Anyway, just sharing.
 
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All Trails is a great app.. I have been religiously trying to find the best trails.

Some trails that I love:

Ken Lockwood Gorge Trail - gorgeous flat trail in a gorge; can get crowded

Raccoon Ridge and Sunfish Pond - Worthington State Forest; beautiful views of the Delaware

Animal Shute Trail - where the old Jungle Habitat was in West Milford (still see the old enclosures)

Bearfort Ridge and Surprise Lake - peaceful hike up to a little lake in
West Milford

Merrill Creek Reservoir perimeter trail- near Easton Pa

Terrace Pond Loop - West Milford - off of Clinton Rd in West Milford
I will second Merrill Creek, great place. About 6 mile loop around the water, nothing crazy, beautiful place, very quiet , even on weekends.
 
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