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Seasonal Trail Closures for NJ Section 3
NY Section 1 and NJ Sections 1 and 2: open--hunting season complete
NJ Section 1: Clinton Road open; bridge replaced
We are actively in the process of updating all the maps and descriptions.
The maps that change will have a date posted under them and changed text will also be marked.
Watch for red (or red) alerts in the text.
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Scenic HighlightsThe Highlands Trail highlights the natural beauty of the New Jersey and New York Highlands region, and draws the public's attention to this endangered resource. It is a cooperative effort of the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference, conservation organizations, state and local governments, and local businesses. When completed, it will extend over 150 miles from Storm King Mountain on the Hudson River in New York south to Riegelsville, New Jersey, on the Delaware River. The route will connect major scenic attractions in both states. Ultimately, a network of trails including alternate routes and multi-use paths is envisioned. The Highlands Trail is a combination of co-alignment on established trails, new trails, and road walking. The co-aligned sections bear both trails' blazes, except for the Appalachian, Sterling Ridge, and Allis Trails, which have plastic Highlands Trail logos at critical points. Hikers must pay attention at intersections as the Highlands Trail often leaves one trail to join another. The Highlands Trail blaze is a teal-colored diamond. Camping is not permitted along the Highlands Trail. Thru-hikers must stay at bed-and-breakfast facilities along the route, or at established State Park camp grounds. For more information, call the Trail Conference Office. No fires, horses, bikes, or motorized vehicles are permitted on the Highlands Trail unless specifically allowed by local regulations. New York Sections
To hike in Black Rock Forest, organized groups should contact the Forest at 845-534-4517 in advance. There is no entry to Black Rock Forest or Black Rock Fish and Game lands during deer-rifle season (mid-November through early December). The Highlands Trail starts at the botton of Dock Hill Road at the CSX RR crossing by the Hudson River in Cornwall, NY. Parking in this area is available to Cornwall residents only, and is strictly enforced. Follow the blazes uphill on Dock Hill Road .3 miles, turn left on Route 218 for .1 mile, and turn right into the woods. At .7 miles, reach a hiker parking lot, where parking is available. Follow the trail along fields, up Storm King Mountain along a stream, and past some view points to a junction with the yellow-blazed Stillman Trail at 1.4 miles. Proceed along the co-aligned the Stillman (yellow) and Highlands Trails over Storm King Mountain, then back down to Mountain Road at 4.4 miles. Pass under US 9W, and enter Black Rock Forest at the Black Rock Forest parking lot on Reservoir Road at 4.8 miles. At 9.1 miles reach a junction where the Stillman Trail and the northbound Compartment Trail (blue) go off to the right, and the co-aligned southbound Compartment Trail and Highlands Trail continue straight ahead. In another 0.6 miles the Compartment Trail ends at a 'Y' junction with Jim's Pond Road. The Arthur Trail (yellow) begins here and follows Jim's Pond road to the left. Turn left onto Jim's Pond road. Stay on the road when the yellow blazes leave the road to the left. After another 0.1 mile (9.6 miles from the start) turn right following the co-aligned Scenic (white) and Highlands Trails. Continue mostly downhill, reaching Old Mineral Springs Road. Bear right on Old Mineral Springs Road and follow it about 500 feet down to Mineral Springs Road. The Scenic Trail ends here. Alert: Due to a dispute with a property owner, there is currently no access to the next section of the Highlands Trail from Mineral Springs Road. A temporary road walk has been blazed. To reach the next section, make a right on Mineral Springs Road and walk 1.3 miles to Angola Road. Turn left on Angola Road and walk .9 mile down to Route 32. Cross Route 32 and walk down Pleasant Hill Road. Cross the New York State Thruway, reaching the Schunemunk Trails parking lot at 14.4 miles. From the parking lot, follow the co-aligned Jessup (yellow) and Highlands Trails south for 8.6 miles, reaching Seven Springs Road at 23.0 miles. For the next 9 miles until it reaches the Appalachian Trail (white), the teal diamonds are the only blazes. Turn right onto Seven Springs Road and follow it for 0.5 mile down to a gate at Mountain Road. Cross Mountain Road and continue on Seven Springs Road, turning right off the road in a residential area. Proceed through the woods and up and over a ridge to cross NY 208 at 24.0 miles. Follow the shore of Orange-Rockland Lake, then turn left onto Museum Village Road, following it across NY 17. Turn left, reaching a commuter parking lot at 24.6 miles. From there, turn sharply right onto the Orange Heritage Trail, formerly the Erie Railroad mainline, and proceed for a mile, crossing back under NY 17. Turn right after a small cemetary on your right just before a bridge and go down the embankment. Make a left under the bridge onto Oxford Road (County 51), following it to NY 17M at 26.3 miles. After a quick jog across 17M, turn right onto Lazy Hill Road, an abandoned, formerly paved road. Follow this through Goose Pond Mountain State Park, reaching Laroe Road (County 45) at 27.9 miles, where there is parking. Alert - The HT section on Bellvale Mountain has been closed. Do not attempt to follow the old route. The landowners take tresspassing seriously, and you will be confronted. A temporary road walk has been blazed. Turn left onto Laroe Road and follow it for 1.4 miles to Trout Brook Road. Turn right on Trout Brook Road and follow it for .7 miles to a sharp left bend where it becomes Camp Monroe Road. Follow this for .3 miles to Lakes Road (CR 5). Turn right onto Lakes Road, and follow it for 1.7 miles to where the Appalachian Trail (white) crosses the road 32 miles from Cornwall. Parking is available at this spot.
There are no Highlands Trail blazes along the Appalachian Trail, from Lakes Road to Mombasha High Point. Turn left to follow the northbound Appalachian Trail (white) past Fitzgerald Falls to the junction with the Allis Trail at 1.5 miles, just before Mombasha High Point. Turn right onto the co-aligned Allis (blue) and Highlands Trails, following them to NY 17A. Continue south on the Sterling Ridge Trail, crossing 17A at 5.6 miles. Parking is available here. Continue on the co-aligned Sterling Ridge (blue on white) and Highlands Trails for 8.6 miles to the junction of East Shore Road and County 511 (Greenwood Lake Turnpike) at 14.2 miles, where there is parking. New Jersey Sections
Note: A hiking permit is needed to hike in Newark's Pequannock Watershed, which the Highlands Trail traverses between Algonquin Way and Rock Lodge Road. Hiking is restricted for specific periods throughout the year to allow hunting. Obtain a permit and details on restrictions by calling (973) 697-2850, or visit the Newark Watershed website. On Sundays the trail is open for hiking all year round. Note about trail conditions: The Highlands Trail is OPEN through the Buckabear Pond area. Please check the bottom of this section for details and pictures. (current as of 3/31/09) Turn left onto Stonetown Road, bear right onto West Brook Road, and in a short distance turn left into the woods, reaching Townsend Road near the corner of West Brook Road at 10.4 miles. Turn left on Townsend road, and in 385 feet turn right up into the woods across from the first house on the left. Proceed mostly uphill, crossing Ball Mountain on many bare, rocky areas before descending to a junction with the Mine (yellow on white circle) and Wyanokie Circular (red on white circle) trails at 11.7 miles. Turn left on the three co-aligned trails. On the left is the flooded shaft of Blue Mine, and on the right is a bridge across Blue Mine Brook. Turn right and cross the bridge on the three co-aligned trails. At 11.9 miles the Mine Trail leaves to the right. At 12.0 miles, the Lower Trail (white) begins on the left. Continue on the co-aligned Highlands and Wyanokie Circular trails up to the top of Wyanokie High Point at 12.7 miles. Follow the trail a short distance down a steep, rocky trail to a junction with the Hewit-Butler Trail (blue). Turn left onto the three co-aligned trails for 0.2 mile, where the Wyanokie Circular Trail splits off the right. After 0.5 mile the Carris Hill Trail (yellow) starts off to the left. Proceed on the co-aligned Hewitt-Butler and Highlands Trails to the Post Brook Trail (white), which starts off to the left as the joint trails turn right at 14.2 miles.
Turn left onto Clinton Road for a short distance, then right onto the co-aligned Clinton West (white) and Highlands Trails. After 2.9 miles, cross between Buckabear Pond and Clinton Reservoir on an old road that beavers have turned into a dam. In another 0.9 mile turn right, leaving the Clinton West Trail. In the next 1.7 miles you will cross two woods roads and some well-preserved stone fences to reach Dunker Pond. Follow the stream out of Dunker Pond a short distance, then turn right to cross the stream, which has steep banks. After following some ATV tracks, turn left up a hill. After traversing the relatively level top, descend to Route 23 at Canistear Road, 33.8 miles from route 511, where parking is available. ALERT: The path between Buckabear Pond and Clinton Reservoir is flooded due to active beavers. A short reroute has been built around the worst part, and there are some stepping stones in other wet areas. As any attempt to alleviate the flooded trail is quickly undone by the beavers, you may not be able to get through this section without walking in some water. A permanent solution is in the works and we are monitoring this section regularly to keep the trail open and reasonably passable. (pictures of trail conditions on 3/29/09)
Please note: A permit is needed to hike in Newark's Pequannock Watershed and the Highlands Trail traverses the southwest portion of the Watershed land for the first 5 miles of this section. Also, hiking is restricted for specific periods throughout the year to allow hunting on this land. Obtain a permit and details on restrictions by calling (973) 697-2850, or visit the Newark Watershed website. On Sundays the trail is open for hiking all year round. Cross Route 23 at the light at Canistear Road, turn left and follow Route 23 until it crosses the Pequannock River at 0.3 mile. Turn right into the woods, ascend a ridge, and continue to a view of Oak Ridge Reservoir at 1.9 miles. From here turn west, crossing two ridges and several woods roads, reaching Holland Mountain Road at 3.8 miles. Continuing west across the road, following narrow paths and woods roads, crossing two streams, and reaching Rock Lodge Road at 4.6 miles. Cross Rock Lodge Road and continue over a hill, turn left onto a woods road, and reach Rock Lodge Road again, where you leave the Newark Watershed property (5.0 miles). Turn right onto Rock Lodge Road. At 5.2 miles Fall Drive bears off to the right. At 5.3 miles the pavement ends. For the next 1.2 miles, at the request of the property owner, no blazes will be placed on the right (north) side of the road. When in doubt at forks, take the straightest route. At 6.5 miles, just before a wetlands area, turn left off Rock Lodge Road into the Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Following woods roads and narrow paths, pass Ryker Lake and reach Russia Brook at 7.8 miles, emerging on Ridge Road at 7.9 miles. Between Ridge Road and Sparta Mountain Road, the Highlands Trail traverses property owned by the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle (this property is being acquired by the NJDEP). Please respect the privacy of the members of this organization by staying on the trail. Cross Ridge Road, almost immediately pass under a power line, then go over two hills, meeting a woods road at 9.1 miles. Turn right onto the woods road and almost immediately left onto another woods road, then right onto a faint woods road at 9.3 miles. At 9.6 miles turn left, reaching Sparta Mountain Road at 10.0 miles. The next section of the Highlands Trail traverses Mahlon Dickerson Reservation and is managed by the Morris County Parks Commission. Some of the older blazes in Mahlon Dickerson are teal-colored rectangles. Cross Sparta Mountain Road and almost immediately reach the junction with the Pine Swamp Trail (white). Follow the co-aligned Pine Swamp and Highlands Trails to the left, reaching the north parking area at 11.5 miles. Cross Weldon Road at 11.6 miles, reaching Headley Overlook with a view toward the south, including Lake Hopatcong, at 11.9 miles. After passing a second overlook, cross a woods road and continue to Saffin Pond at 14.4 miles. Parking is available at Weldon Road, .3 miles via a connecting trail to the right, blazed with small black diamonds on teal diamonds. Bear left past picnic tables on the left and Saffin Pond on the right. Turn left onto the old Ogden Mine Railroad bed. After .4 miles, bear right off the railroad, crossing Weldon Road at 14.8 miles. Continue past a gate, and quickly make a sharp right onto a woods road. Follow this to a power line right-of-way at 15.3 miles. Go under a tower, then bear slightly to the left to enter the woods on a narrow footpath. Pass near Route 15, then turn away from it, crossing the power line again and reaching Winona Trail (a woods road) at 15.8 miles. This section will end here until a crossing over or under Route 15 is built. Turn left on Winona Trail to return to Weldon Road.
Note: The Highlands Trail sections in this description pass through some private lands. All areas off of the trail are restricted, and hiking off-trail constitutes trespass. Hudson Farm is a private estate. Please respect privacy of the owners, who have graciously allowed the Highlands Trail to cross their land. The Highlands Trail sections through Hudson Farm are seasonally closed from the last Sunday in September through January. Hiking the Hudson Farm section during the closed period could jeopardize the trail for all. Please obey these rules. This property IS patrolled. Follow Route 181 north from Lake Hopatcong up the hill. There is limited parking under the power line, on the southbound side. Proceed north about 600 feet, where the trail enters the woods to the left, ascending a hill. Cross a woods road and enter a low, wet area bounded on the west by a steep rise, which may be an old quarry wall, at 0.2 miles. At 0.4 miles, turn right on a grassy woods road, then bear left, crossing an exposed rock surface. At 0.6 miles, turn left between two rocks, each about ten feet high, skirting a wetland. Cross a faint woods road at 0.7 miles. At 0.8 miles there is a view of the Kittatinny Ridge from the power line to the left. At 0.9 miles scramble down a rocky slope to a low, wet area, which takes the trail under the power line. At the top of the next ascent, at 1.1 miles, a fence joins from the left, which the trail follows with a power line on the right. After the end of the fence, turn left onto a faint track at 1.6 miles. Join a grassy woods road for a short distance before bearing right through sparse oak cover and rocky ground. Descend to a mountain laurel stand on the right and a small rocky rise on the left. At 2.2 miles turn right, shortly crossing a small stream. A faint woods road joins from the left. At 1.8 miles, the Anderson Bypass, a 1.7 mile alternate route that is blazed with teal diamonds with black centers, continues on the faint woods road. To follow the main trail, turn left and ascend a rocky hill with sparse oak cover. At 2.5 miles there is a limited view to the south. Turn right and descend with a vertical rock face on the right to a mixed hardwood forest, reaching a woods road designated "Eves Mountain Road" at 2.6 miles. ======================================================================== Again, Hudson Farm is a private estate. Please respect privacy of the owners, who have graciously allowed the Highlands Trail to cross their land. Follow the driveway directly out to Rt. 605. Turn right on Rt. 605 and walk 1 mile to a left turn onto a gravel road that goes up hill through the woods, again on Hudson Farm property. In about 100 feet turn left where the gravel road forks. Pass a gate, and in another .2 mile go straight onto a narrower gravel road where the road forks again. Do not go left up the main gravel road - this area is restrcted. In .4 mile the trail turns right off of the gravel road. Note: Be careful not to miss the turn off of the gravel road. The area above where the trail turns off is restricted, and trespassing is prohibited. Ascend to a rocky, sparsely wooded ridge-top. The trail meanders through miniature valleys and alternating sparser and thicker tree cover, past many interesting erratics of varying sizes, and two viewpoints. Descend on a long, relatively gentle slope, ending at an old woods road near some abandoned mines. Turn left and walk down to the gate at Roseville Road at 8.2 miles. There is limited parking available across Roseville Road from the gate. Do not park in front of the gate. Note: The trail section around Lake Lackawanna has been closed. We are currently scouting areas for a new trail. To reach the next HT section follow this temporary road walk: Turn left on Roseville Road and follow it for 1 mile to a 3 way stop sign at Lackawanna Drive. Turn right at the stop sign and follow Lackawanna Drive 1.9 miles to Route 206 at 11.1 miles.
From U.S. 206 opposite the shopping center north of Lackawanna Drive, proceed along Hi Glen Drive about 300 feet. Turn left on Francis Terrace, then follow it to the right as it becomes Drexel Drive. Bear right after a sign saying "Norman Terrace", reaching a parking area at 0.2 mile. Enter a gravel bike path, cross a bridge, and then turn right into the woods, crossing well-preserved rock walls and small rocky ridges. At 1.2 miles, enter the northern fringe of a mining area with many large rocks, and some tailings and pits. At 1.5 miles, cross a 30-foot-wide stream on numerous rocks and continue to the Sussex Branch Trail at 1.6 miles. Turn left onto the Sussex Branch trail for about 100 feet, then bear right onto a narrow, level trail. After another 100 feet, turn right onto a narrow footpath and ascend a hill. At 1.9 miles cross a dirt road. Skirt a large depression, and continue to a multiple-use trail at 2.5 miles. Turn left onto this trail and follow it for 0.1 mile, then turn right, crossing a dirt road in about 250 feet. Cross a stream, skirt a wetland on the right, and continue to a multi-use trail at the top of an ascent, at 3.3 miles. Continue straight ahead. Old white blazes appear on this section along with the Highlands Trail blazes. This section is open to bicycles. At 3.5 miles, turn left, leaving the white blazes which bear right. Descend about 200 feet to a lookout, where you can see Waterloo Lake and the Musconetcong River. To the left is the International Trade Center; to the right the Pohatcong and Jenny Jump ridges are visible. Make a sharp right, and continue along the face of the mountain, descending to Waterloo Road at 4.4 miles, where there is parking. Turn right and follow Waterloo Road under Interstate 80. At 5.0 miles there is parking. In another 300 feet,bear left onto the Morris Canal Towpath. In this section, the Musconetcong River is on your left, and the old canal bed on your right. Cross Kinny Road at 5.2 miles. At 5.7 miles, turn right off the towpath about a hundred feet to Waterloo Road. Turn left onto Waterloo Road. At 5.9 miles there is parking. At 6.0 miles, turn right onto the old Waterloo Road. In this section, the canal and towpath have been obliterated by the present Waterloo Road. Rejoin Waterloo Road at 6.2 miles. At 6.8 miles, turn left off Waterloo Road onto Sunrise Parkway - a small residential street. Make the first right onto Colony Road. NOTE: At the time of this writing, there were no street signs on these roads. In about 1/10 of a mile, turn left off of Colony Road and go down through the yard to the Morris Canal towpath along the River. Turn right, reaching the Saxon Falls historic area at 7.5 miles. After walking past the restored lock and through the parking area, cross Waterloo Road and turn right off the road, then a quick left onto the Morris Canal towpath. Turn left off of the towpath just before a house, and turn right again onto Waterloo Road. At 8.1 miles,cross the New Jersey Transit Hackettstown railroad line. At 8.2 miles, turn left onto Waterloo Valley Road. (The junction of Waterloo Road and Waterloo Valley Road is obscured on the border of maps 6 and 7.) Cross the bridge, and turn right into Stephens State Park, where there is parking. Follow the co-aligned Highlands Trail and Patriots Path past a little island, then bear right on the co-aligned Highlands Trail/Patriots Path/red trail. After a short distance, turn left and go up a few steps to the Highlands/yellow trail and turn right. Follow the Highlands/yellow trail out to a second parking lot at 8.7 miles. Pass a small ranger station and a gate, then follow the park road to where the pavement ends at 9.2 miles. Continue through the picnic area, then continue on a narrow trail along the river to a "Y" at 9.8 miles. Bear left and angle up the hill along an old road, then turn left and continue straight up, reaching a level area at 10.3 miles. Cross a faint woods road, then come out to Mine Hill Road at 10.5 miles.
Currently, there is no trail connection between Stephens State Park and Schooley’s Mountain County Park. However, with some road walking, Patriots’ Path hiking and a sense of adventure, thru and section hikers can hike from one park to the other. When completed between the parks, the Patriots’ Path will take the hiker down into Hackettstown and back up to the HT trailhead on Mine Hill Road at the back of Stephen’s State Park. This route will include some road walking. The 4.2 mile road walk portion described below is not blazed and mostly uses lightly traveled roads to get from the HT to the Patriots’ Path. Turn left uphill on Mine Hill Road (the Patriots’ Path Blazes go right), pass a gate at 0.2 miles, and come to Stephens Park Road at .9 miles. Turn right on Stephens Park Road and go .6 mile to a right turn onto Sand Shore Road at 1.5 miles. Cross Route 46 at the light in 1/2 mile (2 miles from Stephens), and continue straight ahead, now on Naughright Road. Follow Naughright Road .8 miles to a right turn on Mission Road. Follow Mission Road for 1.4 miles to a stop sign at the corner of Mission, Reservoir, and Spring Roads, 4.2 miles from Stephens State Park. Across Reservoir Road you will see a Patriots’ Path (PP) post where the trail begins. There are no HT blazes on the PP between here and Schooley’s Mountain Park. Follow the white PP blazes. The PP has blazed posts where it passes through fields. Follow the PP along the backyards of the houses on Shadow Hill Way for .2 miles down to join old, abandoned Mission Road. Soon after passing under power lines turn left uphill off of the old road and into Morris County Parks Commission lands. Follow this trail uphill over wide switchbacks through dense woods and along an old dam. At 1.2 miles from Reservoir Road 5.4 miles from Stephens you will come out in a neighborhood at the end of Sparrow Lane where you will see a PP post with directions for a short road walk. Follow Sparrow Lane .1 mile to the end and turn left uphill on Winay Terrace. Follow Winay Terrace .1 mile to the first right on Quail Run. Go about 100 feet on Quail Run to a left turn back onto the trail, which follows the power lines. Still under the power lines, cross straight over Hunter Road and shortly turn right off of the power line corridor. Pass through some brambly woods, come out to the edge of a school field, and follow the edge of the field out to Flocktown Road. You are now 2.2 miles from Reservoir Road and 6.4 miles from Stephens State Park. In the short .5 walk from here to Rock Road, there are no PP blazes. Turn left onto Flocktown Road, then turn at the first right in about 100 feet onto Partridge Lane. Follow this down to the end of the road and cross over the berm into Harrington Park – a large park with sports fields. Turn left and follow the park entrance road out to Rock Road. Across Rock Road you will see a PP post, and the white blazes resume. Follow the trail .7 miles through level woods, mostly following pretty flowing streams. The trail crosses wet areas on planks and crosses the streams several times – sometimes on bridges and sometimes without bridges. You will come out to a small parking area on East Springtown Road 3.5 miles from Reservoir Road and 7.7 miles from Stephens State Park. Turn left across a small bridge on E Springtown Road, and then quickly turn right. The trail into Schooley’s Mountain Park begins on the right side of the road behind a small pump house. Follow the trail through fields, past the lower and upper parking lots, and the bathrooms. Just up from the bathrooms, the HT blazes resume at 8.1 miles from Stephens State Park.
From the parking lot at Schooley's Mountain County Park follow the co-aligned Patriots' Path (white) and Highlands Trails mostly downhill to Fairview Ave. at 1.1 miles. Turn right on Fairview Ave, and follow it .6 miles, then turn right next to a house onto a short section of the Columbia Rail Trail, formerly the High Bridge Branch of the Jersey Central Railroad. Cross a small bridge, and cross NJ Route 24 (Schooley's Mountain Road), where parking is available at 1.8 miles. Follow the Columbia Rail Trail (Morris county portion) south from Schooley's Mountain Road in Long Valley. At 4.0 miles from Long Valley, the trail reaches route 513. The railroad bed has been obliterated here. Follow 513 to the right about 300 feet, turn left just before a fence, go about 500 feet, then turn right onto the railbed. Continue on the Columbia Rail Trail (Hunterdon County portion) to Califon at 8.1 miles, where there is parking. Stay on the rail trail, crossing the Raritan River on a former railroad trestle at 10.6 miles. At 10.8 miles, turn sharply right and ascend the west side of the gorge on three switchbacks, the middle one being quite long. The ascent becomes more gentle at 10.9 miles. Continue through saplings and past stone walls, turning right onto an overgrown woods road at 11.2 miles. Turn left off the woods road at 11.3 miles, shortly reaching a dirt driveway. Follow the driveway right to Route 513 at 11.6 miles. Turn left, reaching the Voorhees State Park entrance at 12.2 miles, where there is parking. Alert: Blazes between the Columbia Rail Trail and Route 513 may be painted out, due to recurrent vandalism.
Enter Voorhees State Park on the main entrance road from Route 513, opposite Voorhees High School. There is parking here. At 0.5 mile turn left off the road and cross a wooden bridge, reaching the Brookside Trail after about 250 feet. Jog right slightly, then continue, crossing stone walls and winding through black raspberry patches. At 1.5 miles, turn right and continue under a power line for about 250 feet, then turn left and re-enter the woods. (Note: it is difficult to position blazes in the cleared area under the power line, so look carefully for the turns.) Continue to Observatory Road, where there is parking, at 1.7 miles. Turn left onto Observatory Road for about 100 feet, then make a right onto the co-aligned Vista and Highlands Trails. After another 0.2 mile, the Highlands Trail turns right, while the pink blazed Vista Trail continues straight. Continue downhill to Poplar Lane at 2.0 miles, turn right, and reach Buffalo Hollow Road at 2.3 miles. Make a sharp left onto Buffalo Hollow Road and follow it out to NJ 31 at 2.8 miles. Turn left and proceed about 0.2 miles to the traffic light at the junction with Van Syckel's Road. Turn right across route 31, and follow Van Syckel's Road about 0.1 mile to the entrance of Union Furnace Preserve , 3.1 miles from route 513. Turn right into Union Furnace, then left. Ascend the embankment of an old mill race and go right along the top of the embankment for about a tenth of a mile. Turn left and cross the bottom of the mill race. Proceed up the hill, then descend to emerge on a cul-de-sac called Serpentine Drive at 3.9 miles. Follow Serpentine Drive 0.3 miles down to Van Syckel's Road. There are no utility poles and therefore no blazes on this road walk. At Van Syckel's Road, turn left, then bear right into a parking area. Proceed to the water and make a sharp right into Spruce Run Recreation Area. Here you will traverse meadows, a pine plantation, and dense autumn olive thickets. Cross a paved road near the boat launch area at 4.7 miles, then emerge onto the same road near the group picnic area, 5.1 miles from route 513. Campground facilities are available at Spruce Run Recreation Area from April to October. Turn left onto the boat launch road and continue to the Spruce Run headquarters.
From Spruce Run Headquarters, proceed to the Spruce Run entrance on Van Syckel's Road. Turn left and follow Van Syckel's Road for about 400 feet. Turn right onto a gated gravel road, which takes you into Clinton Wildlife Management Area. The gravel road turns left, but continue straight on a dirt road. Pass through a series of fields separated by hedgerows, with many mowed paths at right angles to each other. The trail turns left, then jogs right, then left, finally hitting a T-intersection .57 miles from the entrance to Spruce Run. At this point, you have reached a junction where the old HT route (now an HT Connecter Trail blazed with teal diamonds with black centers at the junction - the rest is still in solid teal blazes for now) turns right, and the new HT through route (solid teal diamonds) turns left. [The HT Connecter Trail is described here: Turn right and follow a woods road into a mixed hardwood forest with widespread multi-floral rose and other invasive species. At a fork bear right up a hill. At .95 miles from the Spruce Run entrance, turn left onto a narrow footpath, descending to Black Brook Road, an old woods road, at 1.44 miles. The blazes temporarily end here. Turn right on the faint Black Brook Road, then right at the fence line and go out to Polktown Road. Turn left and enter a wide woods road that starts at the end of Polktown Road. Follow the woods road, which has rocks piled high on both sides of it, up hill and under power lines to reach the end of the HT Connecter Trail at North Polktown Road. This route will eventually be blazed, measured, and taken off of the woods road.] Back to the main route you have turned left at the above-mentioned junction, and will proceed back down through the fields to another gate at Van Syckel's road. Turn right on Van Syckel's Road and follow it .6 miles to turn left off of the road at a gate just before the "Dog Training Area". Follow woods roads past old farm fields for .5 miles, then enter a narrow trail through a Maple forest. Proceed down hill to cross a stream, then turn left at the fields. In a short distance turn left again, and follow the trail through a narrow strip of woods between the fields, reaching private Sleepy Hollow Farms Road 1.7 miles from Spruce Run. Cross directly over the road - this is a private road on private property - do not hang out here or walk down this road. After crossing the private road, turn right and follow a woods road for 450 feet to a left turn on a narrow trail. At the left turn, you will see a barn straight ahead on the woods road - do not trespass on this private property that is straight down the woods road. Follow the trail downhill, cross the swampy end of a lake, then up to another woods road. Turn left, and follow this woods road along the lake. The woods road emerges into more fields. Many paths diverge in this area. A blazed post has been added to guide the hiker. If in doubt, take the straightest route and you will find more blazes. Watching carefully for turn blazes at intersections, follow woods roads and trails cut along the edges of fields, reaching Van Syckel's Road again near the intersection with Charlestown Road at 2.8 miles from Spruce Run. Turn left on Van Syckel's Road and proceed 375 feet to Charlestown Road. Turn Right on Charlestown Road and go .6 miles to a left turn on Norton Church Road. Go .7 miles on Norton Church Road to a right turn on Mountain View Road. Go up Mountain View Road for .9 miles, reaching the small parking area for Tower Hill Reserve on your left, 5 miles from Spruce Run. Turn left into the fields on a mowed path 200 feet past the Tower Hill parking lot, and follow the mowed path to a right turn into the woods. Follow this trail out to power lines. Turn right at the power lines, and cross straight across a gas pipeline. In 500 feet, turn right off of the power lines into the woods on a woods road. In 400 feet, turn left off of the woods road and follow the trail over a stream, through a wet area, and up to Mine Road at 1.4 miles from the Tower Hill parking lot, 6.4 miles from Spruce Run. Turn left on Mine Road, and proceed 300 feet to a right turn over a rock wall into the woods. Follow this trail for almost 700 feet to a junction with a trail marked with blue Hunterdon County Parks Commission blazes. Turn left on the co-aligned HT/Blue Trails and follow them past old mine tailings and flooded mine shafts out to the Jugtown Mountain Preserve parking lot. Cross the parking lot, passing the kiosk, and continue on the co-aligned HT/White Trails that begin behind the kiosk. Follow the HT/White Trails for 850 feet to a fork. Along the way, the Blue Trail enters from the right, then exits left to circle through some old mining foundations before reentering on the left. Turn right at the fork in the White Trail, and follow the trail down Jugtown Mountain, reaching a junction where the White Trail goes straight and the HT turns right. Turn sharply right on the HT, now on a woods road, then sharply left onto another woods road. Follow this woods road down to the corner of Brunswick Pike & Route 173 1.2 miles from the Jugtown Mountain parking lot, and 7.6 miles from Spruce Run.
Walk straight across Route 173 and up Tunnel Road. Pass under I-78 after 1 mile, then watch for the right turn off the road at the second utility pole on your right (1.1). Climb away from the road on an old woods road for a short distance, then turn left onto a narrow uphill trail. Come out to old woods roads that alternately pass through woods and overgrown fields. Proceed straight across a power line clearing (1.6) and continue on woods roads, coming down to Turkey Hill Road (1.9). Turn left and walk 1.4 miles up Turkey Hill Road, a tree-shaded, lightly used residential road. Turn right at Route 579 (3.3) and walk 2/10 of a mile to where the trail turns left off the road (3.5) into Sweet Hollow Preserve shortly after the road passes under power lines. Limited trailhead parking is available on the shoulder of Route 579. In .2 miles cross under the power lines again, following a narrow winding trail through the woods. In .5 mile, come to a woods road (4.2). Bear right on the woods road. In .1 mile pass a woods road junction on your right (4.3), but continue straight uphill. At the top of the hill turn left off the woods road onto a narrow trail (4.5). Follow this downhill to Sweet Hollow Road (4.8). Limited trailhead parking is available on Sweet Hollow Road. Sweet Hollow Preserve consists of several unconnected land parcels. To reach the next parcel, turn right on Sweet Hollow Road and follow it for .6 mile to where the trail turns right off of the road (5.4). Limited trailhead parking is available here. Cross a stream shortly after leaving the road, and then go uphill through woods. Cross a dirt road that passes between farm fields (6.0) and continue uphill through a narrow stretch of woods between the fields. Cross an open field (6.1), and turn right in the hedgerow between fields, walking on the rock wall. (Note: the fields are seasonally cut. If the fields are cut, it may be easier to walk the fields parallel to the rock wall.) Turn left off the rock wall (6.2) to cross an open field, a dirt road, a narrow hedgerow, another narrow field, and re-enter the woods. Watch carefully in this area for blazes – a blazed post marks the hedgerow crossing, and from here, you can see the blazed tree in front of you where the trail enters the woods. The pattern of cut fields changes frequently. Proceed up through the woods and come out to more fields, usually growing Corn. Walk around the left edge of the Cornfield, eventually coming out to Schaaf Road (6.7). Turn left on Schaaf Road and follow it to Staats Road (7.2). Turn right on Staats Road, and in 1/10 of a mile turn left off of the road into Musconetcong Gorge Preserve on the combined HT/Ridge Trails (7.3), marked with HT teal blazes and yellow diamond Hunterdon County Parks Dept. tags. Note: This trailhead may be difficult to see due to rapid vine and weed growth at the entrance. It is located on a bend in the road where Staats Road becomes Myler Road. Pass private “Luther Lane” on the left, a group of mailboxes on the left, and on the left at the entrance to a private dirt road is the trailhead. Do not walk up the private roads. Parking is not permitted in this area. Proceed through woods, a field, then steeply downhill through more woods to Pine Run – a stream in a small gorge (8.0). Cross the stream and turn left uphill, still on the HT/Ridge Trail. Painted white blazes now join the teal and yellow tags. This is a rugged, rocky trail, much of which is built into the side of the hill and bolstered with rocks. In .7 miles, pass the white tag blazed Switchback Trail on your right (8.7). In 1.2 miles, drop down to pass the blue tagged Nature Trail on your right and cross Scout Creek (9.2). In another ½ mile come out to Dennis Road (9.7), where parking is available. The blazing temporarily ends here until a route can be secured to the Delaware River at Riegelsville, PA.
Construction or planning is proceeding on gaps and various sections of the remainder of the route. Between the HT in Mahlon Dickerson County Reservation in Jefferson and the current HT in Sparta, plans are to bring the HT out to Weldon Road near Route 15 and cross Route 15 on the Weldon Road bridge. The trail will then go up Route 181, using as much woods as possible, and connect with the existing HT. Some of this route has been built, but is not yet open. This route is considered as a temporary route until public land is available for a more direct route. Between the HT in Musconetcong Gorge and the Delaware River, current plans are to bring the trail west to the Delaware River to cross into Riegelsville, PA. |
V4 Last updated: January 6, 2010 Copyright © 1996-2008 New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Privacy Statement.
December 15, 2009 
