Sunday, December 4, 2011

Appalachian Trail: Warwick Turnpike, NJ to Prospect Rock, NY with Cascade Lake Park, NY


ABOUT THE PARK:
Cascade Lake Park - Town of Warwick, NY
Appalachian Trail - NY/NJ Trail Conference

DIRECTIONS:
GPS coordinates for parking on Warwick Turnpike:  41.201500, -74.391610

View Larger Map
Roadside parking on both sides of Warwick Turnpike where the Appalachian Trail crosses over. (room for 8-10 cars)
GPS coordinates for parking on Long House Drive (parking not shown on NY/NJ Trail Conference map):  41.195653, -74.371032

View Larger Map
Roadside parking for about 3-4 cars on east side of Long House Drive where AT follows road before crossing over.

TRAIL MAPS:
North Jersey Trail Map #116 - NY/NJ Trail Conference
Warwick Trail Map (Cascade Lake Park) - Town of Warwick, NY
Some notes about the Cascade Lake Park trail map: This park makes a very nice loop in conjunction with the AT but the map appears to be outdated and not very accurate.  The red trail on the map is a woods road with old red blazes.  A newer red-blazed trail is a much more attractive footpath that runs along the banks of Long House Creek on both sides.  At the southern end of the park red blazes are confusing as they lead to a footbridge as well as through a washed out section of woods road at a creek crossing. Stay with the footbridge in that area and ignore the red blazes to the creek as it is not necessary to climb down into the creek and rock hop over.  The orange trail also has yellow blazes initially.  When starting on the loop of the orange trail, make note of where you are as multiple intersections along the loop make it confusing remember which one to take back to the red trail. Never did see the yellow, green or aqua trails. The pink trail appears earlier than it should, then meets back up with the blue trail for a while, disappears, then shows up again farther along the blue trail as a woods road crossing over so it appears to run differently than what is shown on the map.

HIKE DISTANCES:
8.5 miles - park on Warwick Turnpike
6.0 miles - park on Long House Drive
Note:  My hike was 11.8 miles with exploring other trails in Cascade Park Lake so additional mileage can easily be added.

APPALACHIAN TRAIL SECTION HIKING:
TrailHeadFinder.com - AT section miles 1345.2 to 1349.3 (for Warwick Turnpike start)

THE HIKE:
From Warwick Turnpike to Long House Drive, the Appalachian Trail crosses many swamp sections with boards and rock hops.
A creek between Warwick Pike and Long House Drive.
A white blaze of the Appalachian Trail.
A detour of the Appalachian Trail due to the bridge over Long House Creek destroyed by Hurricane Irene.
From the the detour point it would be about 1.2 miles to where the bridge is gone at the creek crossing if you were to stay on the original AT.  However, it is only .05 mile from where the detour meets back up with the AT on the other side.  So I suggest doing what I did - at this point, follow the detour and on the return trip, go on down to where the AT crosses Long House Creek and determine then if you can get across to follow the original AT back at the end of the hike.  If not, you have only gone .05 mile out of your way and can take the detour route back.
Detour along Long House Drive
Detour along paved part of Riverside Drive - residential on right with Long House Creek on left.
Ducks in Long House Creek off of Riverside Drive
Lots of Downy Woodpeckers along Riverside Drive
Riverside Drive becomes a gravel road and continues into Cascade Park beyond where it meets back up with the AT.
Red-blazed trail in Cascade Lake Park following the banks of Long House Creek.
The dam which forms Cascade Lake on Long House Creek.
Cascades spill over the dam at Cascade Lake.
Blue/pink-blazed woods road in Cascade Lake Park.
The blue-blazed trail splits off as a foot path called the Zig Zag Trail and ascends to the Appalachian Trail.
Turn right on the Appalachian Trail to Prospect Rock straight ahead.
From Prospect Rock views of Greenwood Lake, Sterling Forest, NY to the left and NJ to the right.
The AT brings you from New York into New Jersey or you can be in both states at the same time.
A short but steep rock scramble on the AT which some dogs might not find amusing. (She made it down with lots of coaxing and assistance.)
When you reach the detour point keep straight on the AT if you want to take a peak at the creek crossing just over the rise.  This is where the bridge was supposed to be.
A short distance to the right are a couple of stable logs across the creek.  I did not feel comfortable walking over them (I would have ended up in the creek for sure) so I straddled the logs and scooted over inch by inch. 
From the other side, the broken bridge along the bank of the creek.
The AT will come out at the parking spots on Long House Drive.  If continuing on to Warwick Turnpike, turn left and walk along Long House Drive for .1 mile watching carefully for the AT going into the woods to the right as blazes will keep going straight along the road for the detour portion.  The right turn into the woods will be before the 30 mph curve sign.

HIKE SUMMARY:
8.5 Mile Hike From Warwick Turnpike:
0.00    Head north (east) on AT from Warwick Turnpike roadside parking
0.50    Rock hop over swampy area, boards, bridge over creek
0.65    Cross woods road (not on map)
0.75    Swamp on right, rock hop through wet area, boardwalks
1.15    Boardwalks, rock hop over creek, boardwalks, keep right at fork
1.25    Right on Long House Road
1.80    Turn left on Riverside Drive
2.30    Continue straight when Riverside Drive turns to gravel
2.70    Cross feeder creek with small waterfalls
2.75    Keep straight when AT crosses over
3.05    Turn right on red-blazed trail in Cascade Lake Park; keep straight at footbridge following red-blazed trail along creek bank
3.55    Cascade Lake and waterfalls at dam; left on blue trail beyond waterfalls
3.60    Left on pink, also old green blazes at intersection, blue goes straight, red now gone
3.70    Keep left at intersection
3.75    Cross woods road
3.85    Keep straight when blue joins in from right, not blazed blue/pink
4.10    At fork keep left on blue/pink then keep right when woods road goes left
4.20    At intersection with two woods road, follow blue to left on footpath (well marked)
4.25    Cross woods road blazed pink to the right
4.50    Turn right on white-blazed Appalachian Trail to views at Prospect Rock
4.90    NY/NJ state line and trail register
4.95    Keep straight on AT when blue trail goes left
5.15    Surprise Lake to left as AT turns sharply right
5.20    Keep right on AT when yellow goes left
5.60    Rock hop over creek
5.70    Cross unmarked woods road (not on map)
5.80    Cross unmarked woods road (not on map)
5.85    Back at Riverside Drive gravel road detour, cross over and continue on AT
5.90    If bridge out turn right along bank of Long House Creek to logs that can be used to cross creek then left on other side back to AT
6.45    Cross bridge over creek
6.65    Cross unmarked woods road (not on map)
6.85    AT right right on woods road that comes in from left
6.90    AT leaves woods road to the left
7.05    Turn left on Long House Road at roadside parking
7.15    Cross Long House Road to the right and continue on AT into the woods
7.25    Boardwalks, rock hop over creek, boardwalks
7.35    Keep right on AT at fork
7.85    Cross woods road
8.00    Cross creek on footbridge, cross swamp on boards then rock hop
8.50    Back at car

6.0 Mile Hike from Long House Drive:
0.00    Right on Long House Road
0.10    AT comes in from woods on right
0.75    Turn left on Riverside Drive
1.25    Continue straight when Riverside Drive turns to gravel
1.65    Cross feeder creek with small waterfalls
1.70    Keep straight when AT crosses over
2.00    Turn right on red-blazed trail in Cascade Lake Park; keep straight at footbridge following red-blazed trail along creek bank
2.50    Cascade Lake and waterfalls at dam; turn right on blue-blazed trail (woods road) beyond waterfalls
2.55    Left on pink, also old green blazes at intersection, blue goes straight, red now gone
2.65    Keep left at intersection
2.70    Cross woods road
2.80    Keep straight when blue joins in from right, not blazed blue/pink
3.05    At fork keep left on blue/pink then keep right when woods road goes left
3.15    At intersection with two woods road, follow blue to left on footpath (well marked)
3.20    Cross woods road blazed pink to the right
3.45    Turn right on white-blazed Appalachian Trail to views at Prospect Rock
3.85    NY/NJ state line and trail register
3.90    Keep straight on AT when blue trail goes left
4.10    Surprise Lake to left as AT turns sharply right
4.15    Keep right on AT when yellow goes left
4.55    Rock hop over creek
1.65    Cross unmarked woods road (not on map)
4.75    Cross unmarked woods road (not on map)
4.80    Back at Riverside Drive gravel road detour, cross over and continue on AT
4.85    If bridge out turn right along bank of Long House Creek to logs that can be used to cross creek then left on other side back to AT
5.40    Cross bridge over creek
5.60    Cross unmarked woods road (not on map)
5.80    AT right right on woods road that comes in from left
5.85    AT leaves woods road to the left
6.00    Back at car on Long House Road

10 comments:

  1. I loved the dog pictures! They helped bring the scenery alive for me. Another lovely post. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your pictures are always great, as well as all of the info. Keep posting!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Don't know how you locate so many interesting and (to me anyway) unfamiliar trails to hike, but I'm sure glad you do! What's more you write about them and accompany those descriptions with such great pics that DH & I always make a file & print copy of your latest (as well as many of your older) entries. Your detailed hikes have hitched a ride on my backpack strap on more than one occasion. This one is a definite keeper as well.

    Matter of fact, we've accumulated so many of your 'trail tales' and guides we decided it was time to set up a "Daniela's Hikes" folder. It rests quite suitably on my desktop alongside my folders for NY Hikes, NJ Hikes, PA Hikes and Snowshoe Trails. You and they are referred to constantly. Thanks once again.
    Linda

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the Cascade Lake area! It used to be one of my favorite places to take my dog for a few hours. I know exactly what rock scramble you're talking about in your post as I had to coax my dog through that same area.

    Love your posts!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks so much, Linda and Stephanie!

    Daniela

    ReplyDelete
  6. My two sons, 10 and 6(he has autism) have hiked many of the trails you have. Our goal is to hike the entire portion of the Appalachian Trail in NJ and we are almost done. Today we hiked to the border rock and because of your detailed trip we were able to cross the creek and make a much more exciting return trip. We would like to thank you very much for all the time and effort you put forth. We will continue to monitor this site and my son loves the pictures of the dog. Thanks again. TBA for Autism

    ReplyDelete
  7. TBA,

    You are very welcome and thank you so much for your nice comments. I featured my dog, Shawnee, in more pictures for today's hike special for your son :) Shawnee has hiked almost all of the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey, too! So great that you have done that with your sons.

    Daniela

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks to your information, I was able to plan and navigate with 100% accuracy the drop off point for my husband and 14 year old daughter. I drove from Long Island this morning to the Warwick Tpke area, dropped them off and they are headed to the Delaware Water Gap. You have been such a great help!! Great pics too!
    The Thruhiker's wife

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wonderful! Glad the info was helpful. They picked a great weekend for hiking that stretch and I am sure they will have a blast! Sometimes parking and trail heads can be somewhat obscure and I know how much it helps to have good info to get there. I always try to copy and paste the coordinates instead of retyping because I would hate to transpose and send someone off to Alaska or somewhere - have almost done that to myself entering into the GPS so I have to double and triple check :)

      Daniela

      Delete