Schooleys Mountain County Park, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Schooleys Mountain County Park - Morris County Park Commission

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.794731, -74.770254

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Parking lot at the Langdon Palmer Fishing Access Area on Fairview Avenue.

TRAIL MAP:
Schooleys Mountain County Park Trail Maps - Morris County Parks Commission

Schooley's Mountain County Park, NJ at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  5.7 miles

THE HIKE:

Sunrise and fog at the parking area.  The path behind the kiosk leads to the Columbia Trail.

And an amazing view of the moon above.

Cross Fairview Avenue at the crosswalk to the "Patriot's Path" sign.

The combined white-blazed Patriot's Path and teal-blazed Highland's Trail turn left, the unmarked Bee-Line Trail is to the right.

Morning sunshine through the trees on the Bee-Line Trail.

The yellow-blazed Grand Loop Trail.

Intersection of the Grand Loop Trail and Highland Cut Trail.

Meadow Trails (not on map but northwest of the Upland Meadow Trail)

Exiting the Meadow Trails ...

and proceeding across the play field to ...

Lake George.

Broken floating bridge (closed).

Lake George from the dam.

Bridge over dam outlet.

Meadow trails lead to East Springtown Road.  A right turn and short road walk lead to the continuation of the Patriot's Path on the left.

A bridge tossed to the side crossing nothing.

Another bridge isn't quite long enough.

There is detour to the left of the bridge via a rock hop.

Electric Brook

Colorful wildflower, butterflies and birds along the meadow trails.

A boardwalk around the bridge to nowhere from earlier.

Back at the park on the Patriot's Path/Highland Trail

Approaching Lake George the same way as before.

The blue-blazed Falling Waters Trail starts near the dam at the far end of the lake.

The trail starts out smooth ...

but becomes more rugged.

A small cascade in Electric Brook.

The trail becomes rockier in the gorge.

The waterfalls become larger.

Views at the end of the Falling Waters Trail just before ...

meeting back up with the Patriot's Path/Highland Trail

Crossing Fairview Avenue back to the parking lot.

The last time we were at Schooley's Mountain was February 27, 2010.  The snow was between 10 and 15 inches deep.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  From parking lot cross Fairview Avenue on crosswalk at Patriot's Path sign; keep right on unmarked when Patriot's Path/Highland Trail goes left
[  0.20]  Keep right at fork on unmarked Bee-Line Trail
[  0.50]  Turn right at T-intersection on yellow-blazed Grand Loop Trail
[  0.85]  Straight on yellow at cairn when red-blazed Highland Cut goes left
[  0.95]  Yellow turns left when unmarked goes straight
[  1.35]  Looped around meadow trails
[  1.90]  Exit meadow trails to Play Field; continue straight across park road towards kiosk next to playground, continue towards Lake George
[  2.20]  Cross dam then take mowed paths to the right around Lake George
[  2.45]  Turn right on East Springtown Road
[  2.65]  Turn left through small parking lot to Patriot's Path/Highland Trail to left of Kiosk
[  3.10]  Turn right on unmarked and circle meadow
[  3.55]  Return to Patriot's Path/Highland Trail and retrace to East Springtown Road
[  4.05]  Turn left on Springtown Road, cross bridge, then turn right and cross at small building; continue on Patriot's Path/Highland Trail then leave to the right back to Lake George
[  4.45]  At dam take blue-blazed Falling Waters Trail straight ahead
[  5.05]  Overlook at end of blue trail; continue to the right to pick up white/teal Patriot's Path/Highland Trail
[  5.20]  Stay on white/teal when the Boulder Gorge Trail starts to the right
[  5.65]  Keep right on white/teal and cross Fairview Road
[  5.70]  Back at parking lot

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