Wawayanda State Park, NJ - Cedar Swamp to Lake Lookout

ABOUT THE PARK:
Wawayanda State Park - NJ Department of Environmental Protection

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.156879, -74.414655

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NOTE:  Your GPS might take you to Canistear Road but the parking lot on Cherry Road cannot be accessed that way due to private property and gates.  Be sure to approach via Clinton Road.  Cherry Ridge Road is very rutted once it changes from pavement to gravel.

Parking lot off of Cherry Ridge Road.

TRAIL MAP:
North Jersey Trails Map #116 - NY/NJ Trail Conference
Wawayanda State Park Map - NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Wawayanda State Park - JORBA
Wawayanda State Park, NJ at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  8.55 miles

THE HIKE:

Starting on the green-blazed Banker Trail across Cherry Ridge Road from the parking area.

Banker Trail

Rhododendron in bloom.

Leaving the Banker Trail to take the blue-blazed Cedar Swamp Trail.

The Cedar Swamp Trail is sometimes well-defined...

... other times a little overgrown, but passable.

Crossing a wet area on logs and rocks.

Bear print.

Boardwalk through the swamp.

Yellow-blazed double pond trail.

Boardwalk to ...

... a bridge over a swamp.

Male and female red-winged blackbirds.

Wawayanda Furnace

Builder William Ames initials and date.

Wawayanda Lake

Wawayanda Lake from unmarked trail.

Spillway on blue-blazed Wingdam Trail

Wingdam Trail

Sitting Bear Trail

Wawayanda Lake view from Sitting Bear Trail.

Swimming beach on the far side of the lake.

Blowdown art on the white-blazed Lake Lookout Trail.  It was in this area that I saw a baby bear climb a tree then heard mama bear "yelling" from inside a thick pile of blowdowns so just kept moving along and didn't get a picture of the baby :(

Lake Lookout

The trail at the far end of Lake Lookout is overgrown but passable.

Leaving Lake Lookout, the trail forks.  Right must be the continuation of the Lake Lookout Trail.  Left is an unmarked but well-defined trail that goes through a very pretty area.

The unmarked trail ends at ...

... Old Coal Trail.

From Old Coal Trail, an unmarked trail to the left which is the Mojo Swamp Trail on the JORBA map.

Pretty forest floor views from the Mojo Swamp Trail.

There are rocks to the left to cross over on.  Would not advise sloshing through, getting stuck and having to be pulled out...

Ugh.

Approaching the swamp.

Red-winged blackbird in the swamp.

The Mojo Swamp Trail ends on Cherry Ridge Road.

Cherry Ridge Road

Cherry Ridge Road is gated just before the parking lot.

Trying to hitch a ride.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Cross Cherry Ridge Road to start on the green-blazed Banker Trail
[  0.40]  Left on blue-blazed Cedar Swamp Trail when green continues to the right
[  0.55]  Stay right on blue when unmarked (Rockadendron?) goes left
[  0.80]  Blowdown in trail then swampy section on logs and rocks
[  1.30]  Clearing with rusty car
[  1.45]  Boardwalks
[  1.85]  Blue ends at yellow, left on yellow-blazed Double Pond Trail
[  2.25]  Straight on yellow when red dot starts to the left
[  2.60]  Yellow now on gravel road through picnic/camping area
[  2.80]  Wawayanda Furnace; continue on trail going uphill behind furnace
[  3.00]  Left on blue-blazed Wingdam Trail across dam then right on unmarked
[  3.55]  Right on blue-blazed Wingdam Trail at T-intersection
[  3.75]  Right on orange-blazed Sitting Bear Trail (no markers at intersection)
[  4.85]  Keep left on orange when unmarked (not on map) goes right
[  5.15]  Right on yellow-blazed Laurel Pond Trail
[  5.50]  Right on gravel Cherry Ridge Road
[  5.55]  Left on white-blazed Lookout Trail
[  6.10]  Keep left when green goes right; Lookout Lake, keep left around lake
[  6.20]  Turn left at end of pond and take unmarked trail to the left
[  6.50]  Turn right on red-blazed Old Coal Trail at T-intersection
[  6.75]  Straight on Old Coal when Lookout Trail comes in on right
[  6.90]  Unmarked (Hemlock & Load?) on the right, turn left on unmarked footpath which is the Mojo Swamp Trail on the JORBA map
[  7.40]  At T-intersection not on map, turn right
[  7.60]  At T-intersection on map, turn right when left goes to Cherry Ridge
[  8.00]  Turn right on Cherry Ridge
[  8.55]  Back at parking