Wildcat Ridge WMA, NJ - Hibernia Brook Trail and Beach Glen Trail Loop

ABOUT THE PARK:
Wildcat Ridge Hawkwatch - New Jersey Division of Environmental Protection
Wildcat Ridge Hawkwatch

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.944798, -74.492975

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When we arrived at 6:30 AM the lot was empty and we had the trails to ourselves.  End of the hike at 10:50 AM and the lot was full!

TRAIL MAP:
Jersey Highlands Trail Map #125 - NY-NJ Trail Conference
Wildcat Ridge WMA Trails - Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association
Wildcat Ridge WMA - Hibernia Brook Trail and Beach Glen Trail Loop at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  6.2 miles

THE HIKE:

The orange and white (Four Birds) trails start and the blue trail ends to the right of the kiosk.

On the white-blazed Four Birds Trail.

Just a short distance in, keep straight when white turns left to get to ...

The Hibernia Mine Bat Cave where there are, unfortunately, not many bats left due to white nose syndrome.

Back on the Four Birds Trail.

Then taking the orange Hibernia Brook Trail.

Dogwood blooming everywhere.

Although orange shows as a continuous trail on the JORBA map, the blazes stop as the trail follows a woods road then after a right turn at a gate the orange blazes start again.

You can either take the gravel road (boring) or the orange trail to the right (very pretty) to Hawkwatch.

Orange crosses over the white-blazed Four Birds Trail shortly before ...

... coming up on ...

Hawkwatch

You can even see the moon from Hawkwatch!

Far away in the distance.

Great break spot.

The last time I was here it was humid and hazy but cool and crystal clear today!

The annoying gnats were out of control.

On the Four Birds Trail...

... heading to Graffiti Cliffs on a somewhat defined, old yellow-blazed trail.  No trail maintenance here so there are a few downed trees across the trail.

Coming up on Graffiti Cliffs.

The town of Hibernia down below.

Another nice break spot.

Heading back on a woods road.

Then a sharp right on another woods road with some partial views before descending steeply.

The woods road becomes badly eroded on the steepest sections so it's a bit slippery on the rocks.

The blue-blazed Beach Glen Trail.

Out of the many, many, many birds seen and heard during this hike, this little Eastern Bluebird was the only one who would sit still 2 seconds to have a picture taken.

Hibernia Brook before the end of the Beach Glen Trail at the parking lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Begin from the parking lot on orange/white
[  0.10]  Keep straight on white when orange leaves to the left
[  0.15]  Keep straight towards bat caves when white leaves to the left
[  0.20]  Bat caves; retrace
[  0.25]  Turn right on white
[  0.45]  Turn right on orange when white continues straight almost at top of climb
[  0.50]  Looks like orange ends (triple blaze on tree) but according to map it should continue; keep straight and there will eventually be orange blazes again
[  0.95]  White crosses over, continue on orange (although not blazed on the woods road)
[  1.40]  Continue beyond gate, turn right towards next gate then right on orange
[  1.90]  Cross woods road at yellow marker WR0050
[  2.15]  Cross over white continuing on orange
[  2.25]  Hawkwatch overlook; retrace
[  2.35]  Turn left on white
[  2.50]  Rock hop over creek
[  2.95]  Cross woods road at cairn and keep straight
[  3.00]  Turn left on unmarked at yellow marker FB0012 where white veers right (there will be some faded yellow blazes on this trail but it is not maintained and there are blowdowns to navigate around)
[  3.30]  Navigate around blowdown and turn right at cairn, trail becomes grassy woods road
[  3.75]  Graffiti Cliffs; retrace
[  4.35]  Make hard right turn on to unmarked woods road
[  4.50]  Partial view to left - trail to left can be taken as it connects back to the woods road
[  4.70]  Keep right at fork
[  4.85]  Turn right on blue
[  5.10]  Keep right at fork
[  5.35]  Trail continues on far side of huge pit - not clearly blazed in this area
[  5.80]  Rock hop creek
[  5.90]  Keep straight when woods road goes to the right
[  6.20]  Back at parking

Delaware Water Gap NRA, NJ - Upper Ridge Equestrian Trail

ABOUT THE PARK:
Upper Ridge Trail in New Jersey - National Park Service
Kittatinny Lodging Camp - Facebook page with lots of old pictures from when Kittatinny Camp was in operation in the 40's, 50's and 60's before it's demise with the Tocks Dam Project that never happened.  There was still some evidence of the camp's existence on this hike.

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.259630, -74.815194

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From Jager Road pull into a field at the trailhead sign.  There is a large loop for horse trailers to turn around.  Did not notice any specific areas to park a car so just pulled to the side near the gate at the far corner of the field to be out of the way in case any horse trailers came in but none did.

TRAIL MAP:
Northern Kittatinny Trails Map 122 - NY/NJ Trail Conference

HIKE DISTANCE:  5.2 miles

THE HIKE:
I was dog sitting two dogs that are accustomed to hiking so with three dogs in tow, wanted an out-of-the-way place with an easy trail.  This trail does not appear to be used much, even by equestrians so it's a quiet, easy hike.

The gate at the corner of the field where the hike starts.

Looking back towards Jager Road from the gate.  My car did not suddenly change colors - it's a loaner while mine is in the shop.  Subaru is dog-friendly so they did not mind when I told them I would be hauling dogs in the car.

Starting off on the old Upper Ridge Road, now a trail.

The surface of the trail changes throughout the hike.  Here we have a grassy woods road.

There was only one blow-down that the dogs got through very easily.  Me, not so much but no photographic evidence of that.

Old stone farm walls along the trail.

On the right, two posts ...

... and an old wooden arrow at a woods road not on the map.

We went to explore and it is a very pretty trail that descends ....

... down into a little ravine.

The trail veers right away from the creek, crosses a small stream ...

... the kind of fizzles out but we were heading in the wrong direction at this point so we retraced back to the Upper Ridge Trail.

Back on the Upper Ridge Trail, watch for a trail on the left shortly after crossing over the creek at the guardrails.

The trail is somewhat overgrown but it leads to ...

... a pond!

Heading back to the Upper Ridge Trail.

There are a few equestrian trail markers along Upper Ridge Road.

Taking a break in the middle of the Upper Ridge Trail since there was not another soul around.

Seasonal views appear just as ...

... the trail becomes asphalt and starts to switchback down.

New and old trail markers.

The asphalt ends and it's back to dirt/gravel.

Some gorgeous old growth trees along the way where homes probably once stood.

After crossing a wooden bridge ...

... turn left at the gate ...

... down to Kittatinny Camp Lake.

Footings from the old camp dock?

A current satellite snapshot compared to the 1954 topo map - the lake is considerably smaller now and the black dots indicating camp buildings are long gone.

The straight row of pines at the top of the hill seemed to be part of the old camp.

On top of the hill at the huge old pines where camp cabins once stood.  I believe these are the pines that can be seen in several of the old camp pictures in the background of group photos.

The lake is below to the right but the view is now obstructed.

Heading back on the Upper Ridge Trail.

Here is a video put together for the visiting dogs' families so they could see the hike while away.