Wawayanda State Park, NJ - Old Coal to Turkey Ridge

 

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

DIRECTIONS:

GPS Coordinates 41.142977, -74.407410

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Parking lot P7 off of Clinton Road.  Although this lot is numbered like the Pequannock Watershed lots, this is a Wawayanda State Park lot and no permit is required.

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 - Old Coal to Turkey Ridge at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  6.65 miles

THE HIKE:

Facing Clinton Road, turn right and walk south a short distance to the Project U.S.E gate.  Continue beyond the gate.

The gravel road becomes the Old Coal Trail.

Bearfort Waters

Porject U.S.E. canoes...

... and equipment.

Intersection with yellow.  Yellow goes into Pequannock Watershed property where a hiking permit is needed.

In an area where there are several old stone walls, a trail at a cairn goes to the right.  Don't take it - it goes nowhere.

An unmarked trail to the left leads through a very pretty area ...

... to a cairn at the top of a hill.  Turn right at the cairn (straight ahead dead ends in Pequannock Watershed property on the map).

At the next intersection, a short out and back to the left leads to a pretty little pond.

The unmarked trail ends at Turkey Ridge Trail.

At one point on the Turkey Ridge Trail, the markers indicate a left turn at a fork turn when the trail actually continues to the right.

Looking west in the pipeline cut.

Lake Lookout comes into view along the Pickle Trail.

This little guy took off but only to meet us at the other end of Lake Lookout.

Pickle Trail along Lake Lookout.

There he is waiting for us.

View of Lake Lookout from our break spot.

Overgrown part of Lookout Trail along the tip of Lake Lookout.

Lake Lookout

Watch out when approaching puddles on the Lookout Trail beyond the lake - frogs start jumping every which way!

The Lookout Trail ends at Old Coal Trail.

A wet spot with a nice crossing ...

... and more frogs!

Crossing the gas pipeline cut again looking west.

Old Coal passes the start of the Turkey Ridge Trail.

Old Coal goes left - to the right is the unmarked trail from the beginning of the hike.

A huge mushroom.

On the Old Coal Trail.

A Great Blue Heron in Bearfort Waters.

The end of the Old Coal Trail at Clinton Road.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[0.00]    Walk south on Clinton Road
[0.10]    Turn right at sign on gravel road; beginning of Old Coal
[0.50]    Straight on Old Coal when yellow starts to the left
[0.60]    Straight on Old Coal when unmarked goes right (some maps show this trail running parallel to Bearfort Waters all the way to Cherry Ridge Road)
[0.85]    Straight on Old Coal when trail at cairn goes left  (trail not on any maps)
[0.95]    Straight on Old Coal when trail at cairn goes right (took this trail but it goes nowhere and is not on any maps)
[1.40]    Left on unmarked when Old Coal goes right
[1.80]    Right at cairn at top of hill when trail also goes straight
[1.90]    Turn right; left goes to small pond
[2.25]    Turn left on Turkey Ridge at T-intersection
[2.50]    Keep right at fork to stay on Turkey Ridge even though there are left turn markers
[2.90]    Keep right on Turkey Ridge when Pines starts to the left
[3.15]    Cross pipeline
[3.25]    Turn right on Pickle before intersection with Rattlesnake up ahead
[3.80]    Right on Lookout Trail when Pickle ends; Lake Lookout
[3.90]    At tip of Lake Lookout, keep straight on white Lookout Trail when unmarked goes left at fire pit
[4.00]    Keep left on Lookout when unmarked (Hemlock & Load) starts to the right
[4.20]    Right on Old Coal when Lookout ends
[4.30]    Straight on Old Coal when unmarked (Hemlock & Load) starts to the right and unmarked (Mojo Swamp) starts to the left
[4.65]    Cross pipeline
[4.95]    Straight on Old Coal when Turkey Ridge starts to the right
[5.10]    Straight on Old Coal when Split Rock starts to the left and Buddha starts to the right
[5.20]    Straight on Old Coal when a second Split Rock access starts to the left
[5.25]    Straight on Old Coal when unmarked (from beginning of hike) goes right
[5.70]    Trail to left at cairn that went to nowhere
[5.70]    Straight on Old Coal when trail at cairn goes right
[6.05]    Straight on Old Coal when unmarked trail goes left
[6.15]    Straight on Old Coal when yellow starts to the right
[6.55]    Left on Clinton Road
[6.65]    Back at Parking

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