Swartswood State Park, NJ - Grist Mill Trail

ABOUT THE PARK:
Swartswood State Park - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.059261, -74.853346

View Larger Map

TRAIL MAP:

Picture of map in kiosk.  About half of the trail is blazed with painted yellow rectangles, the other half with metal rectangles with a yellow circle.

Swartswood State Park, NJ - Grist Mill Trail at EveryTrail


HIKE DISTANCE:  1.3 miles

Hiked together with Swartswood State Park - Duck Pond Multi-Use Trail Area

THE HIKE:

Keen's Mill

Cross the bridge over Mill Brook...

at the dam and Mill Pond.

Keep left on the yellow-blazed Grist Mill Trail.

The trail starts out blazed with yellow painted rectangles.

Out for an early Sunday morning stroll.

Lots of old stone walls along the way.

Partial views of Swartswood Lake

The trail follows along Swartswood Lake for a bit then veers away from the lake...

... then comes to this confusing sign.  (Note the look of confusion on Shawnee's face.)  This makes it appear as though you are at a T-intersection and can go either way and most people probably think that since there is a path to the left but it fizzles out and there are no blazes.  So what the sign actually means is the left arrow is the trail you just arrived on (although it does not point that way) and you need to turn right here.

At this point the trail markers are metal rectangles with a yellow circle.

Fresh bear scat but no bear to be seen.

After the trail descends down a couple of dilapidated wooden beam steps, turn left (no turn blazes) then at this fork, keep right and descend down to ...

Mill Brook.

Arriving back at the grist mill and Mill Pond.

Mill Pond

Pin It