Sunday, December 6, 2015

Glades Wildlife Refuge, NJ - Maple Street Trail


ABOUT THE PARK:
Glades Wildlife Refuge - Natural Lands Trust

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates for Maple Street Trail - 39.26229, -75.12364
No parking lot but room off of the side of the road.

TRAIL MAP:
Glades Wildlife Refuge Trail Map - Natural Lands Trust


HIKE DISTANCES:
All hikes combined with short drives from one to the other - 8.4 miles
Bald Eagle Trail - 1.6 miles
Maple Street Trail - 4 miles
Warfle Farm Trail .7 miles
Tat Star Tail - 2.1 miles

THE HIKE:
This trail head has the main information kiosk.
Maps were available but always bring your own just in case!
The start of the trail.
Ruins to the right.
It appears as tough the trail stops here but it does not.
It is just that when they mow the path the mower can't get through here because ...
... there is a creek that you can't see until you get through the overgrowth.
Only saw one trail marker along the way but the trail is easy to follow.
Coming out into a clearing with some views.
Because I become so annoyed at finding helium balloons on every hike I decided to start collecting them and this hike did not disappoint.  This balloon had been shredded by the mower but I picked up enough pieces ...
... to piece it back together at home and find a picture of it online to add to my collection.  (I now have 4 balloons from the last 4 hikes in a row.  My quest continues...)
Poor turtle :( 
I had intended to come out on Gandy Road and walk to the Maple Street Viewing Area but ...
... I misjudged and thought this might be it so I turned right...
... and there was parking before this gate so I continued on.
And on.
And on.
Only to find hunting blinds EVERYWHERE!  But thank goodness it was a Sunday and there was nobody else around.  I am pretty sure I had left Glades Wildlife Refuge since I no longer saw boundary signs and I must have been in a WMA although there is none indicated on the map in this area.
Two ducks were happily swimming and I got them just as they took off.  One doesn't hang around in a WMA when humans are present :(
But it was a gorgeous day and we walked along for a while before heading back.
Exiting at the gate we continued straight to the stop sign and turned right.  That is Maple Street.
Walking along Maple Street to the viewing point with very light traffic this time of year.  The entire time only 2 cars passed.
Views from the Maple Street Viewing Area.
Not fond of road walks but heading all the way back to the car along Maple Street.
Almost there.

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