Sunday, June 21, 2020

Highlands Trail, NJ - Holland Mountain Road to Route 23


ABOUT THE PARK:
Pequannock Watershed - City of Newark
Highlands Trail Guide - NYNJ Trail Conference
PERMIT REQUIRED FOR HIKING IN THE PEQUANNOCK WATERSHED. 
See THIS hike for permit details.  At the end of this hike, as I was at the car taking Brodie's backpack off, a Newark Watershed officer stopped to check for a permit sticker, which I have.  Driving by another watershed parking lot on my way home there was a car, apparently with no permit, with a ticket clearly visible under the windshield wiper. 

DIRECTIONS: 
GPS Coordinates 41.073056, -74.521770
Parking on Holland Mountain Road.

TRAIL MAP:
Jersey Highlands Trails Map 126 - NYNJ Trail Conference

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HIKE DISTANCE:  9.9 miles
Highlands Trail one way from Holland Mountain Road to Route 23 - 3.7 miles

THE HIKE:
From the parking lot a right turn on Holland Mountain Road for a short distance ...
... to just before the end of the second guardrail ...
... to a right on the Highlands Trail.
A creek flowing over the trail.
The Highlands Trail crosses several woods roads and illegal dirt bike trails.
A bear was here.  In fact, there are lots of signs of bear activity along this route like large overturned rocks and rotten logs clawed up.  I never saw any but am pretty sure I heard a bear skedaddle away on two occasions during this hike.
Some obstructed views of Oak Ridge Reservoir.  Views would be much better when the leaves are down.
Some out of focus turkeys scooting away.
The trail descends very steeply just before reaching Route 23.
The little red efts were everywhere so I had to watch every step.
Coming up on the Pequannock River at Route 23.  The Highlands Trail turns left on Route 23 and it's a road walk to continue on but we passed on that because traffic was crazy fast zooming by and it just wasn't my idea of a good time.
So we headed back ...
... after going down to the Pequannock River for a look.
Instead of taking the Highlands Trail back, we went left on a woods road and avoided that steep climb back up.  And Brodie found ...
... balloon #32 of the year.
A few steps ahead balloon #33.
This woods road was easy enough to follow and did not look to be heavily used by dirt bikes.
It eventually brought us back to the Highland Trail.
Another partial view of Oak Ridge Reservoir.
We turned right on one of the woods roads ...
... where we had to get completely off the woods road to let a Jeep from NY pass?!?!?!  Was he lost?  Although I could hear dirt bikes on the other side of the power cut we were heading towards, this was the only other person/vehicle we encountered the entire hike.
Crossing the power cut ...
... then left on this horribly hot, chunky gravel road.  Fortunately it did not last very long.
It crosses back over the power cut and becomes a dirt road once more.
Mountain laurel is nearing the end of the blooming season.
Balloon #34.
Back on the Highlands Trail crossing the creek that flows over the trail before leaving on the woods road again to the left.
It was one of those times when I wanted to pretend I did not see this but I couldn't.  It was quite a bushwhack to get over to ...
... balloons #35, #36, #37 and #38.  That makes 7 balloons packed out on this hike, 12 out of the Pequannock Watershed so far this year.
Brodie waiting patiently while I retrieve balloons.
This woods road comes out on Holland Mountain Road ...
... where we turned right to the car a short distance ahead.

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