Natco Lake Park - Hazlet Township
Natco Park - Hazlet Township
Natco Park Booklet - Hazlet Township
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.42563, -74.15513
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| Parking at the environmental building at 399 Middle Road. |
TRAIL MAP:
HIKE DISTANCE: 4.8 miles
THE HIKE:
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| We started on a sand trail to the right side behind the environmental building. |
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| There were no trail markers at first, just a lot of streamers hanging from tree branches. |
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| Eventually the trail was marked with green markers. |
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| The trail follows along Raritan High School where there is also parking to access the trails. |
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| Balloon #6 of 2022. |
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| We made a left on an unmarked trail which leads to Sun Dew Pond then loops around behind the pond. |
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| Balloon #7 of 2022. |
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| After looping around the pond we continued on the unmarked trail until it ended ... |
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| ... in a swampy section behind homes. |
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| Passing back by Sun Dew Pond. |
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| The yellow trail goes all the way to the parking lot at ... |
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| The Grammercy at Lakeside Manor where a right turn through the lot leads to the orange trail along Natco Lake. Also, Brodie scored some French fries in the parking lot before I so rudely intervened. |
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| Natco Lake |
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| The gulls had so graciously left some stinky dead fish lakeside to make a complete meal of Fish 'n Chips for Brodie before I again, VERY rudely intervened. Sigh. |
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| The orange trail, according to the map, should go all the way around the lake to Route 36. It does not. |
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| When the trail seemed to peter out, I notice a bridge off to the right so we went that way. |
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| Indeed, there were orange markers. |
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| But after this rickety bridge double markers indicating a right turn led to nowhere so we ended up bushwhacking looking for the trail but never found it so we retraced back to that first bridge then took a left on orange/red. |
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| Along the way there were orange markers to the left which would be where that orange trail should have come out according to an older map in the brochure and the Gaia app but after a few steps in, there was no more trail. So apparently that part of orange is now defunct and you have to retrace once you lose the trail along Natco Lake. |
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| Coming up on Pine Hill ... |
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| ... which overlooks Raritan High School. |
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| Retracing along the high school ... |
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| ... coming out opposite the environmental building from where we had started. |
Hi Daniela -- I just realized...this park is in (not-so-nearby-but-not-OH-so-far-away for me) Hazlet! I've been to Hazlet (or at least, gotten off the exit) to visit the Henry Hudson trail (with my bike) in 2010...so I can at least say I'm "familiar" with the exit! It looks to be a beautiful park, so I just placed it on my park/trail goals for this year!
ReplyDeleteI like the cool little bridges (if I may quote Mike from SJ Trails!), and the lake looks nice too (even if the trail doesn't go all the way around.) Thank you for the post...looking forward to hiking this for myself later on this year!
Jim
It's a cute little park. Just don't eat the fish that the gulls leave. Brodie was violently ill for 24 hours from eating that. How can a dog puke out more than he takes in? Trust me, it is possible. He is back to normal now.
DeleteHi Daniela -- awaiting your blog from this week's [7/17/22] hike (assuming you did one)...writing to let you know that back in February I "hinted" that I'd be visiting this park, and lo and behold, I DID today (well, yesterday, 7/17)! I parked at Raritan High School, and picked up the Yellow trail (or, what I _thought_ was the Yellow Trail)...There was a sign that said "Yellow Trail", which had a *green* arrow pointing to the right; I proceeded straight right off the bat...and found myself on the WRONG trail; however, I *did* see some of the Green Trail(s) -- many of which either fizzled out or turned out to be "connector" trails. (At one point, I was going through a bamboo tunnel, before coming out onto a cul-de-sac.) A very interesting experience, to say the least. Just when I was thinking of just driving out to Route 36 and parking at The Grammercy to hit the trails from that side, I finally figured out that I was supposed to take the trail that paralleled Raritan High School (i.e. the athletic fields). {Disclaimer: If I had reviewed this blog before I left, I would have probably taken the correct trail right off the bat; although, I *did* get in almost 2 extra miles; believe me -- the exercise certainly _cannot_ hurt!}
ReplyDeleteFinally, I made it out to the parking lot at The Grammercy (via the Yellow Trail), and got to see Natco Lake! Beautiful lake...and unlike your pix from back in February, I saw plenty of people swimming in the lake. (I finally discovered an opening in the trees so I could get clear shots of the lake off the Orange Trail!) I agree that parts of the trails are confusing...especially the orange/red trails. I'm glad I didn't follow Orange all the way around the lake, as you stated it fizzles out at one point. But I was hoping to get on the combined Orange/Red, but somehow missed that, and ended up getting on Red [only], and eventually reconnecting with Yellow and headed back to the Raritan High School parking lot. But I totally missed out on the Blue Trail, which looked pretty nice as well...what with Pine Hill! But no problem...I was totally satisfied with my adventure -- thank you for your blog from February, which inspired me to even visit this place!
-- Jim
I bet it looks much different there in the summer. I can't believe people swim in that lake. After 24 hours of violent diarrhea from Brodie after eating dead fish that was all over the place, going into that water? No thanks! We did hike yesterday and were poured on from an rain shower that was not in the forecast. Then Brodie was attacked big time by deer flies. I'll have that one up shortly.
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