Clayton Park - Monmouth County Parks
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.15592, -74.50462
TRAIL MAP:
Clayton Park Brochure - Monmouth County Parks
HIKE DISTANCE: 7 miles*
*with accidentally doing the .35 miles Glen Trail loop twice
THE HIKE:
This was the working-my-way-back hike after the last round of chemo. It's an easy hike with rolling hills and smooth trails other than a few roots here and there. Lots of mountain bikers and dog walkers. The many dogs that we encountered all had their humans leashed. How nice for a change.
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| Heading across the grass from the middle of the parking lot to the start of the trails. |
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| We mostly kept right at intersections but it looks like a new trail is going in that is not on the map so not knowing where that went, I avoided it. |
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| Doctor's Creek below on the right - you really don't see very much of it on this hike. |
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| Coming out on the fields where we would hike in a bit but first ... |
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| ... a hard left ... |
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| ... along the pond. |
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| Then on to the Glen Trail for a loop before heading back. |
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| I ended up going around the loop twice because I missed the turn which is just after this fence. |
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| Back along the pond... |
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| ... then the Clayton Fields Trail counterclockwise (the trail markers will all be in the other direction). |
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| Imlaystown Lake |
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| There is another parking lot on Davis Station Road. It was empty where the main lot was pretty full after we finished hiking. |
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| I could see dogs charging across their yard up ahead and zoomed in to see if I needed to turn back or continue on. I could see the electric fence shock collars and I have to say I DESPISE those fences. Hoping the dogs would not break through (it happens often) we proceeded around |
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| The problem was incessant barking in my ear the entire way along that house. Any owners in sight? Nope. I have never allowed my dogs to bark and annoy people. One woof and you are in, that is my rule. This was highly annoying so something to keep in mind if you hike this loop and those dogs are out. |
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| As I mentioned before, the markers are all facing the other way if you go counterclockwise. |
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| A hard right turn ... |
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| ... to head back to the parking lot. |
Hi Daniela -- welcome back to hiking...so glad you are able to get back out in between chemo treatments! (I can't imagine that's an easy thing to do...knowing what chemo can do to someone.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Clayton Park never disappoints. I was last there in September 2019, and can safely say that the Clayton Fields trail wasn't established back then. (I have definitely seen Clayton Fields themselves though, as the Bridges Trail runs on the one side of it.) Looks like I'll have to go back again sometime, because I need some pix of Imlaystown Lake! It also appears that one can park right near the trailhead too, so I could potentially do that trail first next time. And it was interesting how you noticed a potential new trail being built. If so, then I'll have *2* new trails to try out there! (Will definitely pique my interest as the revelation of the 4 new trails at Wharton State Forest did last year...thanks to you! :-) )
Of course, thank you for the heads-up regarding the dogs near that house...hearing the barking of dogs near a public park/trail is not something I like to hear; at least they're not Pitbulls, German Shepherds, Dobermans, or any of the other "really dangerous" dogs. I'm with you too as far as training your dog(s) not to bark like maniacs; we do our best to not allow Penny to bark at other people or dogs when we are walking her. Totally understandable if someone is approaching or walking up to our house, knocks on our front door, etc., but that's it! (On the other hand, how threatening can an 8-lb. Papillon really be??) LOL!
Anyway, thank you for sharing your adventure, and as always, I look forward to your next one!
Jim
Hey Jim! Yes, I tracked my activities in an Excel spreadsheet and set goals and met them between each chemo treatment - that was my criteria for even doing it. I would be down for several days then start back with walking in the morning, adding in various workouts to attain 5-7 per week, easier hike on the second weekend after, harder hike on the third weekend after. The doctors were most impressed and said that is what would get me through this. They also said they could guarantee me that nobody (meaning staff) on that hospital floor was doing any thing near what I was doing. So lesson learned - stay as active as possible even when you have to claw your way back up!
DeleteFunny story: Back when I was doing animal rescue my friend and I were wrangling pit bulls, rottweilers, Dobermans, German shepherds and thinking nothing of it. Then along came this chihuahua that got loose in my house and here we are with those thick wildlife gloves on trying to catch it because it was trying to bite us! We still laugh about that. Don't underestimate those tiny ones lol!
Hi Daniela -- Do you know of any hiking places in PA/NJ that do not allow dogs? I find myself going to Duke Farms quite often for that very reason.
ReplyDeleteThe ones I can think of offhand are Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in PA and in NJ Palmyra Cove, Sherman-Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, Lord Sterling Park, most of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge.
DeleteThank you!
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