Sunday, April 21, 2024

Jones Woods, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK: 
Jones Woods - Burnham Park Association

DIRECTIONS: 
GPS Coordinates 40.79259, -74.50335
Roadside parking on Hillcrest Avenue at the entrance gate to Jones Woods.

TRAIL MAP: 
Jones Woods Trail Map - Burnham Park Association


HIKE DISTANCE:  2.5 miles

THE HIKE:
Six-year-old granddaughter Ellie was very upset when I spent the previous day hiking with her baby brother Teddy, when Ellie had other commitments, so I had to promise her a hike the following day and she held me to that!  She was very excited to scout out these trails with me as neither of us had been there before.
Entering the trails at the gate on Hillcrest Avenue.
The gravel road goes downhill ...
... to a bridge to ...
... the yellow trail around the pond where we turned right.
Jones Pond
Old stonework to the right.
We turned right on white.
Rock hopping over a small creek.
Navigating a muddy section.
More mud.  There was lots of mud in low lying areas.
Ellie was paying VERY close attention to where the white markers were so she was sure we were going the right way.
The white trail comes out on Mendham Road where there are no more white markers.
Ellie was not convinced that we were going the right way.  I had to assure her we needed to cross the creek on the road and that if it was wrong, we would just turn back.
Still not convinced, she reluctantly came along.
And indeed, just the other side of the guardrail, the trail entered back into the woods and the white markers resumed.
Ellie, being a Girl Scout, was very impressed that an Eagle Scout had built the benches.
Taking yellow from white.
Heading for that bench up by the pond for a break.
Ellie commented how peaceful it was there.
Passing by where we had turned on white earlier ...
... and continuing around the pond.
Right on blue.
There was a very muddy stretch early on and one of Ellie's feet slid in, the mud sucking the shoe right off of her foot!  
Photo by Ellie
At green we had to make a decision whether to stay with blue or turn left on green.  Ellie decided we should take green so green it was.
Green meets back up with blue so we continued on blue.
Photo by Ellie
At red we had to decide whether to stay on blue or turn left on red.  Ellie chose red.
Ellie found a red-tailed hawk feather.  Of course it was left in nature where it belongs.  Photo by Ellie
Back at the pond to finish the loop on yellow.  But first ...
Ellie went left to the bridge to take a photo of ...
... the pond.  Photo by Ellie
Then a photo of ...
... the creek feeding the pond.  Photo by Ellie
Then me taking a picture of Ellie ...
... and Ellie taking a picture of me.
Ellie taking a picture of the bridge.
Photo by Ellie
Back to the bridge from the beginning of the hike ...
... and up the gravel road to the car.
Ellie clanged her shoes together to get some of that dried mud off.
Ellie's opinion of this hike.

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