ABOUT THE PARK:
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.28864, -74.55253
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| Appalachian Trail Parking on Route 284 |
TRAIL MAP:
New trails as of 2022 not yet on the trail conference map:
HIKE DISTANCE: 13.5 miles
THE HIKE:
I had a 1.5 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey/New York that I had not yet hiked so I wanted to incorporate that with some newer trails in Wallkill River Wildlife Refuge that did not exist when I last hike there in
2012. Dogs are allowed on the Liberty Loop Trail and the Appalachian Trail but not on any of the other trails so Brodie went to hang out with the grandchildren for the day.
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| Does he look like he is missing hiking? |
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| Heading north on the AT crossing Route 284 then immediately over a creek on a bridge. |
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| These snails were everywhere early in the morning but not a single one around at the end of the hike. |
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| Knowing that most of this hike would be on smoother surfaces I wore trail runners. The AT all along this section was smooth also. |
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| Well, except for occasional rock hops and mud, mud, mud! |
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| Coming out into a field. |
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| Back into the woods after crossing Oil City Road (NJ). |
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| Coming out into another field with nice views. |
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| Did I mention there was a lot of mud? |
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| The AT comes out of the woods at this, well I don't know what it is, junky place. |
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| Now it's a road walk on Carnegie Road ... |
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| ... then a right on Oil City Road (NY). |
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| Crossing over Wallkill River. |
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| Passing by Winding Waters. |
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| Isn't this nice? Some trail magic for thru hikers and I did already encounter several on this hike while on the AT. |
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| The AT turns right into Liberty Marsh on the Liberty Loop. |
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| The AT went straight but I turned left. I would be coming back from that part of the AT later. |
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| The kiosk at the Liberty Loop parking area. |
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| Shortly after the parking lot the trail turns right and becomes gravel. I liked the grass a lot better. |
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| Heading back into New Jersey. |
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| The AT, which comes in from straight ahead after looping around the far side of the marsh, turns into the woods. I continued straight. |
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| Where the AT turns right, directly opposite on the left is the way to the Hidden Pond Trails. There is no sign. |
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| It's all grassy woods road through the woods at first. |
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| An incredible amount of birds back in here and at the ponds. I will put the pictures I captured at the end. |
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| There is a parking lot for the Hidden Ponds Trails on Lake Wallkill Road. The trail conference map says there is a permit required and that was true for that edition of the map but with the creation of the Hidden Pond Trails in 2022, that parking lot was made available with no permit needed. |
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| Two different species hanging out together. |
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| Other than a birding photographer with a huge lens (who showed me some of the AMAZING pictures he had on his camera) there was nobody else in this area. It was my favorite part of the hike. |
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| Heading back. |
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| Coming back out on the Liberty Loop Trail, I turned left on what I have seen called the Owens Connector Trail although the map shows it as the Timberdoodle Trail. This part did not exist in 2012. |
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| Crossing Owens Station Road. |
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| The trail now passes ponds on either side with short trails up to the ponds for some wildlife viewing. |
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| The end at Bassetts Bridge Road. |
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| Heading back. |
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| Back at the Liberty Loop Trail, left on the Appalachian Trail. |
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| Oh my! This snapper was over 1 foot long. He was crossing the trail just as I came up on him. I would have yielded to him but he yielded to me. |
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| Back into New York. |
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| Coming out on Oil City Road, the AT turns left. |
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| But this had been an easy hike with very little elevation gain (just on the AT and the Hidden Ponds Trail) so what the heck, may as well. |
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| Wallkill River |
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| Continuing on the AT. |
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| Just under a mile and a half to go. |
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| Left on Carnegie Street. |
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| Right back into the woods at whatever this is place. |
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| Back at Route 284 |
Birds Photographed:  |
| Baltimore Oriole |
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| Chipping Sparrow |
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| Indigo Bunting |
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| Northern Mockingbird |
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| Purple Martins |
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| Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
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| Song Sparrow |
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| Yellow Warbler |
Birds identified with the Merlin Bird ID sound app:
