ABOUT THE PARK: Dogs are not allowed.
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.70605, -74.46797
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| This map is actually better than the online map but the "You Are Here" is at the other parking lot, not the one where this hike starts. |
HIKE DISTANCE: 4.5 miles
THE HIKE:
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| The orange trail starts from the parking area but there aren't many orange markers to be seen. |
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| The trail is well-defined and ranges from dry ... |
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| ... to wet ... |
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| ... to completely flooded out. This is, after all, a swamp, so it is to be expected. |
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| At an intersection that is easy to miss, a trail goes to the right. That would be the silver trail, again, with markers being a rare sight. It's a bit more overgrown and thorny in spots but it does open up. |
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| There are several downed trees to maneuver over/around but they were all doable. |
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| I found some spring back in here! |
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| The trail ends at... |
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| Black Brook |
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| Heading back to the orange trail. |
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| Continuing to the right on the orange trail. |
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| A short distance ahead is the worst flooded part but I made it through. |
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| Just after that it is pretty much dry trail the rest of the way. |
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| The very sporadically blazed green trail goes to the right. |
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| It crosses the swamp on a boardwalk. |
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| The loop that goes around back to the orange trail was about 95% bone dry. |
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| One of those elusive green markers. |
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| Passing by a pond. |
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| So far on this hike I had seen two owls, several ducks that flew off as I approached, and a red-shouldered hawk soaring overhead. This robin was the only one that allowed me a picture. |
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| I could, however, have taken many, many pictures of the many, many ticks. Yes, they're baaaack. Let it be noted that I did spray my legs with picaradin, which is what I always use on clothing, as I was leaving the car but they did not care. The total tick count was about 10 plucked off as I went along, 3 more when I was as the car, 1 in the trash bag that I put my clothing in, 1 dead one in the washer after I soaked the clothes for a good half hour, and 1 in my hair as I was getting into the shower. I hope that was it. |
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| Somewhere around the loop before this bridge there should be a beige trail to the right but I missed it. |
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| All the bridges and boardwalks end in water but it was doable to get back to dry land. |
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| There is one of those ducks that took off. |
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| The orange trail ends at the Meyersville Road parking lot. |
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| Heading back. |
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| Got one of the red-shouldered hawks! A few minutes later I heard the squawking again and looked up to see two of them circling. |
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| Then I felt eyes on me. |
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| These shoes held up so well in this water. The water came up over the shoe laces a few times but my socks were barely damp. |
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