ABOUT THE PARK:
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.39664, -74.87023
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| Alexauken Creek WMA Parking |
TRAIL MAP:
HIKE DISTANCE:
These hikes were 7.5 miles (12 minute drive) apart.
Alexauken Creek Wildlife Management Area and Pryde's Point - 3.4 miles
THE HIKE:
With it being a colder day and therefore safe to do so, (and because he was being highly annoying) Brodie waited this one out in the car.
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| The trail begins on the right at the less obvious place. I completely missed it when I started because a car was parked in front of it so I could not even see it. I took the trail on the left. Once I realized it was not the right trail, I thought I might be able to get to the trail at Alexauken Creek from there. I actually did not have that much farther to go before the trail fizzled out into thorny overgrowth and I had to head back. |
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| The blue line is the incorrect trail. |
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| Restart on the correct trail. |
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| This is the yellow trail but there aren't any markers early on. |
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| After passing by this old house ... |
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| ... the yellow trail descends to Alexauken Creek on old stone steps. |
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| Looking back at the stone steps. |
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| A rock hop across Alexauken Creek ... |
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| ... to steps up on the other side. |
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| The yellow trail leads to what used to be a pond but with a busted dam it has reverted to creek. |
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| According to the map, just after a PRIVATE PROPERTY sign the blue D&R Greenway trails start through that private property. The trail straight ahead, however, is no longer a trail so you have to turn left on blue. |
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| At the fork left goes to the red trail along the creek but first continuing straight. |
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| This becomes a red Hunterdon Land Trust trail... |
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| ... along open fields. |
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| The trail continues left on this dirt road to a parking area. I turned back at this point. |
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| Back at that fork, taking the blue trail ... |
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| ... to where it ends at white and red. White goes back over the creek towards that old house and the yellow trail. For now, straight on red. |
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| Just before the bottom fell out into the worst winter ever, a volunteer trail maintenance crew had cleared fallen trees that were blocking the trail, cleared out brush and brambles encroaching on the trail and installed many, many new trail markers. I had received an email to join them but was not able to take that day off work. They did a fantastic job and made hiking this trail very enjoyable. Much thanks! |
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| There are a couple of options to cross over early but oh heck no, it was too pretty to cut short so on I went. |
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| Evidence of all that hard trail maintenance work. |
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| This is the creek crossing and turn back point at the far end. |
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| It didn't look like there were enough rocks to hop cross on but it was fine - the water was shallow and there were rocks just barely under water to step on. |
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| Alexauken Creek |
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| Between the two hikes of this day I must have moved over 100 branches off of trails that had fallen over the winter. This was a larger snarl but I was able to untangle and move them - my trail maintenance contribution. |
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| Red ends where that white trail comes in from other side of the creek. |
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| Now it's white back to that old house. |
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| Retracing on yellow. |
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