Round Mountain Trail System, NJ

ABOUT THE PARK:
Round Mountain Section of Deer Path Park - Hunterdon County
Round Mountain Trail System - Readington Township
Bouman-Stickey Farmstead - Readington Township

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.582801, -74.831508

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TRAIL MAP:
Round Mountain Trail System - Readington Township



HIKE DISTANCE: 8.6 miles

THE HIKE:

Bouman-Stickney Farmstead

Sunrise

Head for this bridge then veer right in the field to start the hike.

Sometimes there will be horse trail markers...

... or both trail markers and horse trail markers.  While the trails are mostly well-blazed, the turns are sometimes not blazed.

Leaving the orange trail and starting on the white trail.

Turn right on Route 629 and walk a short distance to the horse paddock on the left, before the church.  There is a trail marker at the turn but no arrow.

The white trail continues as a mowed path along the fence.

Horses on the other side of the fence.

This hornet's nest was hanging low over the trail but looks like the inhabitants have all left for the winter.

There are a couple of different hunting signs, this one is old, but seems like there are different things going on so best to stick with hiking on Sundays during hunting season.

Although it looks like the private property sign pertains to this trail, it does not.  This is the connector trail to Deer Path Park.  (We hiked an extra mile before I figured that out - deleted that part from the GPS track.)  You see no trail markers until coming back from the opposite direction.

Cross West Woodschurch Road to Deer Path Park...

... and turn right on the mowed path.  The left mowed path is for people, the right mowed path for horses, although there was horse poop in the left path.

At the corner where the sign directs people to the left and horses to the right, turn right on the short path then left on...

... Deerpath Road.

It''s a short road walk to the orange trail to the river.

South Branch Raritan River

Break spot at the river.

Back at Deer Path Park.

Turned right towards the lake...

... then found our way back to the mowed path with the fitness stations that leads to the road crossing back to Round Mountain.

An Osage orange crashed down inches from me.  They are very heavy!  That could have done some serious damage.

Round Mountain

Some views heading back towards the Bouman-Stickney Farmstead.

Right on Route 629 again to ...

... the parking lot on the left and then to ...

... the Bouman-Stickney Farmstead.