ABOUT THE PARK:
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.82019, -74.43815
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| Parking at Central Park of Hanover |
TRAIL MAP:
HIKE DISTANCE: 6.9 miles
THE HIKE:
Taking advantage of my last dog-free weekend to go where dogs are not allowed. (Brodie will be coming back home in time for hiking next weekend when my post-surgery restrictions are lifted.) Also, with the threat of thunderstorms I figured a more urban hike would be better. Then it turned out to be sunny the entire time. Of course.
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| From the parking lot at Central Park following the park path out the exit then along Eden Lane. |
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| Baby rabbits having breakfast. (I gave them the "stay out of traffic" lecture.) |
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| Crossing over ... |
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| Whippany River |
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| At the end of the guardrail a right on to the Patriots' Path. |
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| The paved path through Central Park follows along the Whippany River. |
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| At South Jefferson Road, turning left to stay with the Patriots' Path for about a quarter mile road walk. |
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| Crossing Cedar Knolls Road ... |
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| ... then right on Cedar Knolls Road ... |
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| ... across I-287. |
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| At the end of the bridge, the Patriots' Path turns left on a paved path. |
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| The path follows along the Whippany River with I-287 on the other side of the river. |
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| Coming out at an industrial area, right at the brick building ... |
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| ... then left at the far end of the Fingerpaint lot ... |
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| ... to the bridge to cross the river again. |
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| Now it's dirt path for a while. |
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| Coming out at Morris County Community Gardens. |
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| The Whippany River, I-287 and Hanover Avenue where I would be crossing shortly. |
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| Following the road from the community garden along the water treatment facility (phew!)... |
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| ... to a left on East Hanover Avenue. |
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| At the Morris County Library ... |
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| ... right at the crosswalk then left on a blue-blazed branch of the Patriots' Path ... |
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| ... into Frelinghuysen Arboretum. |
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| I headed to the right away from the main part of the arboretum, taking various trails, where I did not run into anyone else. |
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| The green trail runs into the Patriots' Path which leaves the arboretum to the right, I turned left. |
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| When the Patriots' Path became paved, I left to take other paths. |
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| Detouring through the Fern Garden ... |
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| ... then the Knot Garden until it started getting busy and I was at the point where I had to watch my mileage so ... |
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| ... I headed out on a path along the entrance road. |
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| Crossing back over to the library then left to retrace. |
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| Back on South Jefferson I had noticed this path on the right earlier, just after passing Barclays heading back. I had also seen a similar path leaving the paved path through Central Park so I turned right to check it out. |
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| It came out into a parking lot and I almost turned back but decided to see if it continued straight across the lot and it did. (This is looking back, I had come out to the left of where that truck is parked and walked straight across the lot.) |
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| The path continues all the way to the paved path I was on at the beginning of the hike where I turned left. This eliminated a great deal of road walking on South Jefferson Road. |
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| Back on South Jefferson, I turned right ... |
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| ... crossed Whippany River ... |
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| ... then took the paved path back ... |
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| ... to the parking lot. |
