ABOUT THE PARK:
Oak Ridge Park - Explore Union County
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 40.608349, -74.342108
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| The new athletic field parking lot where hardly anyone parks when there are no events at the field. |
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| Or the main lot where everyone parks, just a short distance from the new lot. |
TRAIL MAP:
Oak Ridge Park - Union County Parks (map not updated)
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| My updates on the original map, perimeter loop in orange. |
HIKE DISTANCE: 2.8 miles
THE HIKE:
I used to come here often when this park first became a park, converted from a golf course. Nobody knew about it for a long time but word got out and it became overly popular so I hadn't been for a few years. But now with working from home allowing enough lunch hour time, it warranted a visit during the week.
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| We walked out the parking lot exit and turned right on the path parallel to Oak Ridge Road. |
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| The path turns right heading into the park. |
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| The path loop around coming back towards Oak Ridge Road ... |
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| ... and the main parking lot. |
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| The trail continues at the far end of the main parking lot just before the archery range. |
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| It can get a little busy spots. |
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| There are trash cans everywhere but wouldn't you know this is the one time Brodie did not poop. I was so looking forward to not having to carry his poop bag. |
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| Someone was hiding behind a branch. |
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| There she is! A female downy woodpecker. |
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| We had a lot of snow melt and rain so I expected a section to be flooded out. |
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| It's easy enough to backtrack to where it is dry and cut across the grass. |
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| Coming up behind the athletic field. |
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| A section of trail used to go right through what is now the athletic field. Turning left at the crosswalk ... |
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| ... a new path goes between the two parking lot sections ... |
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| ... and continues as a path after the parking lot entrance crosswalk. |
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| Some Canada geese taking a break from their migration. |
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| The path loops around heading back towards the parking lot along Oak Ridge Road. |
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| The crosswalk at the parking lot entrance ... |
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| ... then the second crosswalk at the parking lot exit back to where we parked. |
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| There they go continuing their journey. |
